If, like many of us, you weren’t able to score a ticket to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas this weekend, you’re probably getting your plans in place for the big day. But curating a memorable Super Bowl experience doesn’t have to stress you out.
Regardless if you’re throwing the party, or heading to a friend’s house—or avoiding the situation altogether—Leafly is your coach for game day.
How to host
Now we know parties like this have special traditions—we don’t want to get in the way of the 710-layer dip you prepare every year. So, think of this less as a “how to” and more of a couple suggestions to fire up the afternoon with a little something different.
Serve a medicated snack
No Super Bowl party is worth a damn without good snacks. Sure, you could go to a chain spot for chicken wings or a platter courtesy of Chef Kirkland, but nothing says “we made the right choice” like walking into some home-cooked cuisine.
Recently, Haejin Chun and Jamie Evans released Let’s Get Baked, a new cookbook with over 60 recipes inspired by High Times magazine. Drinks, sweets, finger foods and even non-infused cuisine is covered along with all the basics in how to start prepping your kitchen and ingredients. The recipe for Chili Garlic Shrimp, Braised Short Ribs, or Big Bad Fried Chicken are perfect for the tailgate table, along with the non-infused Carrot Cake Truffles and Chocolate Milk Tea Popsicles.
Hold a joint rolling contest
Even though Super Bowl commercials are lauded as part of the experience, not all of them will have Sir Patrick Stewart throwing the protagonist from Hey Arnold. So in between plays, how about a fun activity with a competitive edge? Find out who’s the fastest joint roller in the group with a speed round, or see who can pull off a cross-joint in the talent portion of the competition.
Bobcat press has been publishing Joint Rolling Guides with step-by-step instructions since people used to have to refer to bongs as “Wookie Whistles.” If you’re more of a visual learner, check out the tutorials on Youtube by people like Dope As Yola, That High Couple, and Wiz Khalifa. If you want the edge, also watch this video from professional roller CGO on how to best light your joint.
Serve the glass ice old
Clear out some space in the fridge for your bongs and bubblers. Having some frosty cold glass with pre-loaded ice cubes is a great way to serve your guests a refreshing treat, something they might not treat themselves to at home. If you’re using ice cubes, remember to check in periodically and make sure the melted ice isn’t causing splashback. Nobody likes being served bongwater at a party.
Make sure you show up with enough weed to contribute to the rotation. For a four-hour-long event with lots of people, you’ll want to bring a decent amount of bud. This is a great segue to our next tip.
What to bring
A good guest doesn’t show up empty-handed, and even though everyone’s still going to want your famous side dish, it’s always a safe bet to bring some weed. Check out Leafly for stores near you running Super Bowl specials or offer easy delivery. Here are three dependable options that won’t crash the party on the couch. Fun fact, all of these are runner up cultivars from Leafly’s hunt for the 2023 strain of the year.
Devil Driver
My favorite description I’ve ever heard for the way Devil Driver can make a person feel is “you could get into a filthy Uber with a broken window and the devil driving and still give them six stars for the amazing way the breeze hit your face.”
A Tiki Madman heater that brings together Melonade with Sundae Driver. Despite assumptions from the parent names, this is often described as smelling earthy or herbal, and tasting like grape candy. Alert but relaxed and free from negativity is also a description often applied to this strain, which is another reason it’s perfect for an afternoon of not moving while paying attention to a contest.
Tropicana Cookies
Those citrus terps are back in style, so why not bring some to the party? A mix of Girl Scout Cookies and Tangie, Tropicana Cookies strain makes beautiful buds with a heavy citrus odor and it’s something that a lot of farms are going back to releasing.
Smokers know that this is one of those energetic strains, so let others around you know before they take a couple big puffs then have to excuse themselves to go home and clean their entire house. This one is sure to keep the conversation going through any lulls in the game.
Animal Face
This is a smooth and minty cross of Face Off OG and Animal Mints that also has a hint of gas. Animal Face was named the most popular cultivar by budtenders from the Garden State, and its mass appeal means you can usually find it in the affordable half-ounce bags at your local dispensary in case you’re going to a joint rolling party.
There seems to be a super relaxed element to this strain that can be great if you have a crowd of people who might not know each other all that well. As long as they smoke, this strain might just make them new best friends by halftime.
What to watch instead
Maybe football doesn’t do it for you, but a day of being glued to the television, surrounded by a mountain of snacks, alone or with friends, is your idea of a Super Bowl. Fear not, Leafly knows just what you need to fill the screen with the strains we’ve just given you to fill the bong. Catch up on your couch time with these three bingeable shows that are streaming right now, so you can decide when halftime really is.
The Puppy Bowl
If men in shoulder pads throwing passes isn’t your thing but hosting is, then might we suggest you throw a Puppy Bowl Party instead. The second-highest rated program that Sunday, this year a record 131 puppies — the most in the game’s history —will bark-off in a battle for the “Lombarky” trophy. Make your choice between Team Fluff and Team Ruff before the three-hour game scheduled to start at 2 pm Eastern Time. All puppies in the game will be available for adoption thanks to the work of 73 shelters and rescue groups from 36 states.
Airing Feb. 11 on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max & discovery+
Delicious In Dungeon
Netflix’s latest anime creation is way too easy to binge watch. Based on the recently finished manga saga “Dungeon Meal” from Ryōko Kui, this is a story with Dungeons & Dragons roots. An evil, seemingly endless dungeon promises treasure for those who kill the wizard at its heart. A down-and-out adventuring party enters the dangerous maze to try to save their companion, but the only way to survive is by learning to cook and eat the monsters around them.
True Detective: Night Country
How about something a little spooky? The lauded series True Detective, which kicked off with leads Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey a decade ago is back. Jodie Foster stars as a police chief in a corner of Alaska at the end of the world. During the winter period of endless darkness, a grisly scene is uncovered and local cops have only a few days to figure out what might have happened—along with uncovering countless strings of intrigue along the way. It’s entertaining but also easy to get filled in if you step out for a joint or to grab more wings.
Whether you like football or not, free food, great weed, and good vibes are in your future. The sad news? Most of us have work on Monday morning! But when did that ever keep a good stoner down?
