A Meeting Planner’s Guide to Catered Events Chapter Three Beverage Functions

 These days it is very unusual for a beverage function to offer only alcohol.  Most liquor laws will not allow alcohol to be served unless food is available to slow intoxication.  There will typically be at least a few hors d’oeuvres and dry snacks.

Purpose of the beverage function  A way for attendees to socialize and network.  Provides a relaxed, leisurely setting.  A transition period from a long workday to an enjoyable meal function.

Types of beverage functions  Cocktail Reception  Hospitality Suite  Poured Wine Service

Cocktail Reception  One of the most common types of beverage functions.  During week days it is usually scheduled during the early evening hours, just after the end of the normal business day.  On weekends there is more flexibility, but as a general rule, a cocktail reception is scheduled after 5:00 PM.

Cocktail Reception  A cocktail reception often precedes a dinner function, in which case it will usually be scheduled for about 45 minutes to an hour.  At least a few foods should be served.

Hospitality Suite  Normally opens after 10:00 in the evening.  Some suites offer a full bar, some beer and wine only.  Some have lots of food, some have only dry snacks.  Some offer only desserts and specialty coffees.

Hospitality Suite  Consider ordering more food, and different types of foods, if the attendees have had an open evening.  Some may have skipped going to dinner and may be quite hungry.

Hospitality Suite  Hospitality suites are usually held in a suite on a sleeping room floor, and are usually serviced by the property’s room service department.  They may be sold by catering, but sometimes you may deal directly with the room service manager.  If they are held in a public function room, or held in another public area (such as a hotel’s front lobby area), they would be sold and serviced by the catering department.

Hospitality Suite  Regardless of the location, do not allow people to self-serve alcohol.  Do not leave your function unattended by a staffer.  You run the risk of enormous cost overrun.  Unsupervised people may display unheard of behavior.  People who don’t even belong to your group may drop by.

Poured Wine Service  Poured wine beverage service is typically part of a meal function.  Wines may be opened and preset on the tables.  At elaborate meals, cocktail servers, or the food servers, supervised by a sommelier, may be in charge of the wine service.  This is more common when the meal includes a rare and/or expensive wine served with each course.

Poured Wine Service  Experience has taught us that for meals with wine, you will need to have about 3 whites to every red.  For dinners, you can expect each attendee to consume about 2 ½ glasses.  For lunch the average consumption will be about 1 glass per person.

Menu Planning  It is relatively easy to develop a drink menu.  If a meeting planner wants a particular type of drink, the caterer can usually provide it.  The equipment needed to handle normal beverage service is sufficient to produce almost any type of finished beverage.  If any unique brands or products are needed, you must give the caterer sufficient time to procure them.

Types of Beverages  Wine  Imported  Domestic  Varietals  Spirits  Imported  Domestic  Distilled  Blends  Neutral Beverages  Non-alcoholic  Water, soda, juice, soda, coffee, etc.  Beer  Imported  Domestic  Bottles/Cans  Kegs/Pony Kegs

Spirits  Well Brands  Premium Well Brands  Call Brands  Premium Brands

Basic Drink Menu  Red Wine  White Wine  Domestic Light Beer  Domestic Regular Beer  Soft Drinks  Drink Mixers  Scotch  Gin  Vodka  Bourbon  Rum  Tequila  Canadian Whiskey