What beverage you serve may depend on who you have invited to dinner. And it also depends on the dishes you serve. In fact, there could be a perfect drink for each course!
When you’re dressing and setting the table for a dinner party, you probably put all the cutlery for the meal out together. There may be different styles of forks and spoons for the various dishes. You can also set out different glasses for the different beverages guests may consume.
Dinner Drinks: Water
Start with the table water. This is often provided in a large table jug complete with ice cubes and slices of lemon (or, if you’re being creative, float some fresh mint leaves in the water). Tall glasses may be left in the center of the table for guests to help themselves.
Dinner Drinks: Wine
Wine glasses are commonly placed on the table before the meal begins. It’s up to you if you would like to pour the wine for guests to try the first glass. Reds, whites and rosés may all be served during the meal. However, sweeter wines like the rosé are often left until the dessert course. Of course, there are times when something sweet works wonderfully well with a dish. Websites like www.wine.net/why-wine are handy for understanding which wines might be best for your dinner party.
Dinner Drinks: Cocktails
Cocktails may also be served at the table. Some curry houses offer a large range of cocktails on their menu. It is thought the sweetness and fruitiness of a cocktail could be the perfect starter for a spicy meal. Of course, it could be just a matter of taste. Cocktails at the beginning of a dinner party can help stimulate the appetite and get everyone in the mood for a flavorful meal. Common cocktails are made with rum, vodka or Schnapps spirits. Different fruit juices or sodas are blended with them to make a colorful, exotic drink. Different glasses are used, but tall glasses are often best.
Dinner Drinks: Soft Drinks
Soft drinks with the meal may be preferred by those who don’t like alcohol or need to drive. You can create alcohol-free punches from blended fruit juices and soda. Or you may be happy providing cans of fizzy pop. Freshly squeezed orange or apple juices can be very popular beverages to enjoy with many dishes. Even fruit teas can be enjoyed at the table!
Dinner Drinks: Coffee
Toward the end of the meal, you might want to offer coffees. There are different types of coffee that are enjoyed with or after dessert. Some are sweet, like a macchiato or cappuccino. Often a strong black coffee is preferred. It’s thought to kick-start the digestive process. Of course, when it’s close to bedtime, some of your guests may prefer a decaffeinated coffee or herbal tea. Alcoholic coffees can be popular too. What about warming a good brandy for those special guests? It can be the perfect drink to end the perfect evening.
A few weeks ago, I was at a party where bow-tie pasta with mushrooms and pink sauce was served. It was incredibly delicious. So, I went into research mode to find out how to make pink sauce myself.
