It’s baseball season again, which means it’s once again time to take out our grills and use sports as an excuse to eat hot dogs, burgers and brats in unusual places, a.k.a. parking lots and truck beds. Basically, IT’S TAILGATING TIME.

Yesterday was my first tailgating experience and I learned a lot about how to do a successful tailgate. Now I’d like to pass that knowledge on to you. Here is…

TAILGATING 101

1. Always keep your meat and other perishables (like beer) cool. As you can see, we have a very professional grade chili pot cooler at our disposal with a special bungee cord lid-locking system.

1. It helps to block the wind when you’re lighting your coals. And to not take pictures of your friends when they’re struggling to light your coals. They’ll probably yell at you to stop taking pictures and help block the wind. Probably.

1. Remember to bring beer. And people to fetch you beer. But not a bottle opener, because you can just use your teeth or your tailgating neighbors for that (that’s what I did).

1. Make sure you have friends.

1. When the coals are white, put the meat on!

1. Bring an appetizer.

1. Or two.

1. Bring a garbage bag for all your trash, especially if it’s Earth Day.

1. Grillmaster Josh’s Grilling Tips: Rotate the meat often, moving the meat in the center out to the edges where it’s cooler and the meat on the edges into the center where it’s hotter. When a brat is no longer pink in the center, it’s done. Don’t burn it. Enjoy!

1. Finally, go to Kopp’s Frozen Custard for dessert after the game! Mmmmm, turtle sundae.

HAPPY TAILGATING!!!