This is a guest post by Bridget Doherty, a good friend of WePay and the founder of Salted Caramel, a Sweet & Savory Confections company.  Having launched Salted Caramel in November 2009, Bridget and her co-founder Ginna Haravon are excited about their first official football season in business.

In honor of the launch of a new Tailgate package at Salted Caramel, a sweet & savory confections business I co-own with a friend of mine, I am here to get your tailgate season checklist in order.  At the top of the list, I urge you to include our delicious and unique Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn and Smoked Pecan Bourbon Caramel Corn.

As a student at Boston College during some very exciting football years, I would say I am a tailgate pro.  In those days, my fellow Eagle friends would stock up on blocks of cream cheese for dips galore, purchase a enough Busch Light to make a grand pyramid of cheap beer and grill up whatever Costco had on sale.  We added music and antics, and most of us made it to Shea Field, where our friends’ parents tailgated.

Shea Field was a somewhat different flavor of tailgate heaven.  When the moms attended, there were tablecloths, centerpieces, and maroon and gold flowers.  They were sure to serve a variety of salads, a slew of homemade baked goods, and the tastiest food you ate all week.  When the dads were in charge, there was great beer, great meat, and maybe a box of cookies from the grocery store.

All three equally delicious and acceptable, here is what you need to know about planning the Ultimate Tailgate.

The Basics

Food you and your guests enjoy, that is to say, something you don’t pass up in your pantry Monday through Friday.

You are outside, celebrating the upcoming next win (or forgetting the most recent loss) of your favorite team which proudly plays the best sport on the planet.  If that mean dips galore, a variety of salads, or great meat – then do it!

Now, every tailgate I’ve attended includes libations so I would tend to classify this in the “Basics” category.  Again, this can vary from your favorite 30 rack to a fancy gameday cocktail, but bring it cold, with more ice than you think you’ll need and bring it in bulk.  Since tailgate season starts hot and ends freezing in most parts of the country, consider the drinks as refreshment turned internal warming device.

The Extras

Go ahead and spruce it up!  Team color napkins might just make that family tailgate recipe taste better.  Flowers are nice for any occassion, and who doesn’t love a platter designed after your stadium?