I had the same thought when I read sdbeta1's post. Amaretto Sours, along with Midori Sours, are what I usually suggest for my sisters who are turning 21 and going to the bar for the first time and don't know what they might like.

+ Five points.

Do you like wine at all? Drinking wine will usually make you look sophisticated. Especially if you match the type of wine to the meal you are eating- though that may not always be necessary.

I love wine, but I do not drink many other kinds of drinks anymore. The other kinds I like are: pinas coladas, fuzzy navels, and mudslides.

NO: Shots of any kind.
Anything straight from the bottle.
White Zinfandel.
Wine Spritzers.
Amaretto Sours, Long Island Iced Tea, Sex on the Beach, Tequilla Sunrises, Mudslides, Alabama Slammers, Fuzzy Navels, or anything else with a cute name. For that matter, don't order anything you may have drunk in college.

QUESTIONABLE: Rum and coke, vodka cranberry, apple martinis, cosmopolitains, screwdrivers, and anything else that's super sweet or brightly colored. The exception to this is if you're in a themed restaurant. There's nothing wrong with ordering a margarita at a mexican place.

YES:
My job is similar to yours, although I don't get to travel internationally. I understand meeting with clients and higher-ups over drinks and dinner. You want to order something sophisticated and unfussy. That means no drinks that come in bright colors, huge glasses, or require explanation to the bartender. I like gin, so my "usual" is Tanqueray and tonic. It's classic, straightforward, and really hard to screw up. Bombay and tonic is a good alternative. A similar drink would be my friend's favorite, Grey Goose vodka on the rocks with a twist of lemon ("Grey Goose, rocks, twist"). If hard alcohol isn't your thing, order some wine BUT NOT WHITE ZINFANDEL! A lot of people still think of champagne as a prelude to celebration/romance, so you might want to stay away from that. If you don't want to drink alcohol, sparkling water and a lime is a good choice.

BTW, if you do end up ordering a drink that refers to a brand name of hard alcohol, make sure it's a better brand. No one requests a Popov and soda. That may sound snobby, but keep in mind you're trying to impress.

Order wine with dinner. Drinking hard alcohol with your meal will dull your tastebuds, whereas the right wine will enhance the flavor of your food.

After dinner is a bit more flexible. At that point, generally no one will care if you order a Godiva martini.

Um, let me just put it this way. They just aren't sure of what to order at the bar, cuz it's not like they can order jungle juice.

I take it ya'll had a Trashcan Punch/$5 all night house.:)

I'd say a red wine native to that country or region of that country (you seriously will look like an idiot if you order Yellow Tail in Rotterdam) would suffice. I personally would follow the advice of Valkryie, Rudey, and RC. Also, you should be familiar with ordering aperitifs.

Someone said something about ordering what the other women are ordering---ha! What if you, like me, go to a lot of parties where you're the only woman, or the only other woman is old? I would go to client events, and the senior partner of my old firm was old and drank very little. She would order a wine spritzer. Munchkin was not ordering the spritzer, so I'd follow the cue of what the client or construction manger was ordering.

Some of you other people are giving shitty advice.

If you're in a French-speaking region of the world, I would highly recommend ordering Kir(pron.=Keer) as an apertif if you're having something light, like a salad, chicken or white fish, and Kir Royal if you're having something heavier like steak or salmon.

When ordering wine....you should consider quality above all. There have been Napa Valley reds that have scored higher in many tastings in regions in France. People that know good wines....know good wines. You are going to look like an idiot if you order some shitty bottle simply because it is native to where you are.

If the man is any kind of gentleman....he should order the bottle that is appropriate, so you shouldn't have to worry about it.

If you are in a situation where you would order wine by the glass instead of the bottle I suggest picking a variety of red you like (i.e. merlot, pinot noir, shiraz) then you can typically just request a glass of that variety and you won't have to ponder the wine list looking for something you've heard of.

When in doubt take your queue from what your customer orders as they are probably from the area and should be familiar with the customs.

Don't order wine if you try it and really hate it. Screwing up your face in distaste as you swallow is not sophisticated. :)

If you like beer, get a beer that comes from wherever you are. (Don't get Miller Lite) I think the days of beer = fat dudes on the couch scratching themselves while football is on are pretty much over. But I wouldn't not get beer just because you don't think it's "sophisticated." The most sophisticated thing is to be confident. :)

I'm not saying Stoli Razz does. They were separate paragraphs. I was commenting that Amaretto Sour is not what I considered sophisticated. The paragraph about my drink preference was just that - what I prefer. However I will say I think Grey Goose Orange and soda sounds more sophisticated than an Amaretto Sour when someone asks you what you are drinking.

Probably really depends on you. I drink more than one glass with dinner/water whatever and you can definitely see it on my lips and teeth. My best friend is the same way. My husband on the other hand could drink a bottle with nothing else and you'd never know it (His skin is darker and his teeth more yellow so perhaps that's why). So if I was in the situation I wouldn't be "fine". Also, just because you are drinking in moderation and "on your game" doesn't mean that accidents don't happen. You'll look like much more of an ass with red wine on your blouse than white.

I don't attend too many business dinners, but my husband does all the time. His boss is a wine aficianado so takes care of all the ordering and it is often red. Of course I know many deals are made over red wine :rolleyes:

After re-reading the original post it seems these are dinners, but when she mentioned what to order I assumed a bottle of wine at the table wasn't an option. I was thinking it was more of a bar situation.

Of course, if you've never had beaujolais then it's probably not a good idea to order it so knowing how to pronounce it might be a moot point.

I was about to make the same suggestion! Although you may not have to be in the French-speaking region of the world to have it-I had one in Germany while out to dinner. :P