Whether you’re in it for the uninhibited snacking opportunity, or you’re actually excited about watching football, Super Bowl is the perfect excuse to throw a party! Sure, you can easily do the typical chips and queso, pizza and beer, or you can step up your game (no pun intended) for an extra memorable evening.

drinks
>>Use sports drinks in each team’s colors to make ice cubes . Guests can pick the team they are rooting for to flavor everything from cocktails to water.
>>Have a beer-based winter cocktail (this is the Super Bowl after all, where beer reigns) in a large dispenser. Some options: Beer Margaritas (beer, tequila, fresh lime juice), Beer Sangria (vodka, white grape juice, wheat beer, fruit), Orange Bee Sting (orange blossom honey, orange liqueur, Belgium wheat beer, bitters)
>>Offer a cocktail to represent each team’s home state. For the New England Patriots, make aBoston Sidecar: Shake ¾ oz. each light rum, brandy and triple sec with ½ oz. lime juice. For the Philadelphia Eagles, make it green with an Eagle’s Nest: Shake 2 oz. gin, ½ oz. each lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, melon liqueur and crème de violette, and ¼ oz. lime juice.

decor
>>Decorate in green, black and white for a general football field theme, or show your allegiance and use a team’s colors.
>>Buy tassel garland that looks like pompoms, or make your own by painting cardboard pendants to look like footballs.
>>Use a white paper tablecloth, and draw ‘plays’ on it with a Sharpie. Super easy and super cute!
>>Use yellow PVC pipe to make a goalpost, and put a football in a wooden planter box with fake grass below it.

snacks>>Have a make-your-own slider bar with all the fixings. Guests will enjoy choosing what they want, and you don’t have to assemble everything beforehand! Include a variety of buns and pita pockets, cheeses, pickles, tomatoes and gourmet sauces to load on with falafel patties; buffalo chicken or pulled pork (both can easily  be made in a CrockPot and kept warm); grilled chicken (just shred some rotisserie chicken, and voila!); and beef patties (grill right before guests arrive).
>>Soft pretzels are simple enough to make at home, whether from scratch or a store-bought kit. But instead of the usual twist, make mini football shapes with sea salt for the laces. (To make it even easier, order from local favorites Pretzel Boys or Gus’ Pretzels!)
>>Instead of pouring some Pace into a bowl, make a variety of homemade salsas that morning or even the day before. (Some great ones can be made just by throwing ingredients in a blender.) Offer unique chips, like quinoa, black bean, pumpkin or pita!

games
>>Commercial Bingo: Print out free bingo playing cards at stylemepretty.com, and have guests cross off a square when they see each company’s commercial—a great way to actually get to watch them! Winner gets a prize.
>>Want to win a few bucks? Have everyone place money on what the score will be after each quarter, who will be MVP, who will be winning at halftime and which team will take home the trophy! Winner takes all in each category.