Super Bowl LXI is on Sunday, February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. If the game is on at your place, the job is easy to describe and easy to overspend on: keep everyone fed and hydrated for hours without spending the game in the kitchen.
Evite surveyed 5,000 of its users for its 2026 party report. 67% said they prefer DIY and affordable options, and 67% named missing details, such as parking or what to bring, as their biggest party pet peeve. So this page gives you a cheaper way to run the drinks and a checklist, so nobody has to text you questions on game day.
The plan: make one batch drink and an alcohol-free twin, let guests pour for themselves, build the food around a few hot dishes and dips, and tape the timeline to the fridge.
Why a batch drink is the budget play
Single cocktails mean a shelf of different bottles and you behind the counter. A batch drink flips that: you buy a few bottles and some fruit, mix once, and the pitcher does the work. Here is how far one bottle goes in the published recipes:
| Batch | What one batch uses | What it makes |
|---|---|---|
| Red wine sangria | 1 bottle of red wine plus juice, fruit and seltzer | 8 servings |
| Margaritas for a crowd | one 750 milliliter bottle of tequila, 1 to 2 cups orange liqueur, 1 cup lime juice | 20 to 24 margaritas |
| Cranberry, tangerine and pomegranate punch | 2 bottles of sparkling wine plus juices | about 20 servings |
| Non-alcoholic sangria | fruit, juice concentrate and seltzer | 4 servings (double it for 8) |
These yields come from the recipes in the drink section below. We are not quoting store prices because they change by store and week. The savings are in the math: one bottle becomes 8 to 24 drinks, and a juice-based mocktail twin needs no spirits at all.
The plan at a glance
- Two weeks out: pick your batch drink and its mocktail twin, count your guests, send one message with the start time, parking and what to bring.
- Two days out: shop from the checklist below.
- The day before: make the sangria base or the ginger and syrup parts, chill glasses and pitchers, set up the table.
- Game day: mix, set out, and follow the timeline.
How much to buy for 8, 12 or 20 guests
These numbers come from a stated rule, not a guess. Food Network’s party calculator says guests typically drink 2 drinks in the first hour and 1 every hour after that, and to buy 2 pounds of ice per guest. For a party where hors d’oeuvres are the only food, it says to assume 4 to 6 bites per guest per hour. Every drink counts, including water, soda and mocktails.
This plan assumes a 3-hour party (guests arrive just before kickoff) or a 4-hour party (they arrive early and stay for the trophy). Those lengths are our planning assumption, not a published figure. If your party is shorter or longer, apply the same rule to your hours.
| Guests | Total drinks, 3 hours | Total drinks, 4 hours | Ice at 2 lb per guest | Bites at 4 to 6 per hour, 3 hours (appetizers as the only food) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 32 | 40 | 16 lb | 96 to 144 |
| 12 | 48 | 60 | 24 lb | 144 to 216 |
| 20 | 80 | 100 | 40 lb | 240 to 360 |
If you serve a real main dish such as chili or sliders, treat the bites column as a ceiling. Guests eat fewer small snacks when something filling is on the table.
How many batches that is
Divide the drinks you need by the yield. This table uses the 4-hour column and assumes every drink comes from a batch, which is the most you would ever need. Plenty of guests will drink water, soda or beer, so cut it down once you know who drinks what.
| Guests | Drinks, 4 hours | Red wine sangria (8 per batch) | Margaritas for a crowd (20 per batch, the low end of 20 to 24) | Punch (about 20 per batch) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 40 | 5 batches (5 bottles of wine) | 2 batches (2 bottles of tequila) | 2 batches |
| 12 | 60 | 8 batches | 3 batches | 3 batches |
| 20 | 100 | 13 batches | 5 batches | 5 batches |
The large-format drinks scale much faster. For 20 guests, sangria in 8-serving batches takes 13 batches, while the crowd margarita and the punch take 5. If you are hosting 20, pick one big-batch drink and a bowl, not a row of small pitchers.
Build the drink station
You do not need a bar, just one flat table set up in this order, left to right:
- Cups. Plain cups or stemless glasses at the start of the line. Let guests grab one first.
- Ice. A cooler or tub of ice with a scoop, so nobody uses their hands. You are planning on 2 pounds per guest, so keep a second bag in the freezer.
- The batch drink, in a pitcher or a punch bowl with a ladle, labeled.
- The mocktail twin, in a matching pitcher, labeled just as clearly, at the same height and with the same garnish. Make it look like a real choice and not an afterthought.
- Water, because someone always wants it.
- Napkins and a small trash bin at the end of the table.
Put a card on each pitcher with its name, what is in it and whether it contains alcohol, so nobody has to guess which pitcher is theirs. For more layouts, see the drink station guide and the party drink tray ideas .
Keep the alcohol-free pitcher where the kids and the drivers will find it first. Pour the alcoholic batch from a spot that is easy to reach but not the first thing in the line.
Pick your batch drink and its twin
The amounts for every recipe come from its published recipe. Mixes that hold up in the fridge are marked “make ahead.” For the full lineup with ingredients and steps, see 8 Super Bowl batch cocktails for a crowd .
| Drink | Serves | Mocktail twin | Make ahead | Our pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red wine sangria | 8 | Non-alcoholic sangria, 4 servings, double it | Sangria base sits 1 to 4 hours, add seltzer at the end | Blood orange cranberry sangria , winter sangria recipes |
| Classic margarita pitcher | 6 | Keep the lime and agave, skip the tequila and liqueur, top with sparkling water | Chill a couple of hours | Cranberry margarita , winter spiced margarita |
| Moscow mule pitcher | 4 to 6 | Ginger beer and lime over ice, no vodka | Mix just before serving; keep the ginger beer and vodka chilled | Cranberry Moscow mule , peach Moscow mule mocktail |
| Cranberry pomegranate punch | about 20 | The juice base is alcohol-free; top with sparkling water | Juices mix ahead; top each glass at serving | Non-alcoholic Christmas punch , jingle juice punch |
| Mulled apple cider | about 20 cups | Skip the brandy | Simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour, then keep warm | Mulled apple cider , hot apple cider bar |
February is cold in much of the country, so mulled cider makes a good second drink. A slow cooker on warm keeps it going with no attention, and it is the only drink on this list that does not need ice.
What to pair with what
- Salty, cheesy dips and chips go with the citrus and salt of a margarita.
- Wings and anything spicy go with the ginger and lime of a mule.
- Sliders and pulled sandwiches go with sangria, which is built for rich food.
- Chili or a soup in a mug goes with hot cider.
More ideas for what to pour live in the signature cocktails for a party guide and the cocktail party menu without bartending .
For more batch mocktail ideas, see batch mocktails guests can pour themselves and batch mocktail recipes for large gatherings . The pitcher buying guide helps you choose containers that pour well.
The snack spread: recipes first, board last
A Super Bowl table works better as a spread of hot dishes and a few dips than as a single board. A spread scales by guest count, and hot food keeps people at the table through four quarters. Use dishes you already make, since you know what your people eat. Pick from these slots:
| Slot | How many | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hot main that stays warm (chili, sliders, pulled meat) | 1 or 2 | It is the dish people go back to; a slow cooker or oven keeps it hot |
| Hot dip | 1 | Make it ahead and keep it warm |
| Cold dip or spread | 1 | Goes out of the fridge, no oven needed |
| Handheld (wings, meatballs, mini sandwiches) | 1 or 2 | Easy to eat while watching |
| Crunchy (chips, crackers, popcorn, vegetables) | 2 | Cheap and filling, and they go with every dip |
| Something sweet | 1 | Cookies or brownies need no plates |
Check your bites against the chart above, then fill the table from whichever slots cost least per guest. Hot, filling dishes and crunchy things carry the budget; the fancy items are optional.
When you have room, add a board as the last item on the table. Keep it to one believable board with a few separated groups of what is already in your spread, such as cheeses, a cured meat, crackers, vegetables and a handful of fruit. See charcuterie board for a party for the layout, and cocktail party food ideas for easy hosting for more spread ideas.
Keep cold food cold and hot food hot. FDA buffet guidance says to discard perishable food left out without hot or cold holding for more than two hours, or one hour when the room is above 90°F. On a long game, refill small dishes from the fridge instead of leaving one big dish out all afternoon.
Game-day timeline: kickoff to the 4th quarter
The timeline runs off the game, not the clock, because kickoff time and the length of the game are out of your hands.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 2 hours before kickoff | Set out the table. Fill the cooler with ice. Put the mocktail twin and the batch drink in the fridge to chill. Start the hot dishes. |
| 1 hour before kickoff | Put out cups, napkins, labels and the cold dips. Start the mulled cider if you are serving it. Put on music. |
| 30 minutes before kickoff | Add the seltzer or sparkling part of the sangria. Fill the pitchers and the punch bowl. Do a last ice check. |
| Kickoff | Sit down. The table runs itself. |
| 1st and 2nd quarter | Refill ice. Swap the first dips for the cold ones. |
| Halftime | The one real reset: refill both pitchers, replace used cups, empty the bin, bring out the sweet dish. |
| 3rd quarter | Offer hot cider, coffee or water to anyone who has been drinking. |
| 4th quarter | Close the bar and put out water and coffee or tea. Guests who are driving can switch without a fuss. |
| After the game | Pack leftovers within two hours. Let guests take food home. |
Shopping checklist
Drinks
- Batch drink ingredients (see your recipe)
- Mocktail twin ingredients
- Sparkling water or seltzer, more than you think
- Soda or beer if your crowd wants it
- Water
- Coffee or tea for the 4th quarter
- Limes, oranges and lemons for garnish and juice
Ice and gear
- Ice, 2 pounds per guest
- Cooler or tub, and a scoop
- Two matching pitchers, or a punch bowl and a pitcher
- A ladle
- Cups, more than you have guests
- Napkins
- Labels or cards for each pitcher
- Trash and recycling bins
- Slow cooker for hot food or hot cider
Food
- Hot main ingredients
- Dip ingredients, hot and cold
- Chips, crackers, vegetables for dipping
- Something sweet
- Containers for leftovers
Details card (send it ahead)
- Start time
- Address and where to park
- What guests can bring
- A note that there is an alcohol-free drink
Problems and fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| The sangria went flat | Add the seltzer only when you serve. Keep the base without bubbles in the fridge. |
| The pitcher is watery | Pour over ice in the glass, not into the pitcher. Do not keep ice in a pitcher that will sit for hours. |
| You are running out of ice | Buy it at the 2 pound rule. Keep one bag in the freezer as a reserve for halftime. |
| One drink is gone by halftime | Make the mocktail twin in a bigger batch than you think, since it is the drink everyone can have. |
| The margarita is too sharp | The recipe says to taste it before chilling and add more orange liqueur if needed, because chilling and dilution mellow the lime. |
| Guests do not know which pitcher has alcohol | Label every pitcher, and use matching pitchers so nobody has to guess by color. |
| The hot food went cold | Use a slow cooker on warm, or swap small trays from the oven. |
| The party ran longer than planned | Put coffee, tea and water out in the 4th quarter and keep the bar closed. |
Hosting responsibly
Serve water and an alcohol-free drink next to the alcohol. Give guests who are driving an easy way to switch, and never pressure anyone to drink. If someone has had too much, offer a ride, a couch or a call to someone who can help.
Super Bowl party questions
How much alcohol should I buy for a Super Bowl party?
Use the drink rule above, 2 drinks in the first hour and 1 each hour after, to get the total number of drinks. That total includes water, soda and mocktails. Then decide what share should be alcoholic. Start small, because buying more later is easier than using up a surplus.
How do I host a Super Bowl party on a budget?
Make one batch drink and an alcohol-free twin instead of stocking a full bar, build the spread from filling hot dishes and crunchy items, and ask friends to bring a snack or a side. A details card helps with that: people bring more useful things when they know what is needed.
What if the party falls on Valentine’s Day?
The 2027 game is on Sunday, February 14. If your guests have dinner plans too, send the start time early and keep the party short. A cranberry punch as the mocktail pitcher makes it feel like a party, not just a game.
Can I make the drinks the night before?
Mix the base the night before and add anything bubbly at the last moment. The red wine sangria in the source recipe rests 1 to 4 hours before the seltzer goes in; the non-alcoholic sangria rests 1 to 12 hours; the margarita pitcher can chill for a couple of hours. Check your recipe before holding anything longer.
How many people can one pitcher feed?
That depends on the recipe. The sangria serves 8, the classic margarita pitcher serves 6, the Moscow mule pitcher serves 4 to 6, and the punch serves about 20. Use the batch chart above to pick a count.
What drinks should I serve besides cocktails?
Plain water, sparkling water, a juice-based mocktail twin, hot cider, coffee, and beer or soda for people who prefer those.
