March Madness 2021 is winding down as the Final Four teams are set to play for the national championship. This is a positive turn of events after last year’s edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Preparations for Final Four parties are in full swing as the anticipation for the tournament’s finish builds. If you are still scrambling for party ideas, here are a few tips to help you host an epic Final Four party.
Prepare the Essentials
Before you start inviting guests, make sure that you have the following:
- A large screen TV
You can still enjoy all the action even if you are not on ground zero by watching the game on a large widescreen TV. If you have an OLED screen, all the better. This screen is ideal for high-motion content like sports, giving you a viewing experience that rivals the real thing.
- A cooler
If you are watching the games, you would want everything within reach, so you don’t miss anything. This includes drinks and sandwiches. Having a cooler beside the sofa will be handy for this.
- A small refrigerator in the viewing area
There are things that you could not put in a cooler, so it might be a good idea to have a dorm-size refrigerator in the viewing area. Again, this will reassure guests that they do not miss the biggest play as they leave the room to get something to eat or drink.
- An app for the game brackets
Part of the fun in watching the final four games is predicting the winner. You can even get a betting pool going to spice things up. Having a game bracket app on your smartphone will make it easier to do this.
- LOTS OF FOOD!
Aside from the games themselves, the food is one of the most important features of the party. Make sure that you have enough for the number of guests you think will come. You can choose foods that can be prepared ahead of time and won’t spoil easily. You can start things off with light snacks and appetizers for pre-game viewing so you and your guests would have enough room for the main menu during the game.
Set a Theme for the Party
Have you thought of a theme for the party yet? It will make things more fun during the party. You can go with some of the tournament favorites like the undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs or Baylor Bears. You could also choose the jersey colors of dark horse UCLA who upset number one seed Michigan to make it to the championship round.
Set the Time
Once you have made sure that you have all the essentials, you can start sending out invitations. Set the time for the start of the party, which should be at least 30 minutes before the start of the game. This will help ensure that no guests will arrive late and disrupt the game as you are watching. Also, you might want to set the end time, unless it is ok for you to have guests staying overnight.
Make the Menu
Drinks: Create a bracket {Irish Coffee Shooters vs. Fireball Apple Cider}
Snacks: You can’t go wrong with a hot appetizer like wings or meatballs. For the 21+ crowd……
Hard Cider & Vodka Savory Meatballs
- 2 pounds frozen fully cooked meatballs
- 1 ½ cups of your favorite tomato-based BBQ sauce (like Bull’s-Eye Original)
- ½ cup of grape jelly
- 1 K-pod of Cask & Kettle Spiked Cider; Peel back pod lid/Pour (Contains liquid distilled spirits – Michigan hard cider & vodka)
Add frozen meatballs, BBQ sauce, grape jelly and Cask & Kettle K-Pod into a slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cook on low 3-4 hours or until meatballs are heated through.
Boozy Mexican Meatballs
- 2 pounds frozen fully cooked meatballs
- 1 bottle (12 oz.) chili sauce
- ½ cup of grape jelly
- 1 K-pod of Cask & Kettle Mexican Hard Coffee (Contains liquid distilled spirits, tequila & vodka, and coffee)
Add frozen meatballs, BBQ sauce, grape jelly and Cask & Kettle K-Pod into slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cook on low 3-4 hours or until meatballs are heated through.
Substitutions – Choose which you like best or have on hand:
-
- BBQ sauce, chili sauce or ketchup
- Grape jelly, hot pepper jelly, canned cranberry sauce, raspberry preserves
Dessert
- Dunk a Haagen-Dazs ice cream bars into Coffee Milkshakes or top cupcakes with boozy frosting and sprinkles with your team’s colors!
Place Your Bets
One of the surest ways to make the games more interesting is by placing bets on your favorite teams. Just keep things friendly to avoid hurt feelings once the games are over