Vikings Fans Beer
Photo via Mike Seidel / Twitter

Tailgating is a right of passage and an unparalleled pregame tradition. Few things can stop a dedicated football fan from hanging around the stadium parking lot, grilling, and throwing back a few drinks before heading into the game. So what happens when dedicated fans want to drink their tailgate beers, but Mother Nature’s below freezing temperature is trying to freeze said beers?

In the case of the most extreme Minnesota Vikings fans, fireside-roasting happens.

“It’s so COLD at the @Vikings tailgate in (-20°… wind chill -34°) that they’re using fire to keep the beer from freezing. #greatwhitenorth” The Weather Channel meteorologist and field reporter Mike Seidel tweeted from the game.

Fire, the same thing that was once key to early man’s survival, is now key to keeping beers drinkable. The water content in the beer (which is most of the beer) freezes at 32° Fahrenheit. The entire beer, including the alcohol, doesn’t freeze until around 13° Fahrenheit, NPR reports. The tailgaters were exposing their beers to extreme weather conditions, a full 33° less than their beer’s freezing point.

The beers of choice didn’t need to be heated for too long. Busch Light, Coors Light, Bud Light, and Keystone Light taste better when drunk at a flavor-killing level of cold. It doesn’t get much more on brand than drinking cold-brewed Coors Light from the Rockies in the freezing cold.

Maybe the fans are actually smart about this tailgating move. At least they didn’t have to invest in a cooler.

h/t CBS Sports