BY: DAN MURPHY with CHRIS DROSNER
READ MORE FROM OUR “TAILGATING” FEATURE HERE
Milwaukee owes its rich tailgating culture to a perfect storm of factors – acres of asphalt, a love of beer and sausage, years of bad baseball and a touch of frugality. When Milwaukee County Stadium opened in 1953, it had something other ballparks didn’t – thousands of parking spots.
Pregame tailgating didn’t happen at Milwaukee Braves games, which were played at County Stadium until 1965. The sport on the field was the draw back then, and with the exception of a contentious pause in 1961, fans could bring their own beer into the stadium.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
The Brewers’ arrival in 1970 set the stage for tailgating. The outdoor pregame partying “was pretty much a reaction to [how] the Brewers were playing. They weren’t very good at the beginning,” says Bob Buege, a local baseball historian and author of Milwaukee Braves: A Baseball Eulogy. “People figured out they could have a social occasion by tailgating.”
No offense to George Scott and Darrell Porter, but the Brewers didn’t have a winning season until 1978. You can’t blame fans for turning to creature comforts for solace. And what’s more tailgate-friendly than beer and sausage? (The drinks are also cheaper in the lot than inside the stadium walls.) One other thing, too. The majority of major league ballparks are located in denser parts of their cities where, unlike at AmFam Field, easy and plentiful parking doesn’t exist. Consider yourselves lucky, Brewers fans.
I know an expanse of parking lots would be a horrible use of Downtown land. I know grills and parking ramps do not mix. I know there are myriad other pregame options a short walk away. I know it’s a winter sport. But I also know we tailgate before late-January Packers playoff games. So indulge me in the idea, suspend disbelief, imagine the possibilities … of Bucks tailgating. Who’s in?
Box Score
American Family Field
The Vibe
Chill. Uecker’s on the radio. “Who are we playing?” It’s home game 30-something of 81, so there’s always the next game, which is almost always tomorrow. And there just might be another tailgate tomorrow.
Surroundings
Sprawling parking lots stacked on parking lots stacked on parking lots. Tailgating makes sense because you gotta make your own fun out here.
Attire
Flip flops. Ryan Braun shirsey. Cargo shorts. Cheesehead.
Nosh
Grillables. Pick ’N Save chocolate chip cookies. Untouched veggie tray.
Drinks
There should be an underground pipeline of Miller Lite from the brewery to the Yount lot ¾ mile away.
Lambeau
The Vibe
Extremely unchill. LET’S FLIPPING GOOOO! We only get eight kicks at this can until real winter so we are kicking it HARD. And half of them are against opponents we hate for reasons ranging from familiarity to inferiority to The Bears Still Suck.
Surroundings
The stadium is famously plugged into its neighborhood, but it’s really two neighborhoods: the bar district to the east and the residential areas everywhere else. All are walkable and packed with parties.
Attire
Pac boots. Mossy oak camo bib overalls over a No. 4 jersey. Pelts. Cheesehead.
Nosh
Grillables. Heavy dips. Chili. Untouched veggie tray.
Drinks
Thanks to the plethora of noon kickoffs, the bloody mary is a staple. And the beer of choice seems to be Busch Light.
The Quintessential Cup
While the red Solo Cup wasn’t born here (but rather, in our great nemesis, Chicago), it is the omnipresent disposable drinking vessel at gatherings such as tailgates. A persistent rumor that the 18-ounce cup’s original design – with three horizontal lines – was intended to serve various portions of alcoholic drink (1-ounce shot to 12-ounce beer) was eventually debunked by the company (as posted in their website FAQs).
While they don’t dispute that it can be one of the uses of those marks, the issue is moot. The modern design now has a square-ish bottom with Band-Aid-shaped grippers on the sides. If you get tired of using the cups to play beer pong (see “Playing Games” on page76), the company website (solocup.com) offers instructions for a kid-friendly game similar to the bean bag toss but using ice cream toppings and a DIY slingshot made from a Solo cup.
