Throw a Successful Super Bowl Party

Planning parties can be a large task but a Super Bowl party has a casual atmosphere that allows you, as the host, to prepare ahead of time and leave the rest to fate while you sit down and enjoy the game.

Here are a few quick tips to help you plan a fun Super Bowl Party...

• Decorate the house in team colors. Use opposing team colors on opposite sides of the room or, if you're partial to one team decorate with those colors only.
  
  
• Prepare all the food ahead of time or ask guests to contribute a dish for a potluck. You can never go wrong with chips and dips like the tequila-based Herradura's Big Game Salsa or Corrido's Touchdown served with tortilla chips. Fondue is also a very easy crowd pleaser. Find quick and easy recipes for your Super Bowl party.
  
  
• Keep food warm with warming plates or crockpots. Designate one table for food and allow guests to help themselves, keeping you out of the kitchen.
  
  
• Have plenty of beer chilled and buy more than you think you'll need. Recruiting someone to go on a beer run in the middle of the game is not an easy job.
  
  
• Choose one or two cocktails or a punch, like Touchdown Tea, to serve, and stock up on the ingredients. Show someone else how to make the drinks as well so that you are not the only one mixing. Mixing multiple drinks at once also saves time.
  • Cocktail Menus for the 2012 Championship teams and Super Bowl XLVI
  • For the 2011 Super Bowl XLV: Steelers Cider and Packers Punch
  • Cocktail Menus for the 2010 Championship teams and Super Bowl XLIV
  • Cocktail Menus for the 2009 Championship teams and Super Bowl XLIII
  • Cocktail Menus for the 2008 Championship teams and Super Bowl XLII
  • Cocktail Menus for the 2007 Championship teams and Super Bowl XLI
  • Ultimate Pitcher of Bloody Mary Mix (with a football twist)
  • The Big Brew
  • Bring It Home
  • The Armani Signature Code
  • Jalisco High Tea
  • Maxim Blitz
  Find football themed cocktail recipes collected from fan playbooks.
  
  
• Protect your furniture and furnishings from accidents the best you can. Clear everything unnecessary from tables and endtables and set out plenty of coasters.
  
  
• Keep a towel near you for quick clean up of spills.
  
  
• There is usually someone at the party who isn't interested in football, enlist their help for clean up, food prep, etc.
  
  
• Plan games or have a pool for each quarter.
  
  
• Another fun game to play throughout the game is to pour shooters that represent each of the teams playing and choose your terms:
  • When one team scores, the opposing fans must shoot the scoring team's shot as a penalty.
  • When one team scores, the scoring team fans shoot their own shot in victory.

  You can break this shooter game down to whatever event (penalities, sacs, etc.) you like; a decision that depends on the game's pace and the participants willingness to get drunk. This can be a really fun way to enjoy the game as it can lead to some unexpected intoxication. Just be sure you have a designated driver available to get those unintentional drunks home.

Find more articles and resources for the Super Bowl from the Guides at About.com.