It's game week folks! Time to forget about baseball, get out your Mark Herzlich jersey, cook, eat and be merry! Time to live life again!
Tailgating is a complicated art that only a few can do well. So in order to help you prepare for Boston College's opener against Northwestern on Saturday we here at BC Interruption want to help you tailgate at the highest level. As the week progresses we have a series of posts ready to help you party like a BC fan should.
The 2011 BC Interruption Tailgating Series
Yesterday: Food
Today: Drink
Wednesday: Clothing
Thursday: Logistics
Friday: Music and Entertainment
Let's get to it.
Drink
Before I start this off, I want to say that I am not condoning binge drinking. Everything by moderation of course. Now with that legal disclaimer out of the way let's talk about drinking at a BC tailgate. Timing your drinking is an art because you are only going to get at least three hours without a drink inside Alumni (technically). Drink too much, and you are bound to miss half the game peeing in the bathroom, drink too little and the sober reality of watching a Frank Spaziani led team will hit you like a ton of bricks. The key is to the find that nice warm fuzzy middle ground.
Beer
There are certainly two roads that you can take buying beer for a Boston College tailgate. You can go for quantity or you can go for quality. Many people will swear by one way or the other, and there certainly is no wrong way to do it. Let's look at some of the solid beers you can buy for a BC tailgate:
--Sam Adams - A Boston favorite, you really can't go wrong with any of the Sam's. Octoberfest, Winter Lager, Boston Ale and Boston Lager are all delicious. And you really can't go wrong with any of their fancy schmancy beers during a tailgate. I am not a big fan of the Summer Ale because it is too fruity but to each their own.
--Harpoon- Another staple of the Boston scene, Harpoon has a wide variety of beers that are not only tasty but come at a good price. Again a solid selection of beers, including their IPA, UFO, and Octoberfest. Hey when in Boston, drink like the Bostonians do.
--Guinness- BC is an Irish Catholic school, why not drink what the Irish drink? Not really for those of you that want to drink a lot because you are going to feel like BJ Raji after a six pack. But oh it's so creamy, so dark and so damn delicious.
Other Options: Dogfish Head IPA, Ipswich Ale, Harp, Stella Artois, Heineken
"Light" Beers
Don't bother with the beer pong at the tailgate, BCPD will shut that down immediately. There are plenty of other reasons to bring the cheap stuff. It's great for visitors you don't want drinking your good stuff, and it's cheap to buy in mass quantity.
--Busch Light- The Beast is the unofficial beer of Boston College. Every mod party has at least 8 cases of this swill. If you have a lot of seniors visiting your tailgate, give them this. They don't have taste in beer yet anyways, might as well give them the cheap stuff.
--Natural Light- I like to call this beer "Instant Hangover", because it is so gross I feel hungover as I drink the actual beer. Great for drinking games, bad on the headaches.
--Coors Light/Bud Light- Is there really a difference between these two? If you are over 25 years old and drink this for any other reason than to get mind numbingly drunk, pat yourself on the back. You have no soul.
The Hard Stuff
Sometimes you are short on time, and too sober to go to the game. That is when the hard stuff comes into play. But even if you just want to sip it and enjoy it, hard liquor is perfect for tailgating.
--Jack and Coke- A great drink for a tailgate, as it combines the smooth taste of Jack Daniels with the caffeine of coke. Try one at your next game. Baldwin would approve.
--Spiked CIder- Mix a little Apple Jack whiskey and some hot cider and you can survive even the coldest game at the Heights. I can remember drinking this during a late November game, and it kept my fingers toes, torso and feet warm the entire game hours after I had drank it.
--Spiked Hot Chocolate- Schnappes and Hot Chocolate. Oh my goodness, smoother than a 70 yard run from Montel Harris
--Wine- Is your mom coming to your tailgate? Then this is a perfect drink for her. Don't ask me about the different types of wine, I don't have a clue. Usually I buy the stuff that comes in a box. You know, the stuff hobo's drink.
--Smirnoff Ice- I have never been iced, never plan on being iced, and if you ever try I will crack that stupid bottle over your head, brah.
--Jello Shots- Take four of those real quick and you will think you are Chase Rettig, take 10 and you'll feel like Matt Ryan, drink 20 and you'll be puking all over Doug Flutie's luxury box.
--Soda- Good for mixing with hard liquor and to sober up after the game. Not much else.
What are your must have drinks for your tailgate?