Everyone has a picture in their head of the basic ingredients for a skewer—some kind of meat (chicken, pork, maybe thick pieces of steak) coupled with flavor which can come from onions, peppers, or both, and a bit of sweet to cap off the skewer meal which tends to derive from pineapple’s zesty taste. This traditional skewer can be found on barbecues across the country, offering a change of pace and fun alternative to a tailgate party from the usual burgers, dogs, and brats that tend to dominate the grill. With such an unconventional display of food, there is so much more than meat, peppers, onions, and pineapple that can be skewered.

What is lacking with many tailgate spreads is more sweet options. One piece of pineapple on a skewer packed with meat, onions, and pepper will not satisfy any sweet tooth especially if there are kids or adults who are children at heart and eager to complete a meal with desert from the barbecue. Skewers can provide the meal, and just as importantly, the sweets after the meal.

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Like pulling into a Rolls-Royce dealership and driving away in a Phantom, everyone knows where to find a great product that costs a bundle.

Similarly, a good bourbon is easy to track down. Several can be spotted on the shelves or (more likely) in a locked cabinet at any liquor store. The question is, how big of a dent to you want to put in your wallet?

If your price range is low to intermediate, then Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is an outstanding choice. Medium-bodied with distinct flavors, Bulleit is a quality bourbon with a great taste. The nose brings sweet flavors of honey and vanilla with a distinct spiciness, while the finish maintains that spice yet also features the oaky taste of a more traditional sour-mash bourbon whiskey.

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Attention tailgaters: April is National Noodle Month. OK, maybe it was March and we’re just now clearing the decks, but no matter, there are many tasty and easy-to-make noodle dishes that can easily be incorporated into an upcoming tailgate event.

Noodles and pasta have much in common, but to be classified as a noodle, the dough must contain 5.5 percent egg solids. Noodles are formed of unleavened dough, typically wheat, rice or buckwheat although oddities like acorn meal, mung beans and potato starch sometimes are used. Once the dough is rolled out it is cut, often into strings a la spaghetti, but also into a huge variety of shapes including the little alphabet letters you might remember floating in your soup when you were young, orecchitte, meaning “little ears”; fiori, flower-shaped and farfalle, shaped like a butterfly or bowtie. The word noodle derives from the German nudel.

The basic noodle is the soft variety that is cooked in water and drained. Pasta sauce can be added. Chilled noodles can be served in a salad or, as they are in Japan, served cold with a dipping sauce. Fried noodles include dishes where the noodles are stir fried with meat, seafood or vegetables as found in Chinese lo mein, Thai pad thai and others. Noodles in soup are the familiar chicken or beef noodle soup; ramen; spatzle, a German pasta made with wheat and eggs; udon which are thick Japanese noodles usually served in a broth and other variations around the globe. Noodle casseroles like lasagna are good tailgate fodder if you can figure out a way to keep the dish warm. Pastitsio, the Greek dish, and kugel are other types of noodle casseroles. Modern culture gave rise to instant noodles, the student staple. Four thousand year old noodles—said to be well- preserved– were found at an archeological site in China. The story about Marco Polo bringing pasta to Italy and thereby beginning the Italian pasta cycle is entirely apocryphal.

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A commercial appears on television. An Australia didgeridoo vibrates a well known drone, a unique sound which has no parallels in the world. Next a can of Forster’s blue flashes before the tailgater’s eyes. The commercial has made a connection. This is a well thought out ad. Foster’s has done its homework.

There are a lot beers that enter the market and falter. Forster’s, however, is one that’s firmly in the mainstream. Attend any outdoor event and scout out which beer people are buying. Unfortunately, many are drinking a brew based on what is cheapest or what’s currently on sale. If we see that familiar Foster’s blue among the revelers, we know this person has good taste.

Foster’s has a loyal following. There’s history to this company and they’ve been busy. Foster’s knows exactly the type of customer they want, whether it’s the tailgater or someone at a backyard barbecue  According to one author, Jessica, the beer is her favorite. Even if it is not the best for weight loss.

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