A proper tailgating cocktail must to be easy to make. Wielding a cocktail shaker in a field is both impractical and asinine. Which brings us the two ingredient Dark and Stormy. Billed as the national drink of Bermuda, the Dark and Stormy is suitable on the beach or the hot tailgating temperatures of September. Combining Ginger Beer (which happens to be non-alcoholic) and Dark Rum (quite alcoholic) it provides a breezier and less sweet alternative to the average sorority girl’s Rum and Coke. The purist will insist on Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, whereas I decided to Release the Kraken Rum since I had it around. From what I can tell, people are as territorial about Ginger Beer as they are barbecue. I would suggest something, but really you’re going to end up with whatever you can find at your local high end grocery or liquor store.

Dark and Stormy

2 oz Dark Rum
4 oz Ginger Beer

Add rum and ginger beer to ice filled glass and stir. Garnish with lime. Talk like a pirate.

I recently received an email wanting to know if I would feature Buzz Shot the Beer Pong card game on this site. I have agreed. Your average beer pong game is really fun and allows 2-4 people to socialize and drink. Then some douche walks up with his set of 10 different rules that “we always play by” and proceeds to suck all of the fun out of the game. Well now those douches have an aid in their quest because Buzz Shot:

* Helps eliminate the same people consistently winning by adding additional variables to the game, such as shooting with the opposite hand, making a bounce shot instead of an arc shot, having to choose a guest to take your shot, take a shot while sitting down, losing a turn, etc.

* Helps introduce those who may not be inclined to play the game as is (Guys….especially the female crowd)

* Is an excellent “ice breaker” at a party. Have a hard time starting up a conversation with those you don’t know? Bring BUZZ-SHOT along to a party and you won’t have that problem!

These are the worst pitches I’ve seen since the Boom Cooler. Yeah, if girls are intimidated by Beer Pong, they will be much more likely to play if you add rules that force them to take trick shots. Also, what would be your reaction if a stranger walked up to you and asked if you want to play Beer Pong, but then informed you that we’d be playing with a set of Monopoly Community Chest like cards? Would punching them in the throat be too polite? I have my own set of rules for Beer Pong. Throw ball into cup. Occasionally chug beer. Talk shit. That’s the beauty. That’s the fun. Leave it alone.

Liquor.com has created a cheat sheet to guide you through the many different brands of bourbon. I would guess that most people decided on the bourbon of choice by chance or availability as much as a taste comparison. And really, there’s nothing wrong with that. But this handy list will give you an idea of what other bourbons follow the same basic recipe. You may not want to buy a whole bottle, but it’s an idea for mixing it up the next time you’re at the bar.

“There’s the “traditional bourbon recipe,” which calls for about 70 percent corn and then roughly equal amounts of rye and barley. Knob Creek, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey and Evan Williams fall into this group. Then there’s the spicy “high-rye recipe,” which includes a higher percentage of, you guessed it, rye. Basil Hayden’s, Four Roses and Buffalo Trace all follow this formula. The last group is the “traditional wheat recipe,” which, according to Lubbers, has a “sweeter and softer” taste since it’s made from corn, barley and wheat. Maker’s Mark, Van Winkle and W.L. Weller are examples of this style.”

(photo by poohba02)

The first thing you’ll notice is that the koozie is made to look like a krinkled brown paper bag. Hobo chic if you will.

“Let me show you Derelicte. It is a fashion, a way of life inspired by the very homeless, the vagrants, the crack whores that make this wonderful city so unique.” -Mugatu

So that feature might bring some oohs and ahhs at some sort of theme party. However, the standard features are what make this koozie worth buying. I found that my beer stayed sufficiently cold for roughly forty minutes. So as long as you keep up your standard power hour pace, you’re in the clear. The second feature is the handle sewn onto the side. Now you can feel free to gesture wildly without the fear of sending an Olde English into someone’s cranium. Unless that’s your thing.

So between the novelty (brown bag design), function (keeps your beer cold) and the comfort (handle really does make a difference) I’m going to have to give the 40 Ounce Koozie the Drunken Tailgate approval. I do not have as a favorable review for that Champagne of Beers 40oz.

It’s the first home game this fall and you’re tailgating with family and friends. You’ve had a few beers, a few appetizers, and you’ve reflected on the promise of a new season. It’s time to start grilling some hamburgers and really get going. You lift up the lid to the grill and instead of charcoal you find a Smirnoff Ice staring you down. Bro, you’ve just been iced. Get down on one knee and chug that silly bottle of malt beverage.

It seems that Bros Icing Bros is the fastest growing drinking game/prank/internet fad out there. As such, you should expect to be assaulted with an Ice while setting up your tent at 8am on gameday. Per the official site:

“Bro’s might ask… what’s the fun in that? Well it’s all about creativity. Planting an ice in a discrete location where your bro might not know where it is. For example… one of my bro’s gave an ice to a bartender and asked him to hold onto it until his other bro showed up. Bro 1 asks Bro 2 if he wants a beer. The bartender then presents Bro 2 with the ice. An instant chant of “you got iced” precedes and Bro 2 chugs the ice on the spot. The best part of the game is that you can ice anyone in on the game at any moment in any place. Bro’s have been iced in restaurants, walking down the street, and at completely inappropriate times, which makes the game all the better.

Now there are some simple rules to the game:

1.)You cannot refuse an ice. If you refuse to drink the ice you are instantly excommunicated and shunned, and thus can never ice another bro or be iced.

2.)If you are iced by a fellow bro you can ice block. When presented w/ an ice, you pull out an ice of your own and reverse the ice on your bro. The ultimate ice insult.”

In reality, tailgating is about the most convenient place to be Iced. Drinking laws are relaxed, you’ve luckily secured a safe driving situation, and you don’t have any major responsibilities. Finding a Smirnoff ice in a cereal box one morning, in your office desk drawer, or just before exercising are much worse fates. Bros Icing Bros is rumored to have started in South Carolina and even taken place in offices at Goldman Sachs. When practiced with a dash of creativity, I fully support the movement. Consider yourself on notice.