Alcohol. An integral part of most events. Devoured by guests, potentially for hours. Are you taking the time to consider the right concoction for your event? From audience to time of day, there can be so much more to think about than which pre-set drink package is in your budget. I’ll take you through the big three boozes and give Aesthetic’s top tips for your choice of tipple.
Beer
These days there’s more to consider than just ‘full-strength’ or ‘light’. Will it be Premium, Craft, Australian? From a bottle or a keg? When serving beer, make sure you consider your audience. A room full of executives versus a fashion-forward youth crowd will appreciate different beer services. What’s your mix of men and women? Cliché but also fact, men will grab a beer more often than women.* So stock up, or down as required.
If your event is themed, that could also have some bearing on what you offer and how you offer it.
For instance, no-one ever said a keg has to hide under the bar. Also think about your location and the need for light beer. If you’re likely to be entertaining lots of drivers, make sure they can enjoy the ‘froths’ as well.
Wine
Wine is Australia’s favourite head-tingler, with women partaking in the bottle tip 30% more than men.* So it’s fair to say that almost all events (excluding beer or spirit promotions) will have some kind of wine on the menu. The standard red, white and sparkling package is fine, but if you want to impress your guests there’s plenty more to consider.
Take a look at the food you’re serving. Also the time of day: Is it late afternoon in the Summer?
You’ll likely find most guests reaching for a white or sparkling. A cosy event in Winter? The rich aroma of red will be engulfed by guests looking to warm up. And look, if we’re reaching down into stereotypes, leave the Chardonnay out back for the under-30s crowd.
Spirits
Nothing gets the party started faster than a sneaky 30ml or three. Question is, when do you want to get the party started? Or is your event even supposed to be a party?! With a reputation for being ‘hard’ liquor some people like to avoid serving spirits. BUT you can be almost certain that Joe-Bourbon will complain if he can’t get his hands on something stiff. Decide if you’re guests will be happy with the basic set of spirits or if they’re a crowd with more specific (expensive) tastes, and go from there.
Also, let’s not forget the elegance that can come from the service of spirits or their crazy aunty cocktail. The right selection can contribute to the theme, décor or even the entertainment, Cocktail style.
