Are you thinking of getting a few friends over for a few games of darts but don’t know what snacks to serve? Or are you catering for a league darts competition and looking for inspiration?
In this article, we are going to take a look at a few snacks and drinks that are great to have whilst playing darts and a few that are definite don’ts.
Table of Contents
Some Things to Think About:
- Believe it or not the foods and snacks you serve can affect play during a darts match; for instance, cross-contamination between the food and the darts is never a good idea.
- You don’t want to be wiping sticky fingers on your pants before your throw, so you don’t get your darts sticky.
- Likewise, greasy foods such as chicken could cause problems when handling the darts; imagine throwing a greasy dart accurately!
When thinking about what drinks to serve during a match, it’s worth remembering that the game of darts is all about skill. You need a keen eye and a steady hand, and you do not need hecklers that have had one too many in the background. Therefore strong alcohol is out, and yet you want to keep it fun, so low alcohol drinks can work well.
Another aspect to consider is time, there is normally only a couple of minutes between each throw, which is fine to get a handful of peanuts, but would you want to start on a burger?
Tasty Snacks to Have Whilst Playing Darts
Popcorn
The clear winner in the snack bag is, of course, popcorn. This tasty snack is top of the pack for both flavor and ease of consumption.
A handful of popcorn is perfect for consuming between throws, and it won’t contaminate your hands before picking up your precious darts.
To make things extra interesting check out Best Corn Popper where you’ll find lots of fun ideas on how to make perfect popcorn.
Potato Chips
Chips are another obvious choice because of their easy pickability. From Doritos to Cheetos, these savory snacks are a must-have whilst playing darts.
Avoid things like cheesy Doritos that are covered in cheese dust that can stick to your fingers and be inadvertently transferred to your darts.
Chocolate Snacks
Think carefully about your chocolate snacks, and choose things that aren’t likely to melt in your hand.
Something like m&m’s or Reese’s Pieces would work perfectly with their crunchy sugar coating.
Cookies
When thinking about which cookies would be a suitable dart snack, you need to think about whether they have sticky or powdery coatings and also about size.
The last thing you want is to be starting a giant chocolate chip cookie between turns or dealing with sugar-coated fingers because you’ve headed for a snickerdoodle.
Something like Oreo Minis would be perfect. They are not only delicious but are bite size and clean finger-friendly.
Peanuts
Peanuts are one of the most traditional bar snacks. Many a game of darts has been played over a packet of peanuts. Dry roasted, Honey roasted, or just plain Salted; they are a darts game must-have.
Some Foods to Avoid Whilst Playing Darts:
Doughnuts
Whilst this delicious snack is very difficult to leave off the menu, doughnuts are not a dart player’s best friend. For a start, they take too long to eat; for a second, those delicious sugary coatings are impossible to keep off your fingers.
BBQ Food
We all love a BBQ, but whilst a game of darts can be a side attraction to a good BBQ, it is almost impossible to make a BBQ a side attraction to a good game of darts.
Homemade Cookies
Ok, so you could make this work, but do you really want to be going out and prepping cookies or minding the oven during your darts match?
Delicious Drinks to Have Whilst Playing Darts:
Beer
A cold beer is always a hit, but think about what you want from your game night; if the beer is too strong, it could digress into a drinking night.
Look at the alcohol content of the beers you choose, and ask yourself if low alcohol or no alcohol beers are going to be enough for yourself or your friends. Or, if you are organizing a darts league, you could ask the caterers not to supply beer with high alcohol content.
Another way of offering beer with low alcohol content is to make it into a refreshing shandy.
Want some ideas for darts drinking games?
Cocktails and Mocktails
Cocktails and Mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails) are always a hit, and lots of them are easy to make or can be made up in advance as a bowl of fruity punch.
Be careful to choose low-alcohol cocktails like a nice Wine Cooler or an American Light to help keep the game on track.
Fizzy Drinks
Pop is a must at any party and can be served in either tins or bottles for easy consumption whilst playing.
Bottled Water
Don’t forget the H2O when supplying drinks for your darts evening. For lots of people, this is, quite rightly, the primary beverage in their lives.
Some Drinks to Avoid Whilst Playing Darts:
Spirits
Spirits are a definite no whilst playing darts. They act too fast on the metabolism for any kind of sustained gameplay.
Smoothies and Shakes
Smoothies and shakes are delicious, but they take a lot of prep time and need to be served fresh, so they are best avoided during an interesting darts match.
Final Thoughts
We hope you have found these guidelines helpful for your darts night snack and drinks choices and that they help to make your games night enjoyable. But remember they are just guidelines, and you should have fun creating your own perfect snack and drink menu for a darts night to remember.
Sue has been playing darts since her 20’s when she played in weekly tournaments and she enjoys writing about darts. She’s also a great teacher, and she enjoys helping others learn how to play the game well. When Sue isn’t throwing darts, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
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