Tailgating with a Twist: Twisted Tea Korean Fried Chicken Wings

This post was sponsored by Twisted Tea but the opinions expressed here are my own.

Although rain had been forecasted for the Inland Empire last weekend, a beautiful morning greeted us when I arrived in Fontana to join Twisted Tea at Auto Club Speedway for a day of epic tailgating. The sound of the rubber meeting the track meant the morning qualifying runs for the Auto Club 400 were already under way. In the Fan Zone outside of the track, all the race car sponsors were showing off their wares to the fans, which for Twisted Tea is their yellow and blue Twisted Tea tailgate RV. This year, the No. 1 hard iced tea is teaming up with Ty Dillon, driver of the No. 13 Chevrolet SS, Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Germain Racing for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

The Twisted Tea RV is hitting the road to inspire drinkers around the country to tailgate. At the tailgate, Twisted Tea is sharing ultimate Tailgating Pro Tips to help people throw bigger and better tailgates.

In addition to the tailgating tips, Twisted Tea is having a photo contest for fans to win their very own twisted tailgate. People can enter the contest by showing how they tailgate like a pro by taking photos and posting on social media using the hashtag #TwistedTailgate and follow @twistedtea on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Winner will be chosen at the end of summer 2018 and receive the opportunity to host their own Twisted Tailgate with the Twisted Tea RV.

For more information on the contest, visit the website: http://www.twistedtea.com/twisted-tailgate

Now, let me share tailgating pro tips so you can have everything you need to hopefully win the contest! 

●      Pro Tip #1 – Invite the Right Crew! Tailgates bring people together and the right crew will make for an epic tailgate. You’re in charge of filling it with good people who can have a good time. For example, during the Fontana weekend, Twisted Tea brought in Casey Webb, host of Man vs. Food to help me grill up some delicious twisted hot dogs. You can pretty much invite anyone, but always make sure you invite the one friend that brings Twisted Tea with them.

●       Pro Tip #2 – Fire Up the Grill! Every tailgate needs a good food spread. Make a checklist with something from each of the major food groups, like Twisted Braised Ribs, Rib Eyes and Twisted Tea Sauce, Twisted Mustard Brats, Twisted Cheese Dipping Sauce, Twisted Tea Candied Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs, and/or try my tailgate recipe for Twisted Tea Korean Fried Chicken Wings.

Twisted Tea Korean Fried Chicken Wings by OC Food Diva

Chicken:

3 lbs chicken wings

¾ cup chickpea flour

Korean Sauce:

¾ cup shoyu (soy sauce)

½ cup Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea

¼ cup sugar

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon gochujang

1 tablespoon sesame oil

¼ cup chopped green onions

Garnish:

Green onion, chopped

Toasted sesame seeds

1.         Pre-heat deep-fryer to 375°F using your grill side burner or stand-alone propane burner.

2.         Dredge chicken wings in chickpea flour. Shake off excess and place in fryer.

3.         Deep-fry for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on rack or paper towels.

4.         Combine shoyu, Twisted Tea, sugar, garlic, gochujang, sesame oil, and green onions.

5.         Dip wings into sauce and place on serving platter.

6.         Sprinkle green onions and sesame seeds on top and serve.

●       Pro Tip #3 – Let the Games Begin! It’s always great to put out a classic, like cornhole, horseshoes, or ring toss. Just remember that every tailgate game must follow these three rules: Simple to learn; Easy to play; Only needs one hand (the other hand will be occupied holding a Twisted Tea Original or Half and Half).

●       Pro Tip #4 – Keep the Twisted Tea Cold! Here’s a list of how to keep your beverages from getting warm, ranked from easiest to hardest: Use a dependable cooler and cold packs; Fill an inflatable pool with ice; Hook-up a full-sized fridge to the backup generator; Rent a monster truck and fill it with ice; Freeze those Bag N Boxes before packing them in your cooler. You’ll keep the cans cold, and when the bags eventually melt, more Twisted Tea.

●       Pro Tip #5 – Make the Music Flow! Every tailgate needs a great soundtrack. Create a playlist that you can jam to during the tailgate, then make sure to bring something you can use to rock out, like a Twisted Tea 24 oz. can boombox. To build your own, search #TwistedHacks.

●       Pro Tip #6 – Unwind with a Twist! Not every tailgate is perfect. The napkins will blow away. The 6-foot sub you ordered will end up measuring 5½ feet but no need to sweat it. Open another can of Twisted Tea and follow these simple steps to unwind with a twist: Take a deep breath; Take a long sip of Twisted Tea; Repeat until the sun goes down.

●       #7 – Get Everyone Home Safe! If a guest has a little too much to drink at your tailgate, DON’T LET THEM DRIVE HOME. Call a cab or offer up a sofa! PLEASE DRIVE RESPONSIBLY.

Well, that’s all for tailgate tips - use them wisely! Be on the lookout for the Twisted Tea RV and driver appearances throughout the race season! And try my Twisted Tea Korean Fried Chicken Wings at your next tailgate!