Jackson has been to a slew of Brewers games so far in his life. He knows the stadium, understands the game, and loves to be there. However, until Saturday, he had never tailgated at a game. (What kind of derelict father am I?) Well, we remedied that, as Chris, Anthony, Jackson and I went to the game and tailgated. Chris had never tailgated before either (soccer games don’t count – sorry). Here are the keys to goo tailgating at Miller Park or your favorite ballpark.
- Fresh brats: Precooked will not do here. If you must, boil them ahead, and warm them on the grill. I’m a Usinger’s man myself.
- Good bakery buns: I prefer Miller’s; my dad prefers Sciortino’s. You need a big roll to hold the brat and fixin’s.
- Grill: I am a charcoal grill snob, even going to the lengths of using lump charcoal. But when it comes to tailgating, I use a small portable gas grill. It makes more sense.
- Beer: No Budweiser allowed at Miller Park! We tailgated with three growlers of Chris’s beer from the Riverside Brewery in West Bend. (It helps to be friends with a brewmaster.) I will usually do Pabst in bottles otherwise. Why Pabst? I like it. It’s a classic Milwaukee beer, and I once saw a locker room photo of Gorman, Gumby, and Robin with bottles of Pabst. I’ll bet they were returnables. (If anybody knows where I can find Pabst in Miller Park on tap, please leave a comment. I have been known to walk down a few sections to get my beer of choice.)
- Sauerkraut: I prefer the sweeter Bavarian style, but that is a user preference.
- Secret Stadium Sauce:
This staple from SportService is available at groceries in Milwaukee or even Miller Park. It is a must. The best way to describe it is a mix between ketchup and BBQ sauce. Chris said he missed mustard, but this is my blog and I hate mustard. - Small disposable baking pans: This is to hold the kraut and sauce.
- Utensils: An expendable bread knife, tongs, a pocket knife, spoons, etc. We forgot tongs, and traded beer for tong use.
Here’s the key: cook or heat the brats on the grill. Pour the kraut into a baking dish, and heat on the grill as well. Do the same with the Secret Stadium Sauce, but add a touch of beer to the pan to cut it slightly. Cut the roll 85% (not 84%) through. Dip the brat in the sauce, coating it evenly, and place in the bun. Add the kraut. Enjoy with a beer, and Go Brewers!
If for some reason you are late and cannot tailgate, you will find select stands that prepare precooked brats in the stadium in a similar manner. I am a snob with this, as I have been known to find one that dips the brat and adds the kraut for me. It is not the same if you add the sauce and kraut yourself.
Below is a photo of our grill setup so you can see what I mean.
