Disclosure: Twisted Tea sponsored this post. Opinions are my own.
I got to tailgate with the folks at Twisted Tea when they brought their Twisted RV to the Pennzoil 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on their Twisted Tailgate Pro Tips RV Tour.
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We had a ball. The music was pumping. The games were bangin’. The Twisted Tea was ice cold, and I was smashing some twisted bacon cheeseburgers on their awesome grill.
NASCAR driver Ty Dillon even stopped by with Michael Waltrip and FOX Sports. Twisted Tea has teamed up with Ty who drives the #13 Camaro ZL1, and at some of the races, will even be driving a bright yellow Twisted Tea car. You can’t miss him on the track.
During my time at the tailgate, Twisted Tea and Ty showed me some of the best Tailgate Pro Tips. I’m sharing a few of my own twisted tips on how to throw the perfect tailgate.
Tailgate Pro Tip #1 – Keep the Twisted Tea Cold
A party with warm drinks is a dud. Start by using a dependable cooler with ice packs. I like labeling my coolers, so people know where their favorite drink is. That way they don’t have to search with the lid open while the ice melts. Instead, it’s grab, open, drink refreshing Twisted Tea, repeat.
Tailgate Pro Tip #2 – Let the Games Begin
What’s a tailgate without cornhole and beer pong? The Twisted Tea Tailgate RV took these games to a whole new level, using a huge inflatable cornhole board and beer pong trash cans with a volleyball. When selecting your tailgate games, choose something that’s simple to learn and easy to play. One-handed games are best, because you’ll probably have a Twisted Tea in the other hand.
Tailgate Pro Tip #3 – Fire Up the Grill
You know this is where you’ll find me at every tailgate party. The grill is my zen space. But I like to have fun, too, so I prep as many ingredients in advance as I can, and I bring everything in disposable containers because no one wants to do dishes after a long day of tailgating.
These Twisted Tea Chipotle Bacon-Wrapped Meatballs are easy to prep in advance. I totally cheat and buy the pre-made frozen meatballs. Then, I punch them up by wrapping them in bacon and securing them with a toothpick. This can be done a few days in advance.
For a little sweet heat, I amp up regular BBQ sauce with Twisted Tea and adobo sauce. This can be made in advance, too.
The meatballs get cooked over indirect heat for about 30 minutes. While they’re cooking, you can throw hot dogs, burgers or chicken on the direct heat.
Once the bacon is cooked up, dunk those bad boys in that Twisted Tea Chipotle Sauce and throw them back on the grill for 10-15 minutes. Keep the meatballs coming. People won’t be able to get enough.
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Twisted Tea Chipotle Bacon-Wrapped Meatballs
Ingredients
- 50 frozen meatballs, thawed
- 17 slices bacon
Twisted Tea Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
- 12 ounces Twisted Tea Original
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups barbecue sauce
- 2 tbsp adobo sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Pre-Tailgate
- Cut each strip of bacon into thirds. Wrap each meatball with a piece of bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Refrigerate.
- Heat the sauce ingredients over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to thicken. Save in a sealable container.
Tailgate Time
- Heat the grill to medium-high with an indirect heat zone. Grill for about 30 minutes or until the bacon has crisped up.
- When the meatballs are cooked through, dunk them in the sauce and place them back on the grill for 10-15.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
