Football season is back, and Voodoo Brewing Co. — the brewpub franchise with 26 locations across multiple states — is kicking it off with a partnership built for fans who take their Saturdays seriously. Back in September, Voodoo Brewing Co. and Tailgating Challenge launched lil’ vibes as the official beer of National Tailgating Day — complete with special-edition cans, brewery events and activations timed with some of the biggest college matchups of the season. 

This collaboration gives franchise owners a new way to plug into local fan culture while giving tailgaters a flavorful, sessionable beer to bring to the lot.

How the Partnership Started

Like many good stories, this one began on Instagram.

Luke Lorick, founder of Tailgating Challenge, first came across Voodoo’s beer after visiting the brand’s Colorado Springs location. “He DM’d on Instagram,” said Chief Marketing Officer Tom Guzick. “He said, ‘Hey, you know, I’m interested in maybe doing something with your product … Here’s what I do tailgating-wise. I’ve been to your Colorado space. I love your branding.’”

That simple message kicked off a year-long conversation about what a beer-driven tailgate collaboration could look like. “He’d just tried Lacto-Kooler, and we reshared his story,” Guzick said. “He said, ‘If you ever want to collab on a beer for National Tailgating Day, let me know.’”

With National Tailgating Day landing on the first Saturday of college football season each year, it felt like a natural fit.

Choosing the Official Beer of Tailgating Season

Once conversations became serious, Voodoo sent Lorick a lineup of products to test at various tailgates. There were some obvious candidates — including Empty Calories, the brand’s light lager — but Luke gravitated toward something a little more flavorful.

“We had just created lil’ vibes this year as the counterpart to our good vibes West Coast IPA," Guzick said. "It has the same big flavor as good vibes, but only 4.3% ABV.”

lil’ vibes became the perfect match: a session IPA built for long days, big crowds and hot grills. Voodoo Brewing Co. created a run of limited-edition lil’ vibes cans featuring Tailgating Challenge’s logo as a “hidden Easter egg” and shipped them to markets with strong fan bases and active Tailgating Challenge events.

Launching the Collaboration

The campaign officially launched in early September, coinciding with the first weeks of the college football season. The Tailgating Challenge celebrated National Tailgating Day in Oklahoma and is hosting events in Colorado, Texas and South Carolina throughout the season.

Voodoo has already shipped special lil’ vibes cans to these markets where it distributes and the team at Tailgate Challenge even took some to Oklahoma to support its tailgate, even though Voodoo does not currently distribute there.  

The partnership even sparked ideas for future years, including a possible full custom label rollout for the 2026 season.

What This Means for Voodoo Franchise Owners

For franchise owners, the partnership creates a new entry point into football culture — one of the most passionate, reliable, and social consumer groups in the country.

“It gives them opportunities to market lil’ vibes as the official tailgating beer,” Guzick said. “It gives them ways to connect with Luke and his whole community … especially those with big college football programs nearby.”

What’s Next

Both teams see this first season as the foundation for something bigger.

“This was the best way we could get it into our lineup,” Guzick said. “Start small, see what the market says, and grow from there.”

With Luke traveling to games across the country, Voodoo selling out of special cans in select markets, and franchise owners leaning into the excitement, the partnership has already shown how far a good idea — and a great beer — can go.

For now, tailgaters everywhere can toast the season with lil’ vibes, the official beer of National Tailgating Day, and maybe the start of a long-running football tradition.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/voodoobrewingco.