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

[Anonymous]

Related question: why don't many of you have other options in the house other than wine/beef, coffee/tea and water? Why don't you drink other types of beverages? Yes they're sugary and not healthy but how is this different than keeping cookies/pastries/cupcakes/ice cream in the house?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Related question: why don't many of you have other options in the house other than wine/beef, coffee/tea and water? Why don't you drink other types of beverages? Yes they're sugary and not healthy but how is this different than keeping cookies/pastries/cupcakes/ice cream in the house?

We have milk in the house, but that’s all besides alcohol, coffee, and water

[Anonymous]

Adults (or even kids) who don’t drink or like water are weird.

Grow up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Related question: why don't many of you have other options in the house other than wine/beef, coffee/tea and water? Why don't you drink other types of beverages? Yes they're sugary and not healthy but how is this different than keeping cookies/pastries/cupcakes/ice cream in the house?

I personally don't drink beverages other than water, the very occasional glass of wine, and the occasional glass of juice. I sometimes buy Diet Coke, regular Coke or root beer if we are having a casual dinner and family is coming--I know some of my family members like those around. I keep Diet Coke in the garage for my local aunt.

Here's the difference, for me, between ice cream or cookies and Diet Coke: ingredients. Namely, chemicals. With the types of desserts/treats I buy or make, you can pronounce literally every ingredient--butter, sugar, cream, etc. I don't consume chemicals. And I only rarely have sugary treats. I keep them around because my husband and kids do eat them regularly, but if I'm going to enjoy a treat, it's certainly not going to be high in chemicals and from a can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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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.

+1. OP, if you are ordering soda at a fine dining restaurant, you should know that you come across to your companions as juvenile, declasse, and probably hooked on something that isn't good for you.

[Anonymous]

Soda is really trashy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Related question: why don't many of you have other options in the house other than wine/beef, coffee/tea and water? Why don't you drink other types of beverages? Yes they're sugary and not healthy but how is this different than keeping cookies/pastries/cupcakes/ice cream in the house?

we don't keep cookies in the house either!

I do always make sure there is carbonated mineral water when we have guests for dinner, in addition to wine. but OP makes a good point - I'll make an effort to serve something non-alcoholic and more festive next time, like some of those flavored italian sodas from
whole foods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Related question: why don't many of you have other options in the house other than wine/beef, coffee/tea and water? Why don't you drink other types of beverages? Yes they're sugary and not healthy but how is this different than keeping cookies/pastries/cupcakes/ice cream in the house?

The very first thing they tell you to do when trying to be healthier/lose weight is cut out all non-water drinks. So I literally only have water, coffee, and tea (and alcohol).


Plus, fountain soda is WAY better so if I'm gonna have a soda, it's gonna be fountain and not some crappy can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Related question: why don't many of you have other options in the house other than wine/beef, coffee/tea and water? Why don't you drink other types of beverages? Yes they're sugary and not healthy but how is this different than keeping cookies/pastries/cupcakes/ice cream in the house?

I personally don't drink beverages other than water, the very occasional glass of wine, and the occasional glass of juice.

Isn't this kind of boring though? Just drinking water? Isn't it like eating the same exact thing every single day? I need variety in my beverages. I drink lemonade, cranberry juice, OJ, apple juice, etc. depending on the day. I drink water too but not every meal and mainly in between meals to hydrate. But when I'm eating, I'd like to wash it down with something that has a taste to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Related question: why don't many of you have other options in the house other than wine/beef, coffee/tea and water? Why don't you drink other types of beverages? Yes they're sugary and not healthy but how is this different than keeping cookies/pastries/cupcakes/ice cream in the house?

we don't keep cookies in the house either!

I do always make sure there is carbonated mineral water when we have guests for dinner, in addition to wine. but OP makes a good point - I'll make an effort to serve something non-alcoholic and more festive next time, like some of those flavored italian sodas from
whole foods.

I think flavored sodas would be a nice addition to cocktail hour, but please don't feel like you need to serve that kind of stuff with a nice meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love code red mountain dew

Who doesn't?
I love a host who offers Diet Coke.

I offer soda before dinner during cocktails, but never with a meal unless it casual, like BBQ or pizza. Diet Coke with a nice, sit down dinner would be so odd. Do you order that at a restaurant?

I was joking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Related question: why don't many of you have other options in the house other than wine/beef, coffee/tea and water? Why don't you drink other types of beverages? Yes they're sugary and not healthy but how is this different than keeping cookies/pastries/cupcakes/ice cream in the house?

I don’t keep cookies, pastries, or cupcakes in the house either. I’m not saying I don’t eat them - but similar to soda, if I want to have them, I would buy them special or just eat them outside.

[Anonymous]

For those of you who need soda or juice with your meal: did you just recently arrive in DC? Say, since November 2016?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Related question: why don't many of you have other options in the house other than wine/beef, coffee/tea and water? Why don't you drink other types of beverages? Yes they're sugary and not healthy but how is this different than keeping cookies/pastries/cupcakes/ice cream in the house?

I personally don't drink beverages other than water, the very occasional glass of wine, and the occasional glass of juice.

Isn't this kind of boring though? Just drinking water? Isn't it like eating the same exact thing every single day? I need variety in my beverages. I drink lemonade, cranberry juice, OJ, apple juice, etc. depending on the day. I drink water too but not every meal and mainly in between meals to hydrate. But when I'm eating, I'd like to wash it down with something that has a taste to it.

No, I like water. I like the occasional glass of wine or juice. But I am very balanced and health concious with my choices, and I don't like to "drink my calories." I honestly think you need to recognize that your "need" to have a sweet beverage with food is really, really unusual and not something that other people "need." It would never occur to me to "need" a sugary drink with food. I do happen to like soda with pizza, so once in a blue moon, I'll enjoy that. But 95% of the time, I'm drinking only water with my meals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you who need soda or juice with your meal: did you just recently arrive in DC? Say, since November 2016?