can't go wrong with a classic tanqueray and tonic!

I suggest a glass of champagne or wine.

I have heard stories of people who got drunk at work related events and suffered consequences including being fired so know your limit. :)

I would only have a drink at a work related event if the other women were drinking, and then, keep it light - like champagne, wine, or a champagne cocktail. Think Bridget Jones.

I love good Scotch, and like to try different drinks, but not at a work related function - you don't know how it will affect you, and it's best to find out when your future isn't at stake!

I'd order wine. If you don't feel like drinking, you can always have some sparkling mineral water with lime.

You definitely have to go with Amaretto Sour. A martini or vodka tonic would be the only other exceptions, depending on the situation. The amaretto sour is extremely classy, tastes delightful and will be available everywhere. I would be taken aback if a lady I was doing business with ordered harder alcohol such as scotch, rum, whiskey, or gin. Wine has side effects such as adding a lot of color to the face, and causing tiredness.

I would go with something simple like a Vodka Tonic or Red Wine. Red is an aquired taste, but very sophisticated.

vodka and club with lime is good

A word of good advice, if you're going to order drinks and want to look like you know what you're doing, go to a bar here in the States before you leave and order them here to see if you like them and get used to the taste. It's not going to look very attractive if the drink you order ends up being rancid and you nearly spit it out.

This might not be for you, but, try ordering what I call a "conversation starter". An Oompa Loompa martini, Grand Theft Auto, an Alf cocktail, or a Scarlett O'Hare--you know, something to make them say "What's That? Where'd you hear about that drink? What's it taste like?" At least that way you'll have some interesting conversation.

Amaretto Sour reminds me of girls in college who couldn't stand the taste of liquor so they ordered something "yummy". Doesn't say sophisticated to me at all. :rolleyes:

Avoid red wine because it often causes your teeth/lips to turn purple, and if you spill it on someone it's a mess to get out.

White wine is a good idea, but depending on the bar may be really cheap. Something like a Vodka Tonic is probably a good bet.

I myself am a fan of flavored vodka (preferably raspberry, but orange is more common) and club soda. It's a clear drink so spilling/staining isn't an issue, and the club soda helps to keep you a little more hydrated, IMO.

At a dinner event either white or red is perfectly acceptable. What you choose to order for your meal should also play a role in what kind of wine you choose to indulge in. Pre-dinner should be your time for cocktails. A dry martini with a twist is always a good choice, as is gin.

SDbeta...you say you would be taken back if a lady ordered hard liquor, yet you said to order a martini at dinner? 1.) I wouldn't advise ordering a martini at the dinner table. 2.) It doesn't get much harder than a martini straight up.....unless you are ordering something along the lines of vodka rocks or whiskey/scotch "neat".

So this doesn't say "sophisticated", but Stoli Razz does? I don't quite follow - I think you're making a poor association here.

Red wine is fine - it can turn teeth/lips red, but not necessarily on the first glass, and if there is ANYTHING available to clean the mouth (water, food) then you'll be fine. Spilling should not be a worry, if you're at all on your game and drinking in moderation.

I don't know how many business dinners of this type you've attended, but quite a few deals and discussions in my particular field are done over red wine - being able to order or discuss wine selection is a decent skill to acquire (and will prevent you from being stuck with the 'cheap' white - I'm assuming these meetings aren't at 'cheap white wine' bars).

If nothing else, be able to pronounce "beaujolais" . . .

Carbonated beverages actually increase the absorption of alcohol in the stomach, getting it into the blood faster - hydration would not be my first concern here.

As far as what to order, many of the answers are quite good, but valkyrie and Rudey have pretty much summed it up - first, order whatever you enjoy and order it with confidence, and second know your audience and improve your knowledge of liquors, cordials and apertifs, and wine . . . sometimes, unfortunately, you just won't want to be the one drinking rum among clients who are splitting an expensive bottle.

I'd drink hard liquor over wine if I were given the choice. Then again, in my profession, so would everyone else.

Order them a madori sour and drop roofies in them. That'll get you in on some bizness!



Oh wait.

Oh what?


Oh...not the kind of bizness you were looking for? Oh ok. Ummm...

get them some Kool Aid and sprinkle some crack in that shit then MANG