One of the things you can never have too much of while out tailgating is water. And because of their portability, those 500 ml bottles of water are everywhere in the tailgating parking lots. But we all know bottled water can be expensive and with the amount of water people consume while tailgating, the price tag on water alone can get pretty pricey.

Most people like the taste of bottled water that comes in those three gallon or five gallon bottles but dispensing water from those larger sized bottles can be a hassle. The traditional dispensers are not terribly portable and are better suited to remain stationary. We recently discovered two different products made by Primo Water that allow you to dispense water from a three or five gallon water bottle while out tailgating. We tested out the Spout and Stand Kit while tailgating before the Angels game last weekend.

As you can see in the photos, we tested out the Primo Water Spout and Stand Kit. The assembly of the stand took two minutes and was very easy to understand. Once we got our three gallon bottle of water, it was as easy as putting on the top, placing the spout on the top of the bottle, turning the bottle over and placing it on the stand. Push the lever on the spout and we had fresh bottled water available for all the people at our tailgate party. All you need to do is place a cup underneath and fill up. It was great too in that we had a number of kids tailgating with us. Instead of having them grab a small bottle water from the cooler and having an adult open it because the plastic twist off cap might be a bit too hard for them, they were able to serve themselves.

Another aspect I liked about the Primo Water Spout and Stand Kit was the less waste we produced. The trash bag was smaller than normal at the end of the day when it was time to pack up and head into the game. Let’s face it, everyone likes to think that they can recycle plastic bottles of water but when it comes right down to it while out tailgating, most people just throw away the empty bottles with the rest of the trash. So by using the Spout and Stand Kit, we were able to spare our local landfill from 20 or 30 bottles.

One of the really cool things about this water dispensing system is the amount of money you can save for future tailgating events. Once the game is over and you have some water left over, simply cap the top and break it out for the next game. And once the entire bottle is empty, you could refill it with water from home. We all know water from your faucet or if you prefer filtered water from your refrigerator is a whole lot less expensive than buying bottled water no matter what size bottles you choose. All you need to do is buy the kit and a large bottle of water one time and then refill it anytime you take it out tailgating.

Something that just dawned on me would be to refill the three or five gallon bottles with other drinks other than water. Mix up a big batch of jungle juice, refill the bottle using a pitcher and a funnel and your tailgate party guests can help themselves. Much better than the traditional punch bowl sitting out on a table and attracting flies.

After a thorough test and review while in a real tailgating parking lot we will definitely label the Primo Water Spout and Stand Kit “Tailgate Approved’.

Primo Water Dispensers come in two different styles that would appeal to tailgaters. The Spout and Stand Kit is priced at $26.99. If you like the other style, the Primo Water Pump is $15.99.

To learn more about Primo Water Dispensers, visit: primowater.com.

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I love Fox’s “New Girl” on Tuesday nights. The one-liners are better than any other sitcom on network TV. Just the other day, Nick and Schmidt pitched their idea for “Real Apps” to Jess’ rich boyfriend. It was basically a Swiss army knife attached to an iPhone. Because who doesn’t want a pocket knife and tweezers glued to the back of their phone? A ridiculous idea. Or was it?

Days later I was tailgating at the USC spring scrimmage when Dave Lamm from TailgatingIdeas.com gave me a little present… one that made me the coolest girl in the parking lot. Because I was the only one who could open a bottle of Pacifico — with my iPhone. That’s right. The Opena Snap-on Hard Case with an Integrated Bottle Opener is an iPhone case with an actual slide out bottle opener!

I absolutely loved the surprise looks on our neighboring tailgaters’ faces when I said, “Let me open that for you” while whipping out my iPhone. Even better than the looks I get when I use my Kangaroo scrotum bottle opener.

And it’s tough. Like, “get-drunk-and-drop-your-phone-but-don’t-cry” tough. But it’s not bulky. Go figure.

Earlier that week a friend gave me a Chanel iPhone case as a gift. I didn’t think I’d be taking it off anytime soon. Until Dave gave me the Opena case. Chanel who?

Take a look at the Opena iPhone case with bottle opener in action:

The Opena Case iPhone 4/4S comes in either Black or White and is priced $39.95.

You can win your own Opena Case iPhone 4/4S by commenting on the Tailgating Ideas Facebook page. Make sure you “Like” our page and then you can comment on the wall post promoting this product review.

Just leave a comment on there stating which color, black or white, you prefer and why you want to open up bottles with your iPhone. Comments will be accepted until Midnight Pacific time, May 13, 2012. After the comment window closes, a winner will be picked by the amount of “likes” your comment receives from other Facebook users. So that means encourage all your friends to like our Facebook page and to like your comment. The comment with the most likes, that is who wins the iPhone case. Good luck!

If you are reading this it means you are a valuable subscriber to TailgatingIdeas.com’s free updates. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you visiting the website soon.

If you’ll recall in the prologue of the “Craft Beer Initiative” I told you about my personal resolution to exclusively, or just about, drink craft beer.  For the 2nd installment of this series I decided to compile with what I feel is a fairly comprehensive listing of the pros and cons to making the switch to craft beer at your tailgates. After that you’ll see some recommendations you can start with if you’ve chosen to give craft beer tailgating a try.  So without further ado:

Pros

Taste – While this is debatable for some, I feel there is absolutely no comparison when you look at the taste of craft beer vs. macro-brewed beer.  Sure there are some craft brews that miss the mark on the taste element, but there are many many more that far surpass what comes out from the big boys.  To see the passion that craft brewers put into their beer makes me appreciate it even more.

Diversity – This is pretty self explanatory.  While there are a lot of overlaps in the styles of craft brews, the flavor, attributes, and qualities within each vary greatly. My own experiences have shown me that when you take the labels out of the equation on macro-brewed American light lager, only the most sensitive palates could pick out specific brands.  The diversity of craft beer is one of my favorite things about the genre.  I can pair certain brews with specific foods, tailor what I drink to the season, and keep it “fresh” so I don’t get in a rut.

ABV – I almost feel like I shouldn’t include this here as it could easily count as a con, but most craft brews contain a higher alcohol content than the usual light lagers.  I think we’ve seen the problems that can arise when folks get a little too much in them, but when done responsibly it can make for a fun time.  A higher ABV may be one of the most important things to consider if you’re going to make the switch even part time.  A percentage point or 2 doesn’t sound like much, but I guarantee you it will feel like a world of difference when you’ve got a couple in you. (Always drink responsibly, if you’re going to overdo it please make sure you have a sober designated driver, and for pete sake please don’t get rowdy.)

Cons

Cost – These days the price on a product often decides what gets consumed and what doesn’t.  The saying goes that “you get what you pay for” and I think that to be true in most situations.  The cost of craft beer is certainly higher which is why I’ve placed it here, but it is usually worth the extra in most cases. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, you’ll typically get more bang for your buck in the ABV department so the cost difference may not be that much in the end.

Availability – This one has a couple of parts to it.  First of all, not every store is going to carry a wide selection of craft brew, if they even sell it at all.  When going on an impromptu beer run that can be a problem.  The other is a matter of distribution. One of the things that I love about living in NC is that I’m really close to a lot of great breweries, and more are on the way.  Unfortunately what I have ready access to here, especially the smaller breweries, a guy like Dave in California may not be able to get it at all and vice versa.  The good news is that distribution is getting better every day so hopefully those gaps will shrink more and more over time.

Packaging – This one could be lumped together with availability, but if you tailgate at a place that prohibits glass you may be out of luck.  While there are plenty of canned craft brews (we’ll discuss them later in the series), with more showing up everyday, right now it’s only a small number of the overall.

The following are things that I thought of while I was working on the above. While I think they’re valid points, I don’t feel they warrant a definitive pro or con label. Instead we’ll call them marginal pros and cons.

Marginal Pros – For starters you’re probably helping small business by buying craft beer. Most micro and nano breweries have very few employees and concentrate their efforts on making outstanding products rather than dump millions into trying to sell it to you. Craft beer could also be a conversation starter at your next tailgate.  Since a lot of folks probably aren’t familiar with it you can certainly talk it up.  Heck you may even convert one or 2 of them.

Marginal Cons – More alcohol means more calories, and they’re the type of calories that don’t have any real nutritional value. However I am guessing based on some of the crazy menus I’ve seen for tailgates that calorie counting is more of an afterthought than anything.  Lastly craft beer can be intimidating.  It’s the whole reason I’m writing about it.  My approach is to think of it as the ole “you’ll never know until you try it.”  For beginners out there see if you can find a place that sells single bottles so you don’t end up wasting a six pack.  You could also try and work something out with a buddy so you can try something new without taking it in the you know where.

OK, I’m ready…

So you’re ready to at least give it a shot?  Awesome!  The best advice I can offer is to try and find some sort of outlet where you can try different brews or, as I mentioned above, find somewhere that you can buy a single bottle.  Microbreweries are awesome places to try different styles of brews because if you can get in on a tour of the facility you’ll usually finish with some sort of tasting.  That’s probably the best way to get your feet wet, but that’s purely a metaphor and in no way should you soak your feet in good beer.

Given that it’s summer I will recommend that a good place for you to start is with a wheat based beer.  Wheat beers may also be disguised as “wit,” “weiss,” or “weizens.” While each of these has it’s own characteristics I think the macro-brew drinker will probably find them to be refreshing.  If you think you’d like to go this route you can look for Blue Moon, Shock Top, or Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat.  They’re all made by the big macro-brewers but they should be affordable and accessible enough to warrant a taste. Look for some notes of citrus fruit and spices in the flavor.  If you’re into those you’ll find that a lot of breweries use wheat based beers for their summer seasonal’s.

Another really good place for the new craft beer drinker is with the various lager styles.  Pilsners should feel right at home for those of you who drink the “light/lite” beers.  Another great beer to consider is Samuel Adams Boston Lager.  If you can learn to like that you’ll be well on your way to drinking lots of beers.  It has a real hop profile and is a great stepping stone that should be easy to find.  As a matter of fact I may go out and grab a sixer this coming weekend.  I can promise you that my endorsement is not based on anything other than my on experience.  It really is a great beer.

In the next installment I’ll talk about how to get the most out of your craft beer in the parking lot from a glassware perspective, and I’ll also compare what happens to the same beer in a can and in a bottle.  As always if you want to chime in you can do so in the comments below.  If you have input, insight, or indigestion based on my article you can also email me at brandon (at)  tailgatingideas dot com.

If you are reading this it means you are a valuable subscriber to TailgatingIdeas.com’s free updates. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you visiting the website soon.

If you are reading this it means you are a valuable subscriber to TailgatingIdeas.com’s free updates. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you visiting the website soon.

We recently discovered Cornhole Lantern, formerly called Bag-O-Lantern, and wanted to test it out to see if cut the mustard.

As you can see in the above photos, the Cornhole Lantern is made up of a collection of eight high brightness colored LED lights that are arranged in a circle pattern that encompasses the hole. The LED’s are encased in a high impact, clear acrylic with a gloss white back reflective surface to help distribute the light evenly up towards the top of the board.

Cornhole Lanterns can be easily attached to any regulation cornhole board by simply fastening it to the underside of the hole using the included wood screws. Or you can secure the lights with double sided tape for plastic boards. The LED’s have an estimated life of 100,000 hours and are operated by a 9V battery (not included). A new 9V battery will supply approximately eight hours of play time using a Cornhole Lantern. The battery compartment has an on/off switch so you can turn it off when not in use.

The photos we shot of the sample we received show you the installation process and the finished product but to truly get an idea of the brightness of these Cornhole Lanterns, we shot a quick video of them in use.

Regarding the Cornhole Lantern, we really liked the product and found it to be all that it has been cracked up to be. The light was bright and allowed players to easily see their target. Also, installation was very easy and quick. All you need is a phillips head screwdriver and you can have both Cornhole Lanterns installed in about five minutes.

Before receiving the sample Cornhole Lantern I was concerned that the light would somehow reduce the size and diameter of the 6″ hole on regulation cornhole boards. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Cornhole Lantern does not reduce the size of the hole so you cornhole purists out there can rest assured you do not need to adjust your playing style if you are going to use these. Another benefit is that because the Cornhole Lantern attaches to the underside of the board, around the hole, using this product will not alter your game play. The surfaces of your boards remain unchanged so if you are more of a “slider”, you don’t have to worry about a foreign object affecting the way your bags slide on the cornhole boards.

After thoroughly testing and reviewing the Cornhole Lantern we here at Tailgating Ideas have given them the “Tailgate Approved” stamp.

The Cornhole Lantern comes as a set of two circular lights each with a battery compartment. Five colors are available: white, blue, green, red, and amber.

We thought so highly of the Cornhole Lantern that we have decided to add them to our online tailgating gear store for $34.99 plus $5 shipping. To buy your own set of Cornhole Lanterns, click HERE.

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Washington: Tailgate yachts, snow capped mountains, salmon and crab are just some of the nouns that describe a Washington tailgate. On most Saturday’s in the fall, over 10,000 people party out on Lake Washington before heading off into Husky stadium, makes Washington one of the most unique tailgating experiences in the country. Members of Washington’s rowing team will even shuttle you from the dock to your boat. How is that for service? “Sterngating” is very unique. Where else can you fish for your tailgate food and then cook it minutes later? Besides tailgating in boats, there are also several painted RVs that do a good job of maintaining a solid ground atmosphere near the stadium.  Bottom line is this is one of the coolest places to visit in the whole country.

Oregon: If you come, prepare for duck whistles and camo gear to suffocate you. Oregon sports a very colorful atmosphere with plenty of campers, buses and ambulances to satisfy the uniqueness factor. Another notch in the belt for the Ducks is having the country’s best looking cheerleaders. Oh, and Nike pretty much hooks them up with everything imaginable, creating a plethora of t-shirts and jerseys strutting around outside the stadium. There are some negatives to Oregon tailgating, but none that the fans can control. Remember that it is the Northwest portion of United States and the weather likes to be cold and wet on more than just an occasion.

Arizona St: It’s a little different than other schools because you have to realize that you’re tailgating in a desert. It is HOT! Speaking of which, anyone who follows rankings in college football knows that the Sun Devils produce beautiful women, which is a huge perk to tailgating here.  Tailgate canopies and jalapeno poppers are man’s best friend outside the stadium. Overall, tailgating at ASU has enough sun and pretty women to allow for a good time.

USC:  Much like the state of California, USC tailgates seem a bit more laid back. The ethnically diverse fans wind up cooking a wide array of foods; from brats, to jalapenos, to brisket. The fancier part of Trojan tailgates would be the alcohol, as most folks push aside a 30 pack of light beer and go for the more expensive stuff.  USC is usually crawling with beautiful women and a funny and unique note would be that when UCLA comes to town you will see little teddy bears hung from trees or just dragged on the ground.

Arizona: The mall is Arizona’s most beautiful and popular tailgating spot. It breeds fun and won’t disappoint. Breakfast burritos are a popular Southwestern tailgating treat, as well as Jalapenos and peppers. Like Arizona State, the most popular tailgating item would be the tent, creating a cool spot in the middle of the Arizona desert.

UCLA: Has an advantage because you’re tailgating at the Rose Bowl, which is a stadium where history runs deep. Another advantage would be the gorgeous women of UCLA. Unfortunately over the years things have gotten out of hand and Pasadena Police began patrolling the grounds in 2011 to reel in the people who had no intentions of watching a game and just making a fool of themselves. They even extended the rules to drinking games, completely prohibiting them.

Colorado: If you visit you will see one of the most beautiful landscapes in college football and taste some of the best tailgating food in the Pac 12. Boulder has gotten some major respect for its tailgating food recently as both Man vs. Food and Food Network have filmed shows during tailgates.

Utah:  You will see plenty of campers, converted buses, and even a bus converted into a pirate ship that has nothing do with the Utes, but still gets an A for creativity in my book!  In a first, not seen anywhere else in the country, some Ute fans have tailgating teepee’s. Utah has a nice setup, and if you want to go to the best tailgate of the year then you wait for the annual Holy War against BYU.

Oregon St: Seems to have friendly tailgaters – unless you’re wearing Oregon or Boise State gear. One of the nice things about Oregon State’s campus is that even if you aren’t a donor you can still get decent parking at a great price ($10). They have an awful rule that says you can’t have tailgate parties bigger than 25 people (I hope people find ways to get around it). Overall the tailgating is just average, nothing great but nothing poor.

Stanford: A lot of older alumni tailgate at these games, and apparently students tailgate in a few small areas. The tailgating is much more laid back than other places and definitely lacks a wow factor. One cool thing about Stanford tailgating would be the opportunity to park under massive trees that provide ample shade from the hot California sun.

Cal: Berkley certainly is a strange place and the tailgating atmosphere is no different. Due to the lack of parking space near the stadium, most tailgating takes place at faraway places: either on the BART trains, or at the Berkley bars before the game. A unique thing Cal has is various a capella groups that will wander around campus singing several fight songs to anyone who will stop and listen.  Parts of the stadium are surrounded by trees and when the stadium gets full, certain folks will climb into the trees to take a gander down on the field.

Washington St: The best thing I could find about Washington State was the beautiful mountainous backdrop of the campus. It was tough to find tailgating information and footage, but they’ve been bad for a bit so that could be the reason. The Cougars get an N/A until further notice.

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Back in 2008, the Cap-Trap was still in the conceptual stage and the manufacturers did not even have any prototypes to send us as a sample to test and review. We did the write up on the concept of the product without ever seeing it or testing it. As many of you know, we have evolved as a tailgating blog and we turn down doing product reviews unless we can actually get our hands on it to see with our own eyes if it truly is “tailgate approved”.

So why are we dragging out a product review post from nearly four years ago that wasn’t even a review? Simply stated, we finally got a sample of the Cap-Trap to test out for ourselves.

In a nutshell, the Cap-Trap is a portable environmentally friendly bottle opener that holds up to 25 opened bottle caps. The trap door on the bottom when released empties the Cap-Trap’s handle where the caps are stored until you are ready to recycle or throw them away. To read more details on the Cap-Trap features and functions we encourage you to read the original posting from 2008. (Here’s another link to to it.)

Upon receiving the sample Cap-Trap we were surprised as to how close to the original concept the actual product was. Of course as soon as we took it out of the packaging we had to test it out. Into the fridge we went and grabed an imported beer. (Such are the hazards of this job…) Because the top of the bottle was covered up by the Cap-Trap when placed on the cap, I was suspicious that it might be difficult to get the opener portion to grab onto the bottle cap. Surprisingly it was very easy to get the bottle opener section on the cap and it popped off easily. There was no wiggling the Cap-Trap around to “feel” if the bottle cap was in the right position. It was as if the Cap-Trap guided itself down on top of the cap for an easy open.

Upon opening the bottle, the cap fell to the bottom of the handle and there was plenty of room for more in there. We didn’t open up 24 more bottle to test the manufacturer’s claim it can hold 25 caps but judging by the size of the handle and the capacity, we believe them.

Since getting the Cap-Trap to market has been a number of years in the making, they are finally ready to start putting them out in stores and selling them online. So if you are interested in being one of the first tailgaters to have one, we would encourage you to visit their website at cap-trap.com and place your name on their interest list.

If you are reading this it means you are a valuable subscriber to TailgatingIdeas.com’s free updates. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you visiting the website soon.

It was when Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the eighth overall pick, the cameras cut to his greenroom table and caught a stunning blonde woman applauding and sitting next to the recently drafted QB. Forget the fact that the Miami Dolphins may have just drafted the next Dan Marino. Who was this bombshell?

A little digging and it turns out this woman is in fact Ryan Tannehill’s wife, Lauren Ufer. And before you go asking, yes, she is a model. You may remember a year ago we did a Weekend Wrap-up where we featured Kacie McDonnell, the girlfriend of Minnesota Vikings QB, Christian Ponder. Another beautiful woman associated with another quarterback. Armed with this knowledge, it appears I will be teaching my son to throw a football while rolling to his right. He just turned four years old in March but knowing what potentially is waiting for him down the road, I am sure he will thank me later. Links follow the photo and if you stick with it to the end, we included one of Lauren Ufer’s bikini modeling photos.

Credit: Steve Mitchell – US PRESSWIRE

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If you are reading this it means you are a valuable subscriber to TailgatingIdeas.com’s free updates. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you visiting the website soon.

If you are reading this it means you are a valuable subscriber to TailgatingIdeas.com’s free updates. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you visiting the website soon.