Tusk to Tail: Mixing drinks and prepping for a third consecutive Saturday tailgate

What a day and what a game! For me, the day of the Texas game went pretty much as expected. We got up early and had plenty of help setting up the tailgate. We were up and running by 9 a.m. and watching the SEC Nation crew do their thing on our TVs while they did it live across the street.

It was nice and quiet for the first part of the day. Our crowd started picking up around 1 p.m. and quickly grew. By 4 p.m. it was just a mash of Hog fans. I figure we had 150 or more pass through the tent. We even entertained a few Texas fans. They were impressed by all of the Hog fans, as well as the activity, setup, and energy in Victory Village North.

It was nonstop for our bartenders from about 3 p.m. on. Kara Cullins and Casey Huselton made hundreds of drinks that day, maybe even a thousand. I had started with 350 cups and we came home with less than 20. There is no counting how many times the ladies refilled all those cups. Our fajitas were tasty and made it to kickoff, which is always the goal. After that, folks are on their own.

After the game, upon my return to the tent, the people who stayed behind were still going strong and still draining the margarita machine. They even asked about making another batch to keep the party going for a few more hours. I had to decline. I was ready to break it down and head home, which still takes about an hour to accomplish. We watched the SEC Network guys break down our game and then called it a day. It was 11:30 when we got home after an 18-hour fun filled day.

This week will be much like our first tailgate of the season. It’s still hot so we will keep it easy with chicken, brisket and sausage. We have some tequila left over so we will add some Tequila Sunrises and Ranch Water to the drink menu to see if we can use it all up while there is still warm weather.

We had some requests this week for a couple of the drink recipes that are on our bar menu board. The first is our signature drink, the John Daly. First pour three ounces of Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka. Firefly is our go-to brand, but Deep Eddy is good as well. Deep Eddy is not as sweet. Then top the glass with either Lemonade or Raspberry Lemonade. Pour over ice, mix, and serve.

Our Dark and Stormy is also popular. It is a refreshing drink from the tropics. Take three ounces of dark rum, ginger beer and a dash of lime wedge or lime juice. Pour over ice and mix. You can use Captain Morgan spiced rum if you prefer.

Keep in mind for Saturday the university will block off the streets at 11 a.m. Kickoff is at 3 p.m., and the game will air on the SEC Network. Traffic should be lighter for Georgia Southern, as three games in a row is hard for some folks who live out of town. Hell, it’s hard for us to pull off three home tailgates in a row, but we will be there to call those hogs!

Go Hogs Go! Beat Eagles!

Editor’s note: Now in its 10th year, Tusk to Tail is the sport of tailgating as organized, performed and perfected by a group of Hog fans who have been tailgating together sober and otherwise for more than a decade. The primary focus of Tusk to Tail will be to follow the Hogs through the fans’ perspective with their insightful, irreverent, smart-alecky and sometimes practical style. The diehards may also be followed on their Facebook page. Or follow the crew on Twitter and Instagram, all @TuskToTail.