Taste of the Masters — A Watch Party Worth Savoring
There's something about Master’s Sunday that makes you want to do it right. In the spirit of chasing perfection, I decided it would be fun to go all out, and yet I still think of all the ways I could have made this better if I kept doing it year after year… even dreaming of hiring a piano man to play the Masters theme song throughout the evening. As for our party yesterday, it was quite a perfect spread and gathering. I ordered the official Taste of the Masters kits and turned the condo amenity room into something that had a little Augusta flavor and flair. Another memorable Masters indeed!
The Azalea Cocktail Kit
The Azalea is the drink of the Masters. Pink, cold, served in one of those frosted cups that somehow makes everything feel more official. The kit comes with everything you need to make it at home — a 1-liter bottle of non-alcoholic Azalea cocktail mix, a green Masters shaker, a jigger, Masters cups, coasters, and a set of stirrers that felt almost too nice to actually use. There's a recipe card included too. Three parts mix, one part vodka, orange slice and cherry to garnish. Shake, pour, cheers a friend and enjoy the Masters. Simple as that. Next year I’m gonna make it from scratch with less sugar and pour it in the bottle.
The Classics Kit
Masters Pimento Cheese, kettle-style potato chips, chocolate moon pie minis, more cups, more coasters, mini Masters flags for the table, and a full illustrated placemat that maps out the concession stand experience at Augusta National. It's a lot of branding and it's all good. I whipped up egg salad from scratch, and I’d do the same for the pimento cheese next year, too. Easy like sunday morning stuff to make!
Making It Your Own
We added a few touches of our own. Tabouli and hummus as the bunkers. Because why not. The kits give you the foundation and then you start thinking about what else belongs on the table. Helpful to focus on the colors of Augusta to craft a spread. Which got us thinking about next year. A full 18-hole spread with the tabouli and hummus bunkers designed like each green at augusta. Too much... no?
A few other ideas we're banking for 2027 — a broccoli and cauliflower tree with a little dip bowl in the center, styled like one of those iconic Augusta umbrellas. Fresh Georgia peaches on the side.
The kits are a great starting point. But there's a whole creative project hiding inside this thing if you let it go there. We kept moving too with a little ping pong, enough to justify eating one too many pimento cheese. Winner of the tournament got the last moon pie.
The Experience
What makes Masters Sunday at home genuinely remarkable is the broadcast. The IBM-powered Masters app on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV is one of the best viewing experiences in sports — multiple live feeds, shot tracking, course coverage that lets you follow whoever you want. For a tournament with some of the most tightly controlled, exclusive access in all of golf, the viewing experience is the exact opposite. Carefully chosen partners, a clean presentation, no chaos. Just the tournament, made available to anyone watching from anywhere in the world. It's a small thing to notice, but it says a lot about how Augusta thinks about the fan experience beyond the gates.
Cheers to a fine spring tradition. Looking forward to next year!