With the NFL about to play its first game in Australia, here’s your guide to the ultimate game-day party, American style.

The big game is coming to town – and we’re not talking about the AFL or NFL Grand Finals. We’re talking about the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams going head-to-head at the first-ever regular season NFL game played in Australia.

The big game is taking place on September 11 at Melbourne’s colosseum, AKA the MGC, and kick-off is at 10.35am. The sold-out match will be the largest crowd these teams have ever had. But what about the event to go with the event? That would be the tailgate.

Beer and wine with Amercian red cups on grass

If you’re not familiar with the ritual of tailgating, it’s an American game-day tradition that dates back to the 1860s. Fans drive to the stadium a few hours before the game and park their cars, utes (referred to as trucks in the US) and sometimes even motorhomes, don their team colours and throw a pre-game party. It’s called tailgating because they eat, drink and play games – like cornhole, ladder toss and giant Jenga – around the tailgate or boot of a vehicle. Expect barbecues – yes, open flames are allowed. It’s all about smoky meats, burgers, hot dogs, wings and classic American sides like potato salad, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese, along with chips and dips. And, of course, there’s the drinks – beer, wines (bagnums, we’re looking at you), premixes and maybe even a batch-made cocktail ready to pour. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

As the official liquor sponsor of the NFL in Australia, Dan’s is hosting the ultimate tailgate at Melbourne Park from September 10 to 12. Come down between 10am and 10pm – we’ll be firing up the grill, serving drinks, including our Southern Sweet Tea cocktail, and there’ll be games, prizes and a whole lot of fun. Hosting the game? We’ve created a guide to bringing the tailgate vibes home.

What to drink

Keen to crack open a beer? If you’re looking to keep it local, then it has to be Carlton Draught’s Lager. It’s smooth with subtle malt sweetness. It’s an icon for a reason. Carlton Dry is another great pick if you’re after a mid-strength.

For an American favourite, go for Pabst Blue Ribbon Premium Lager, or PBR to its friends. This brew is crisp, slightly sweet from the malt, and has a hint of cornflakes to it.

And if a Jack and Coke is more your style, then put the Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey & Cola on ice. This ready-to-drink mix of sweet Coca-Cola, vanilla, caramel, a little spice and a hint of oak is a winner.

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$70 case (24)Non-Member: $77.99 case (24)

A can of Pabst Blue Ribbon Premium Lager

Carlton Draught, PBR and Jack Daniel’s Cola cans

Red wine fans will love the Y Series Sunset Red. Light, bright and packed with juicy red fruits like raspberry and strawberry, it absolutely loves a barbecue.

One invention that’s right at home at a tailgate is the bagnum. Pull up to the event with your 1.5L pouch of wine and fill everyone’s cups. There are so many options to choose from, but a crowd favourite is key, so we’re picking up the Cat Amongst The Pigeons Chardonnay Bagnum. Think citrus, stone fruit and a little oak – it pairs perfectly with pulled pork sliders.

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$10 eachNon-Member: $12.99 each

Now, the Aussie game kicks off at 10.35 in the morning, so you know what that means – a big fry-up with a brunch cocktail. It’s pretty hard to go past the Bloody Mary. You’ll need lemon juice, Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco, tomato juice to top-up and, of course, vodka. We’re using Never Never’s Signature Vodka – it’s velvety with notes of coconut cream, olive and sea salt. The classic garnish for this cocktail is celery, but we say have fun with it. Skewered chicken wing? It’s a yes from us.

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$98 for 2 bottlesNon-Member: $63.99 each

Bloody Mary with chicken wing garnish and vodka

Hot dogs on a table with beers and a football

What to serve

Fire up that grill because we’re barbecuing – the smokier the meat, the better. The best part? You can serve bread rolls that people can stuff with meat and sides, or you can serve it family style – or both. One-handed food is a good call, especially once the game has started.

Go all out with sliders, burgers and hot dogs loaded with pickles and onions, drenched in tomato sauce and mustard. Maybe a few wings, too. When it comes to snacks, you’ll need some chips – AKA crisps – and dips. And we wouldn’t say no to a cob loaf dip, either.

Before it gets competitive on the field, it all happens in the carpark. Cornhole is the big one. For the uninitiated, players or teams take turns trying to sink bean bags into the hole of a wooden board. The aim of the game is to be the first to reach 21 points – a bean bag through the target will score you three points, one landing on the board will get you one, and there’s no points if the bag hits the floor.

Then there’s ladder toss. Again, the goal is to collect 21 points as quickly as you can. Players toss bolas (two balls connected by a string) toward the ladder, aiming to wrap the bolas around the rungs of the ladder. The first rung will score you three points, the middle, two, and the bottom rung is one.

Need to break out that giant Jenga? This is the perfect occasion. Players take turns carefully removing large blocks from the tower – one block at a time, using one hand. Once the block has been removed, it gets placed at the top of the tower, with three blocks per layer. The goal is to not make the tower collapse – the last player to place a block on the tower without it collapsing takes home the win.

Pouring a beer from a choice of brews in an ice bucket

The key to hosting, tailgate or otherwise, is to be prepared, so make sure you have enough of everything – food, drinks, clean glasses (or red cups), plates and serviettes. Be sure to charge the portable speaker so it’s ready to go, and trust us when we say there are a few crowd pleasers on the NFL’s Tailgate Party playlist.

If you’re taking the party to the carpark, you’ll likely want a trestle table or two, empty bin, bags or containers for your rubbish and dishes, and some hand sanitiser won’t go astray. And ice – please don’t forget the ice.