Blackhawks Viewing Party

Today's post features a real Second City Soiree...a Blackhawks viewing party!  Cheer the Hawks through the Western Conference Finals and onto the Stanley Cup!

Food

Serve classic Chicago bar food. Deep dish, Vienna dogs, wings, and such are all a perfect match. If you want to get into the spirit of things, try the nachos shown above. I used red and blue chips, as the blue is dark enough to pass for black. In the middle is a cream cheese spread topped with bell pepper slices arranged in the shape of the Hawks' tomahawk logo. You could also use jalapenos or tomatoes.

Drinks

Drink local! Offer Chicago microbrews like Metropolitain or Two Brothers.

As far as I'm concerned, it's not a party without a signature cocktail. I searched for one that uses dark and red liqueurs and...huh. Couldn't find one. Maybe I didn't look hard enough, but rather than doing more research, I made one up. My husband says it should be called "The UC" as in Ultimate Cocktail (or United Center, home of the Hawks).

1 pt Kahlua, 1 pt Godiva Liqueur, 1/2 pt Creme de Cacao. Shake and pour. Add a splash of maraschino cherry juice and garnish with a cherry.  Mmm...sweet like a Blackhawks victory!

Activities

My friend Kevin suggested a five minute penalty for anyone who spills their drink, but I think a few teeth might get knocked out trying to enforce it (which would then make the party more authentic, so maybe it IS a good idea). He then went on to suggest a contest to see who could eat wings while wearing hockey gloves.  Oh, Kevin!

Luckily our friend Heather had a less violent/messy suggestion: "Pin the Beard on the Blackhawk", which gives a nod to the Hawks' Beard-a-Thon.  Print out these files to recreate the bearded Chief you see above:

Chief Blackhawk.  I recommended printing it out on heavy paper.

The beard. Put a little bit of poster putty on the back to stick to the Chief.

Other things to do:

Quiz each other with some Blackhawks Trivia

Start a quote board for the announcers ("He shoots...he SCORES!")

Decorate your space with Hawks Memorabilia!

Let's hear some more ideas.  What are you planning for your viewing parties?