Party Foul: Serving Drinks in Incorrect Glasses

October 24, 2007

I recently attended a very crowded party where the caterers ran out of clean serving glasses. When I went to order a second beer, the bartender — to my dismay — poured it into a champagne flute. I looked around the event and noticed chicly dressed PYTs sipping champagne from brandy snifters and white wine from whiskey tumblers!

I love fun glasses as much as the next party gal, but because wine glasses actually enhance and affect the flavor of wine, wine should be served in appropriate glassware. I think the staff should have either washed more glasses or served beer in water glasses and wine in small table glasses.

What do you think? Is it a party no-no to pour drinks into incorrect glassware?

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19 Comments

xxstardust 4 years 10 weeks

I know this is an old post, but I have to point it out for posterity - most people who order catered food and even servers to their homes DON'T shell out the extra money for glassware/real china/etc., they simply instruct the servers who come to their home to use the things they have in the house.

mere213 4 years 21 weeks

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but I actually made this account for the specific purpose of commenting. I am absolutely amazed that, of the 17 comments that were left, not ONE of them pointed out that some beers were MEANT to be consumed from snifters and champagne flutes. I assume you were drinking something dilute and mass produced, such as Bud or Miller. However, had you been enjoying a wheat beer or barleywine, it would have been very appropriate to serve such in a wine flute. Deep porters and stouts require a heavier glass, such as a chalice or red wine-type glass. As someone above pointed out (albeit for wine), proper glassware enhances the taste, aroma, and mouthfeel of the beverage. For more information about beer glasses, try www.beeradvocate.com. And next time you try a good beer, you can select the correct glassware yourself.

terryt18 5 years 28 weeks

how gauche!

opisnowpro 5 years 29 weeks

Absolutely wine mut be served in wine glasses and its a major NO-No be served in whisky glases....for others drinks isnt so important and I kind of like it when I drink beer in wine glass...but in a a catered party mmmm weird

paintsquared 5 years 29 weeks

sStrange indeed at a catered event. I know at our house we use funny glasses sometimes, but mostly because we can't keep the right wine glasses, cuz I'm always breaking them!

colormesticky 5 years 29 weeks

I wouldn't care about drinking red wine in a white wine glass or vice versa, but drinking beer out of a champagne flute is a stretch.

alillee 5 years 29 weeks

I agree but I have to admit I do feel quite special when I drink beer out of a wine glass. LOL.

emalove 5 years 29 weeks

I don't care if I'm at my house or a friend's house, but at a wedding or formal event, I would certainly expect my cocktail to be in the "right" glass for it.

Diana172 5 years 29 weeks

I agree, vapidintuition!

vapidintuition 5 years 29 weeks

Personally, I could care less if I went to a party and the drinks were served in the wrong glass. But then again, I don't go to many catered parties, and amongst my friends, any glassware is a step up from the plastic cups of our kegger days. But I can see if I went to a Catered event where the caterer was being paid to insure these sorts of things didn't happen, I might think it was a little odd. But by that point I'd be tipsy enough that I wouldn't really care, and its definately not something I'd write home to mom about.

millarci 5 years 29 weeks

I agree that it is a little strange, but I'm pretty low maintenance. It wouldn't really matter to me unless it affects the taste.

ragus 5 years 29 weeks

lol glam sugar!

susanec 5 years 29 weeks

That's just strange for a catered party. I do love stemless wine glasses though, but they still keep the shape of the wine glass.

fragiletearz 5 years 29 weeks

Oy beer in a champaign flute is just weird!

Alisha_Stiletto 5 years 29 weeks

Well, Id have to say if I were at a party at a good friend's house, and it wasnt a formal thing, I wouldnt care. Id drink booze out of a mason jar cause we're cool like that. BUT, if you go through the trouble of getting caterers and the whole shabang and they run out of the proper glassware? Oh hell no.

glam sugar 5 years 29 weeks

Gasp! The horror! :jawdrop: I can't stand it when drinks are served in the wrong glass.

aimeeb 5 years 29 weeks

I agree with kiddylnd

kiddylnd 5 years 29 weeks

I guess at a catered event you would expect that they have the correct stemware and enough of it. At a house party where the hostess is doing everything herself, and possibly on a budget I wouldn't bat an eye about it.