Tailgating Ideas – Don't Just Tailgate, Tailgate Better

We here at Tailgating Ideas pride ourselves on rarely cutting and pasting press releases. Frankly we find it to be lazy. But there are times when a press release is just what the doctor ordered when it comes to announcing improvements to a product we have already tested and reviewed.

You may recall back in December of last year we reviewed the OutCast Jr Wireless Speaker. We found it to be “Tailgate Approved” then with only a few minor suggestions on how they could improve the product. Apparently they were listening and have added Bluetooth capabilities for the Outcast and Outcast Jr models. Their announcement is below:

San Diego, CA (May 15, 2013) – Soundcast Systems, developer and manufacturer of high-performance wireless music systems adds advanced Bluetooth capabilities to its popular long-range wireless OutCast and OutCast Jr. speaker systems with the development of its new BlueCast Bluetooth receiver adapter.

Soundcast customers both new and former that have purchased OutCast or OutCast Jr. portable music systems can now easily and affordably add Bluetooth playback capabilities to conveniently access and enjoy their personal music from a wide variety of mobile Internet music Apps including iTunes® Pandora, Spotify™, Rhapsody®, iHeartRADIO®, TuneIn® and others.

The BlueCast receiver simply docks into the OutCast or OurCast Jr’s 3.5mm audio port to quickly connect any Bluetooth wireless audio source device including: iPhones®, iPads®, Android® Phones, Windows® Phones, tablets, netbooks and other devices within range.

Equipped with the latest and most advanced AptX® and AAC superior quality and high-speed wireless Bluetooth communications technology, BlueCast delivers the highest quality lossless CD audio offered in today’s advanced smartphones, laptops, headphones, gaming systems and tablets.

The BlueCast receiver adapter is weather-resistant and specially designed for a perfect fit and use with all OutCast systems.

Use BlueCast for 8-10 hours of uninterrupted playtime with its versatile USB based rechargeable battery that fully charges within 1.5 hours.

“BlueCast is a game changer as it instantly transforms OutCast and OutCast Jr. into a Bluetooth compatible system that provides ultra-convenient access to today’s mobile devices and music apps. Now anyone can be the DJ. Likewise, it adds many exciting and new possibilities for our customers. BlueCast’s exceptional performance maintains our commitment to deliver the highest wireless fidelity available,” says Mike Weaver, president of Soundcast Systems.

All Soundcast OutCast portable music systems include an internal battery power system that allows use anywhere and anytime, – inside the house, front-yard, barbecue patio, poolside, beach, tailgating at the stadium, and even on a boat or RV. OutCast owners and prospective buyers now have the added flexibility to operate with either long-range 2.4GHz wireless transmissions (up to 300ft.) with its iCast and UAT wireless audio transmitters or go short-range 2.4GHz Bluetooth wireless play with its new advanced BlueCast receiver –or employ both based on your needs or situation.

Soundcast’s proven and renowned patented long-range wireless technologies combined with its new cutting-edge Bluetooth wireless streaming capabilities makes OutCast indisputably the most robust wireless high-fidelity portable music system available today.

The delivery date for BlueCast is early June 2013 and the retail-selling price will be $79 U.S.

For information about Soundcast and its innovative products, please visit www.soundcastsytems.com.

Bacon…  Cheddar…  Those two words alone are usually enough to catch my ear when describing food.  Well the good folks over at Johnsonville decided to put both of them into their new Bacon and Cheddar Grillers.  So when they asked if I’d like to give them a try I answered with a resounding “Yes!”   The Bacon and Cheddar Grillers are half of the new burger patty line making their debut for this year’s grilling season.  The other half is a mushroom and swiss flavor, but I’ll be covering those in a later post.

Now I’ve been known to cook bacon right at my tailgate site in a cast iron skillet.  While few things can beat the sound and smell of bacon frying away, virtually nothing can top the the joy of that first bite of salty pork goodness.  However the upside of doing this comes with some negatives.  First of all it’s more to pack.  Second, you have to figure out what to do with the grease.  And lastly, you may have to do some extra cleaning when you get home.  Is it worth the hassle?  Sure. On occasion it’s not a big deal.  Would I do it, or is it practical for every tailgate?  No, probably not.

Well what’s neat about this product is that instead of having to put bacon and cheddar on top of your burger, Johnsonville has put them in to the pattie for you.  For tailgaters this means that you won’t have to worry about preparing/packing those things separately, and there isn’t any more clean up than you would have with regular burgers.

To test these I decided I would use my Weber Q which is my go to tailgating grill.  Because I opted not to thaw the Grillers before use I set the burner to a medium low as not to burn the heck out of the outside while I waited for the inside to come up to temp. As soon as the Grillers hit the grate I could immediately smell that bacon aroma.  I also took the opportunity to look at the cheese which was quite visible throughout the meat.  After about 18 minutes over the heat, the directions called for well done, I pulled the patties.  You can see by the pic, these browned up pretty nice.

For tasting purposes I decided to take a minimalist approach to toppings and such.  I just went with a little mayo and some black pepper on the bun.  The meat was very juicy and all of the flavors you would expect were there.  The texture of the meat was a little different than I expected, but that is most likely due to the fact that these are made of pork rather than beef.   Unfortunately all of the samples were eaten before having a chance to really experiment with various toppings.  I will say that since you’re getting a head start with the cheese and bacon inside the burger already, you could bring some other flavors to the mix without making the burger too big or unruly.

Since the Bacon and Cheddar Grillers bring real bacon and cheddar flavor to the party without the need for additional packing or prep I am deeming these as “Tailgate Approved.”  Bacon and Cheddar Grillers come in boxes of six patties, and should be available at your local supermarket.  To learn more about Johnsonville products you can visit their website at www.johnsonville.com.  They also have a pretty active social media presence on Twitter @JvilleGrilling and on Facebook.

Ingredients

• 4 cups finely shredded WHITE cabbage
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and marinate in refrigerator overnight. Drain off excess liquid before serving.

Original recipe by The BBQ Grail can be found HERE.

Larry Gaian is the founder of The BBQ Grail. Follow him on Twitter @BBQGrail.

Sometimes you just have to finish your beer in the fastest means possible. Whether it is you are packing up and heading into the game or concert or your tailgating neighbor is boasting about how fast he can chug his beer, sometimes you just need to pound your beer.

With a canned beer, there are numerous options to drink it quickly. The Shotgun Champ or even the Shotgun Party Opener are good options to possibly hurting yourself when using a knife, keys, screwdriver or ballpoint pen to make a hole on the side of your beer can. But what if you have already opened your beer? Puncturing a hole in the side of an opened can of beer is not smart and you will spill more than you will drink.

We just discovered the Can Beer Bong. Take a look at our demo video trying it out and showing you how to use it.

The science behind the Can Beer Bong is simple. The ventilation tube replaces the liquid inside the can to allow for an easy flow of the beer. An easier flow of beer means it flows faster and thus replicates a normal funnel and tube beer bong.

The best part of the Can Beer Bong is it is small and compact enough to put it in your pocket and bring it to any party. When the time is right to break it out, pop it on your can and chug your beer. That’s a lot easier than dragging a full size funnel and hose to the parking lot.

The Can Beer Bong is priced at $5.00 plus $5.00 for postage and packaging. If you buy two, we’ll waive the additional postage and only charge you the postage as if you had purchased a single Can Beer Bong.

The Can Beer Bong is available for purchase through our online tailgating gear store, Shop.TailgatingIdeas.com or to go directly to the Can Beer Bong product page, click HERE.