When you're at a dinner party and there's only wine, no other drinks

[Anonymous]

What do the must have only wine with nice day dinner say to Morman or Muslim guests who don't drink? Or do you not invite them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now that soda is pretty unpopular, I don’t stock it unless we’re having some kind of BBQ. For a dinner party, I’d certainly offer people water, beer, wine, or coffee/tea, but it’s unlikely that I’ll have something like lemonade on hand unless there are children.

We always offer flat and sparkling water, but I don’t consider soda and lemonade adult dinner drinks.

Amen. Water, sparkling water, and wine is what you will find at my dinner table. During cocktail hour, I certainly offer more--soda, juice, etc., along with beer and other alcoholic beverages.

Lemonade and iced tea are for BBQs and casual pizza dinners, not formal dinner parties. Unless you are 8.

But why is soda and juice ok for cocktail hour but not for a dinner? I truly don't understand this. I'm an adult who doesn't like water and doesn't drink alcohol. When I eat dinner either at home or at a restaurant I either have soda or juice. I know sugary drinks aren't good but I don't eat dessert/sweets and I don't smoke/drink alcohol, so I figure it's ok. I just find that if I only drink water the food just doesn't taste appealing and I have very little appetite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a related question, but we don't drink alcohol or coffee/tea, and when I have dinner parties I offer water, sparkling water, wine coolers, juice, and lemonade. We don't offer coffee or tea with dessert because we never have any. No one has ever complained but I wonder if they find this odd?

Wine coolers? I would find that very odd, unless you are talking about a very casual pizza/taco night/potluck sort of dinner. All of the drinks you mentioned are very casual BBQ setting, which is fine, but if you are serving something formal, that seems weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now that soda is pretty unpopular, I don’t stock it unless we’re having some kind of BBQ. For a dinner party, I’d certainly offer people water, beer, wine, or coffee/tea, but it’s unlikely that I’ll have something like lemonade on hand unless there are children.

We always offer flat and sparkling water, but I don’t consider soda and lemonade adult dinner drinks.

Amen. Water, sparkling water, and wine is what you will find at my dinner table. During cocktail hour, I certainly offer more--soda, juice, etc., along with beer and other alcoholic beverages.

Lemonade and iced tea are for BBQs and casual pizza dinners, not formal dinner parties. Unless you are 8.

But why is soda and juice ok for cocktail hour but not for a dinner? I truly don't understand this. I'm an adult who doesn't like water and doesn't drink alcohol. When I eat dinner either at home or at a restaurant I either have soda or juice. I know sugary drinks aren't good but I don't eat dessert/sweets and I don't smoke/drink alcohol, so I figure it's ok. I just find that if I only drink water the food just doesn't taste appealing and I have very little appetite.

Because for formal dinners, wine or water is meant to enhance--or at least not distract from--the flavors of the food. That's what wine pairings are all about. Making a beautiful filet mignon only to have someone bring Diet Coke to the table is tacky--it just lowers the level of formalitly that your host was trying to achieve. Again, for a pizza dinner, soda is fine; but not for formal dining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now that soda is pretty unpopular, I don’t stock it unless we’re having some kind of BBQ. For a dinner party, I’d certainly offer people water, beer, wine, or coffee/tea, but it’s unlikely that I’ll have something like lemonade on hand unless there are children.

We always offer flat and sparkling water, but I don’t consider soda and lemonade adult dinner drinks.

Amen. Water, sparkling water, and wine is what you will find at my dinner table. During cocktail hour, I certainly offer more--soda, juice, etc., along with beer and other alcoholic beverages.

Lemonade and iced tea are for BBQs and casual pizza dinners, not formal dinner parties. Unless you are 8.

But why is soda and juice ok for cocktail hour but not for a dinner? I truly don't understand this. I'm an adult who doesn't like water and doesn't drink alcohol. When I eat dinner either at home or at a restaurant I either have soda or juice. I know sugary drinks aren't good but I don't eat dessert/sweets and I don't smoke/drink alcohol, so I figure it's ok. I just find that if I only drink water the food just doesn't taste appealing and I have very little appetite.

Because for formal dinners, wine or water is meant to enhance--or at least not distract from--the flavors of the food. That's what wine pairings are all about. Making a beautiful filet mignon only to have someone bring Diet Coke to the table is tacky--it just lowers the level of formalitly that your host was trying to achieve. Again, for a pizza dinner, soda is fine; but not for formal dining.

Ok, this makes sense. Thanks for explaining it like that. For me personally, water detracts from the food and a sugary drink enhances it. I might be the odd one out to think this way, but it's always been true for me, and I always order a soda at fine dining restaurants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do the must have only wine with nice day dinner say to Morman or Muslim guests who don't drink? Or do you not invite them?

Of course they are invited! And are welcome to have iced tea, juice or soda during cocktail hour; water or sparkling water during dinner; and coffee or tea during dessert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a related question, but we don't drink alcohol or coffee/tea, and when I have dinner parties I offer water, sparkling water, wine coolers, juice, and lemonade. We don't offer coffee or tea with dessert because we never have any. No one has ever complained but I wonder if they find this odd?

Yes, it's odd. Wine coolers? Are you kidding? Who the heck is drinking those? That is acohol, but disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now that soda is pretty unpopular, I don’t stock it unless we’re having some kind of BBQ. For a dinner party, I’d certainly offer people water, beer, wine, or coffee/tea, but it’s unlikely that I’ll have something like lemonade on hand unless there are children.

We always offer flat and sparkling water, but I don’t consider soda and lemonade adult dinner drinks.

Amen. Water, sparkling water, and wine is what you will find at my dinner table. During cocktail hour, I certainly offer more--soda, juice, etc., along with beer and other alcoholic beverages.

Lemonade and iced tea are for BBQs and casual pizza dinners, not formal dinner parties. Unless you are 8.

But why is soda and juice ok for cocktail hour but not for a dinner? I truly don't understand this. I'm an adult who doesn't like water and doesn't drink alcohol. When I eat dinner either at home or at a restaurant I either have soda or juice. I know sugary drinks aren't good but I don't eat dessert/sweets and I don't smoke/drink alcohol, so I figure it's ok. I just find that if I only drink water the food just doesn't taste appealing and I have very little appetite.

Because for formal dinners, wine or water is meant to enhance--or at least not distract from--the flavors of the food. That's what wine pairings are all about. Making a beautiful filet mignon only to have someone bring Diet Coke to the table is tacky--it just lowers the level of formalitly that your host was trying to achieve. Again, for a pizza dinner, soda is fine; but not for formal dining.

Ok, this makes sense. Thanks for explaining it like that. For me personally, water detracts from the food and a sugary drink enhances it. I might be the odd one out to think this way, but it's always been true for me, and I always order a soda at fine dining restaurants.

You need to realize how much of an outlier you are for this, and manage your expectations accordingly. Your host sounds gracious and beautiful. You coming on here and turning up your nose because she didn't offer you soda with a nice meal is tacky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now that soda is pretty unpopular, I don’t stock it unless we’re having some kind of BBQ. For a dinner party, I’d certainly offer people water, beer, wine, or coffee/tea, but it’s unlikely that I’ll have something like lemonade on hand unless there are children.

We always offer flat and sparkling water, but I don’t consider soda and lemonade adult dinner drinks.

Amen. Water, sparkling water, and wine is what you will find at my dinner table. During cocktail hour, I certainly offer more--soda, juice, etc., along with beer and other alcoholic beverages.

Lemonade and iced tea are for BBQs and casual pizza dinners, not formal dinner parties. Unless you are 8.

But why is soda and juice ok for cocktail hour but not for a dinner? I truly don't understand this. I'm an adult who doesn't like water and doesn't drink alcohol. When I eat dinner either at home or at a restaurant I either have soda or juice. I know sugary drinks aren't good but I don't eat dessert/sweets and I don't smoke/drink alcohol, so I figure it's ok. I just find that if I only drink water the food just doesn't taste appealing and I have very little appetite.

OP I was actually starting to see your point and planning to work some iced tea into my next dinner party but THIS is just bizzare. The food doesn't taste appealing w/o beverage???? You are obviously one who eats to live, so wouldn't be invited anyhow.

[Anonymous]

DCUM, can I bring my own non-alcoholic drinks? Is this gauche? ~NP

[Anonymous]

I don’t stock soda or lemonade unless we are having teenagers over. I would think it weird if an adult wanted a Coca Cola or some such. We have iced water with a squeeze of lemon for those who don’t drink.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM, can I bring my own non-alcoholic drinks? Is this gauche? ~NP

No, if you present it as a hostess gift or contribution the way one would bring wine or a box of chocolates--which is to say, you need to be 100% OK with your gift not being opened/not making it to the table.

Potluck or extremely casual meals like BBQ or pizza night is different. Then, bring and open whatever you want.

But generally speaking, it is ALWAYS OK to ask for water, so do so. But it is never OK to bring lemonade to an evening of formal dining--you are a child if you can't make it one night with only drinking water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM, can I bring my own non-alcoholic drinks? Is this gauche? ~NP

I think I’d be relieved if you brought something you like to drink rather than expecting me to have stocked diet cream soda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now that soda is pretty unpopular, I don’t stock it unless we’re having some kind of BBQ. For a dinner party, I’d certainly offer people water, beer, wine, or coffee/tea, but it’s unlikely that I’ll have something like lemonade on hand unless there are children.

We always offer flat and sparkling water, but I don’t consider soda and lemonade adult dinner drinks.

Amen. Water, sparkling water, and wine is what you will find at my dinner table. During cocktail hour, I certainly offer more--soda, juice, etc., along with beer and other alcoholic beverages.

Lemonade and iced tea are for BBQs and casual pizza dinners, not formal dinner parties. Unless you are 8.

But why is soda and juice ok for cocktail hour but not for a dinner? I truly don't understand this. I'm an adult who doesn't like water and doesn't drink alcohol. When I eat dinner either at home or at a restaurant I either have soda or juice. I know sugary drinks aren't good but I don't eat dessert/sweets and I don't smoke/drink alcohol, so I figure it's ok. I just find that if I only drink water the food just doesn't taste appealing and I have very little appetite.

Because for formal dinners, wine or water is meant to enhance--or at least not distract from--the flavors of the food. That's what wine pairings are all about. Making a beautiful filet mignon only to have someone bring Diet Coke to the table is tacky--it just lowers the level of formalitly that your host was trying to achieve. Again, for a pizza dinner, soda is fine; but not for formal dining.

Ok, this makes sense. Thanks for explaining it like that. For me personally, water detracts from the food and a sugary drink enhances it. I might be the odd one out to think this way, but it's always been true for me, and I always order a soda at fine dining restaurants.

"I just find that if I only drink water the food just doesn't taste appealing and I have very little appetite."

"For me personally, water detracts from the food and a sugary drink enhances it."

You have destroyed your taste buds with the crap you drink. That's sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a dinner party, I’d certainly offer people water, beer, wine, or coffee/tea, but it’s unlikely that I’ll have something like lemonade on hand unless there are children.

Why not have other drinks? Many people don't drink beer/wine, coffee/tea and would like something more tasty than water.

I’m pretty sure most adults drink one of the beverages PP serves.

We don't normally have other options in the house. I'm not going to buy various kinds of soda or whatever, "just in case". Water/coffee/wine/beer would have to suffice.