What kind of drinks should I order?
 

So in my job (high tech marketing) I do a lot of traveling to tradeshows around the U.S. as well as several times a year overseas to London, Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam. At each show we have to go to a lot of dinners with clients, customers and executives from my company. My problem is that I never know what drinks I should order. I love mixed drinks but I also love beer. But I don't think beer is "classy" enough to drink with customers and the CEO of my company. What suggestions do you have that will make me look like a cool and hip but sophisticated worldly traveler?? :)

If you love beer, try ordering something that is native to that country. In Paris, definitely drink wine. And btw, I am highly jealous of your job.

Go to the bar by yourself and ask the bartender what he/she/it/they recommend. They are usually really good for that sort of thing. Tell them you want to get a few good drinks for some good clients.

Just make sure they don't have names like "hard sex in the hallway" or "adios mothereffer!"

Try White Wine and dont get screwed Up.

Looks tacky!:)

Dont out drink Hanchos, they dont like it!

you could always wait and let the clients and/or ceo order before you, and take your cue from them.

You'll look cool, hip, and sophisticated if you confidently order whatever you want (as long as it's not something that, you know, comes with a penis straw or features a sex act in the name).

Not too many people can pull off beer while acting sophisticated. Learn about apertifs and find one you like.

-Rudey

Rudey, Yes, Good Professional Post!

Is that like dont get screwed up and Dont :D SPEAD THIGHS!

Scotch is good!:)

Have to acquire the taste though!:D

I'd love to know how one acquires the taste for Scotch...or even gin. :)

But then again, I like jaegermeister and my friends always cringe if I buy them shots of it.

-Rudey

Tom and Rudey, can you guys get a room? Thanks! ;) :p :D

Hey, gin is delicious. Then again, I also enjoy the Jager.

Scotch is pretty much through brute force - although if you enjoy other, similar alcohols first, it will help you understand how to improve your palette.

If you just don't like the pine/juniper/etc flavor of gin, you'll probably never improve - but the key to enjoying gin is proper mixing to advance the flavor, rather than mask it. Also don't drink shitty gin.

Obviously.....I love scotch.

Ugh, jaegermeister, I hate that stuff. It always makes my stomach feel nasty.

I don't know how I got a taste for scotch. I've always liked whiskey, and at some point I just tried scotch and liked it.

You need to find a simple drink that you enjoy and that won't be screwed up, regardless of where you travel. Whether it is vodka and club, gin and tonic, or a rum and coke, make it easy for others. You also won't get caught with something very very untasty.

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

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.