We’ve written a lot about the trials and tribulations of getting your vittles, beer & booze to the tailgate party.  One of my buddies says that instead of this being a chore, you need to use the exercise as a way of adding random fun to your game plan. OK, so we have been quite serious about our tailgate party equipment so far.  Technical.  Scientific. But you want to get straight to the point: What are the best beer & booze accessories for your tailgate party?

Beer and Booze Accessories are fun !

Smuggle it:

What if one of you stumbled upon this site and want something not quite so somber?  You like to have fun with your beer and with your guests.  Of course, ‘fun’ is what a tailgate party is all about.  So here are a few things you could unexpectedly pepper your party with to spice up the day.  It’s just a list of nutty stuff that will make transporting food and drink to the parking lot, the stadium, the man cave, your buddy’s place or anywhere good sport is played (by others) easy.

Such as the secret flasks which allow you to take your ‘sunscreen’ wherever, whenever.  Might not be convincing at a night game though.

Don’t feel you have to buy the whole list.  Don’t use them all on the same day.  Just an occasional burst of craziness will do.  After all, timing is everything. So, here are the best beer & booze accessories for your tailgate party madness!

The iFlask – just like a real iPhone.

Here’s one you can’t make calls on but it will give you as much entertainment in a ‘difficult’ venue as a real iPhone.  Not sure whether the security guys are on to this trend yet.  They are cheap enough so that if you have to surrender it at the door, no sweat. It holds nearly 5 oz and has a built in bottle opener. Stainless steel frame and light-weight non-toxic ABS plastic.  No data plan.  Just a tailgate party plan.

The WineRack

 

 

Here’s a novel and eye-catching way to bring the booze into the party, to keep it close to your heart, as it were.   You’re looking at a stunning rack … OK, it’s really a comfortable sports bra with polyurethane bladder which holds 25 ounces of your favorite beverage.  There’s a long drinking tube with easy-to-use on/off valve to control the flow and of course the enhancing effect is obvious.  And impressive.  And just to show you how new-agey and egalitarian I am, guys who like to dress up can use one of these.

It’s also super handy for those picnics held in communities that ban alcohol.  Who’s gonna risk patting you down for a booze check?  It’s all washable and comes in sizes 34C to 38C.  Not big enough for most beefy guys but the ladies can tote the beverages. A couple of usage notes:  test it with water prior to use (you’re gonna want to wash it well anyway) and if you find you have any leaks, either return for a refund or just remove the tap part on the hose and put a little Teflon tape around it to strengthen the seal.

But imagine the howls of laughter when Grandma turns up wearing it and sucks on her Pimm’s while playing cornhole.  Worth any amount, I’d say, not just the few bucks it actually costs.  In fact, you could buy a few and fill them with different liquids and pass them round the whole party.

Don’t overfill it or you could burst the bladder.  Just use a backup rack.

You can use it to tote warm fluids which would be handy in mid-winter.  Just remember that there is a health issue with anything dairy that is not kept at the right temperature.  And the visual pun of that would be way too obvious. Mamacita’s chicken soup would be more appropriate.

The Beer Belly

This polyurethane bladder looks like a beer belly when worn under your shirt (change to a larger sized shirt for the day, preferably a team shirt in “burly’).  It holds up to 80 ounces of any hot or cold beverage.  It fits any person up to 6 feet 8 inches tall and up to 40-inch waist – male or female. Yes, women can have beer bellies too…

It is easily cleaned and it is just for novelty use.  Seems a bit flimsy in construction but that’s OK for a few belly laughs!

Note that you need to drink the booze very fast as it will warm up quickly.  Not sure how you can combat that problem apart from quick and efficient downing of the liquid within.  OK for hiking but it’s not sturdy like those Camelbak bladders.  It also may take a bit of pre-washing to get the neoprene smell and taste out of the beer.  Probably better for spirits such as vodka and a rinse out with vodka will remove the vinyl taste fast.  Again, treat any leaks with plumbers’ Teflon tape.

Go Pong The Booze Belly – Concealable Flask

This one is small, only 750 ml. (a pint and a half) but if you resent the gouging at the concession stands for a beer, you can use it to sneak in your own brew.

Food grade materials so that will be a comfort to some but most people who want to buy this item aren’t really all that concerned with a few chemicals from a GuangZhou factory.

To use it, pour from the retractable spout.  It’s not a suck-through-a-straw model which is a mercy as beer through a straw can have its own problems and side effects.  OK, it’s a glorified beer bong in that case …

Test it before filling with beer.  Check for off flavors and flush with vodka (well, not much – but if you don’t want to waste the vodka, save it in a jar, put a vanilla bean in it and you have an acceptable flavoring).  If you have leaks, use the Teflon tape or place the whole thing in a large Ziplok bag.  Come to think of it, maybe you could just use a Ziplok bag.

Booze-holding binoculars

Believe it or not, these binoculars hold 2 x 8 ounce serves of your fave booze.  It probably wouldn’t pass a careful gate check and you definitely shouldn’t try this with the TSA.  I would class this one as a novelty item, stocking stuffer only and you would get one or two uses out of it before heaving it out.  However, if you are sick of waiting in lines for your booze at concession stands, it is very inexpensive, useful and if you are careful and can extend its life to a few tailgate parties and stadiums, you will more than pay for it in just a few uses by filling with your own beer rather than paying the inflated costs on site.  Plastic – so read the above notes on preparation and cleaning.

Drinker Beer and Soda Guzzler Helmet

The stock-standard cartoon boozer helmet with straws leading down to the mouth, this model now comes in five colors (2016) and does just what it claims. Holds two cans (be careful when putting them in their holders as they can tip over – you need to retain the balance),

It delivers booze in an effortless way, hands-free, leaving you to play your tailgate party games at the same time, thus doubling the fun. Homer Simpson would be proud to wear this cap. One size fits all.  You can order it in a range of colors. Unusual for a novelty item, it even has a one year guarantee!  Again, any leaks can be handled with the addition of a small piece of Teflon tape, that white trash fix-up staple.  So cheap you can buy one for all your mates. Where would we be without it?

Yeti Roadie 20 Quart Cooler

So here’s a little extra for you. Remember, most of us only go where beer can be overtly brought in.   Yetis are great coolers, there’s no denying that. And after all, what tailgate party would be a success without the conspicuous imbibing of a brewski?  So if you want to flaunt the best darn cooler in the world, this range should do it.  The  Yeti brand of coolers is pretty awesome.  They are engineered like no other version of cooler I have found.  I’ve been checking them out lately and it seems like today’s groovy vendors at farmers’ markets choose these to keep their products cold.  Then they go home, repack with beer and off to the tailgate party.  This 20 quart capacity model is a smallish one,  but is modular and really easy to pack no matter how small your car.  Yeti is fully guaranteed, beautifully designed and functional.  The Yeti guys have also created a heap of accessories to make the storage and packing simple and secure.  There are dividers, which will keep your food apart and easy to access, tie-downs to keep everything secure and even a Yeti bottle opener.

You’d feel pretty stylish kitted out with this whole pro cooler gear.

The coolers feature a special material which doesn’t sweat on the exterior.  They are a joy to transport.  Each cooler is rotomolded and tough to the core.  It is exclusively designed with Bearfoot™ feet which stops the box from slipping.  Easy to drain and clean after the tailgate party too.

Yeti Tundra 75 Cooler

The 75 quart model is outstanding and you can fit everything inside and it is wheelable but heavy duty so the wheels don’t snap off mid party.  Allow for the weight in your vehicle.  You can use it for transporting both hot items or cold including ice cream.  One of the vendors at our neighborhood market sells popsicles from hers and they never melt.

It is worth trawling through the Yeti range to figure out which one suits your tailgate partying needs best.  This one is solid and heavy duty. Just bear in mind the size of your vehicle and where you will stash it when party season is over.  But then, for most of my buddies, that season is all year round and it stays in the living room.  At worst, you can line ’em up and use them as a coffee table if you happen to buy the big size.  3 in a row.  Now there’s a novel thought. Or sit on them at the tailgate party.

Hydro Flask Insulated Stainless Steel Wide Mouth Water Bottle and 64 ounce Beer Growler

 

For some people, a growler is all they need to supply drinks at a tailgate party.  If everyone brings a growler, there’s enough for all.  There are some excellent designs on the market but the Hydro Flask is the best I have seen and really does what the company claims.  You can swing by your favorite boutique brewer and have it filled up with your hipster amber liquid and it will last up to 12 hours without losing its zing.  The key is to make sure your growler is well insulated and easy to carry at the same time.  The Hydro Flask is premium grade 18/8 stainless steel, double walled and comes in some cool colors fabricated from matte finished powder coating.  Note that you can actually keep water or beer cold for up to 24 hours (though you will lose the fizz a bit after 12 hours).  I take one of mine to Puerto Vallarta to keep beside the bed, to use for pure water for teeth cleaning and midnight rehydration and even there in the tropics it has kept cold for 24 hours.  Alternatively, you can fill it with some hot, strong coffee to swig at the end of the tailgate party for that all-important sobering up process.

Hydro Flask is an ethical company and donates 5% of sales back to charity of your choice.  Perhaps Alcoholics’ Anonymous ….

No BPA because there is no plastic involved and a Lifetime guarantee.

The addition of the Juglug handle is highly recommended.

Designed for the Wide-Mouth Hydro Flask Bottles and specifically the Flip Top cap, the JugLug handle makes it easy for you to carry your bottle with you wherever you go. JugLug fits 18oz Wide Mouth, 40oz, 64oz flasks or any other flask with a similar diameter mouth. (Note: These are placed under the lid of the bottle not around the body/neck of the bottle).  JugLug is not part of the Hydro Flask company, just a clever accessory company and you can use this carrier with other similar shaped bottles.

Here’s their legal disclaimer which I had better include just for the heck of it.

“JugLug, LLC is not affiliated with Hydro Flask or any other flask/bottle manufacturer. JugLug products are intended for use with multiple bottle manufacturers. All trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. Use of trademarks does not imply any affiliation or endorsement of JugLug, LLC by Hydro Flask or any other trademark holders, nor does it imply that these trademark holders endorse JugLug LLC’s products. JugLug, LLC does not endorse the use of any other product.”

 

Bundle-81 Electric Cruzin’ Cooler

I’d like to find the guy who invented this little gem and shake him by the hand.  How great is this? Could it be improved?  Well, maybe by making an entire train out of it by attaching more ‘carriages’ (coolers) and filling them with beer and excellent food.  I have mentioned other mobile Cruzin’ Coolers in the past but the latest models are sublime.

This little beauty is not just for beer and booze.  Make every second one a heater and fill it with mac’n’cheese and other goodies, say, some warm tortillas, and the fixings for some tacos and your tailgate party is made effortless.  Some Borrego Barbacoa, frijoles, chopped onion, sliced cukes, shredded cabbage, limes, cilantro, pickled red onions and habanero peppers, tomatillo sauce…. Aw gee, I’m salivating at the very thought.  Then, my friend, you can park anywhere on the lot and ride over to where your friends have their vehicle parked and you can be the bringer of all things jolly and fine.  No more arguing over spaces in the lot before the tailgate party commences.

Don’t leave it sitting in the sun as the cooler part of it will be affected.  The manufacturers will guarantee that it cools to around 40 degrees lower than the exterior temperature so if you are tailgating during a scorcher, here’s what you can do.  Wrap the box in a space blanket or two at the party site, or put up a canopy to create some shade.  This isn’t an issue if you are at a parking lot where there is plenty of shade available.  Note that you can buy replacement batteries and I recommend purchasing a couple extra, keeping them on charge so that the party is always ready to kick in.

Party Pal Portable buffet table with beer can holder.

This is an innovative gadget that combines your foodplate with a beer holder.  OK, you CAN put sodas in there but we think a can of beer works well.  This leaves one hand free for eating and you can also use this on your lap, standing, sitting the lawn, on a blanket or other places where there are no tables.  It’s all BPA free and dishwasher safe – no more paper plates! You can get them in a large range of colors so you can match your team logo.  Great for the picnic set.  Strong and cheap ! They will pay for themselves in what you save in paper plate purchases.

Keeping it Classy Sassy Koozie

Beer Bucket in your Team colors

Got beer?  Put it in a bucket at your tailgate party – a bucket for every table.  Also, the bucket can double as a way to clean up the trash or just when the beer comes up again.

Ohhhh, no photo for that eventuality.

There are quite a few beer & booze accessories and we will update the list as we find more that are worthy of being at our tailgate party.  meanwhile, be cool and tailgate party on!

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