What Drinks to Pair with Your Favorite Tailgate Foods

Summer is coming to a close and fall is upon us. Sure, that means we can start getting excited about holidays and Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but what’s even more fun to look forward too? Football. That’s right, tailgate season is here, ladies and gentlemen!

Not a football fan? The good news is, you don’t need to be a sports fanatic to enjoy a good tailgate party, and you surely don’t need to be one in order to indulge in the foods and drinks that come along with tailgate parties either. When it comes to tailgate foods, there are a few faves and classics that you can count on at any tailgating event. Now, the question is—what do you drink with them?

Whether it’s beer, wine, or cocktails, we’ve found the best tailgate food and their perfect drink pairing.

 

You want BBQ? Here’s what you drink:

As you likely know, barbeque is a tailgate food fave. Whether it’s BBQ chicken, BBQ ribs, or BBQ pork, there’s certain drinks you should be pairing your BBQ tailgate foods with.

Try pairing barbeque chicken, like BBQ chicken bites, with the following boozy beverages:

Beer

Black lager beer such as Devil’s Backbone
Amber-brown lagers like Märzen, dunkel
Vienna beers

Wine

Merlot
Petite sirah
Zinfandel
Shiraz
Sangria will also go well with BBQ chicken if you’re looking for something fruity!

Cocktails

Iron Man

If it’s BBQ pork or BBQ ribs you’ve got a craving for, pair these dishes with an American pale ale beer, Rosé wine or Aged whiskeys and rum-based cocktails.  A John Collins, Lynchburg Lemonade, or highball in a stainless steel stemless glass will go well with this classic tailgate appetizer.

 

Drink Pairs for Pigs in a Blanket

Whether you call this dish “Mini Crescent Dogs” or “Pigs in a Blanket,” this classic football snack is a tailgate favorite.

You can get fancy with different variations of Pigs in a Blanket, such as those adding cheese or bacon. But, for this pairing, we’re simply sticking with the classic take, which includes mini hotdogs wrapped in crescent dough.

At your next tailgate, chow down on your Pigs in a Blanket while sipping any of the drinks below:

Beer

Pilsner
Porter

Red Wine

Pinot Noir
Grenache

Give Gruner Veltiner wine a go with your mini dogs if you prefer white wine.

 

Spicey jalapeno poppers? Try these drinks:

One of the easiest and most popular of tailgate recipes is a jalapeno popper dish. Jalapeno poppers are simple tailgate snack using usually a few staples: jalapenos, cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, some spices, egg, and panko bread crumbs.

If you’re looking to spice up your tailgate party with some jalapeno poppers, be sure to pair your poppers with the right drinks.

 Beer

IPAs (These are going to be the best kinds of beer to pair with this tailgate food, as they will heighten the heat of spicy food.)
Traditional Pilsner
Grapefruit beer

Wine

Sauvignon blanc
Pinot noir

Cocktails

Pimm’s Cup, which combines Pimm’s No. 1 with lemonade, cucumber, and mint. Yum!

 

Chips and Quacamole? Here’s what to drink:

Another quick and easy tailgate recipe is guacamole—and who doesn’t love some good guac? If you’re looking for a simple tailgate food that won’t take much time or many ingredients to make, try buying some premade guacamole or making your own at home.

Just make sure to pair your guacamole with one of the following:

Beer

Well-chilled Belgian-style wheat beer served with a slice of lemon

Wine

Sauvignon blanc

Cocktails:

Guacamole also goes perfectly with one cocktail in particular. If you guessed margaritas, you’re right! If you want to pair your guacamole and tortilla chips with something other than beer, try sipping a classic margarita.

 

Serving Your Secret Chili Recipe? Here’s what to drink:

Who doesn’t love to chill out at a tailgate party with some warm chili? Chili is a classic tailgate food favorite, and it just so happens to pair well with all kinds of boozy beverages.

Pair a bowl of chili at your next tailgate party with one of the beers, wines, or cocktails listed below:

Beer

Vienna lager such as Black and Blue

White Wine

Any off-dry German wine
Alsace Riesling
A sparkling white wine like cava will even go with your chili

Red Wine

Malbec
Shiraz
Tempranillo
Cabernet sauvignon

Cocktails

Black Velvet
Pimm’s Cup
Whiskey-based Presbyterian
Paloma

 

What are you most excited to munch on while tailgating this year? No matter what’s on your plate, make sure you’re sipping its pairing out of stainless steel stemless barware at your next tailgate party to keep things cool.

Warm boozy beverages? That’s a foul.