What do you take to drink if you are invited for a meal at a friend's house?

[LockdownLemon]

Do you take what you want to drink? So if you want wine, would you take a bottle you like?
But if you're not drinking would you take a bottle of a soft drink instead?
I guess I'm asking if the drink you take is a gift for the hosts to say thanks for the invite, or do you take it so you there'll be something you like available?

If its someone that I dont see too often I take what I like to drink and a bottle of wine for the host. With close friends we just bring what we want to drink to each other's houses.

This really varies by which part of society, I'm afraid...

If you're going somewhere where they know their wines, and are serving a carefully though-out meal, with matched wine, then your wine probably won't be served at the meal, but kept aside for a later date (either to drink with another suitable meal, or to cook with, depending on whether it's decent or cat's piss).

If it's more casual then sometimes the wine is accepted as part of the meal and served immediately (assuming it's the right temp etc).

In your circumstances, if you're not drinking alcohol then I'd take a bottle of wine for the host, and a bottle of whatever you're drinking too. If you're just taking a bottle of wine and think you'll likely end up drinking it whilst there, then some people would take flowers and/or chocs for the hosts as well, as their gift.

I don't drink so I always take a bottle of wine for the host (unless they also don't drink and then I get flowers) and something for me. Friends normally have something in for me but I have flustered my husband's friends before when going to their home for the first time and declining alcohol. On one occasion all she had was water and half the meal was her apologising, bless her.

A couple of bottles of wine we all like so we can share (friends are taxi distance) or a bottle of wine and some gin, tonics etc. If DH isn't drinking because he's driving on a rare occasion he'll take a bottle of his soft drink of choice. I usually take a box of chocs as well.

Like @BarbedBloom I don’t drink, but I do take a bottle of wine. I genuinely enjoy water with a meal so probably don’t take anything for me.

3 gallons of frosty jacks and some ecstasy whoooooooo

I would take a bottle of wine or prosecco, but if I wasn’t drinking then yes, I’d also bring something non-alcoholic to share as well.

@JizzPigeon22 you can come for dinner at mine!

My friend drinks white and is always well stocked so I'd bring a bottle of red for me. Another only drinks Prosecco so I'd bring her that as she doesn't usually have it. If I'm unsure and a larger dinner party I'd bring a bottle of white and red. I don't care if the host keeps or opens the bottles I bring.

@WeirdlyOdd

This really varies by which part of society, I'm afraid...

If you're going somewhere where they know their wines, and are serving a carefully though-out meal, with matched wine, then your wine probably won't be served at the meal, but kept aside for a later date (either to drink with another suitable meal, or to cook with, depending on whether it's decent or cat's piss).

If it's more casual then sometimes the wine is accepted as part of the meal and served immediately (assuming it's the right temp etc).

In your circumstances, if you're not drinking alcohol then I'd take a bottle of wine for the host, and a bottle of whatever you're drinking too. If you're just taking a bottle of wine and think you'll likely end up drinking it whilst there, then some people would take flowers and/or chocs for the hosts as well, as their gift.

You sound like an insufferable snob! Also, if it isn't good enough to drink it isn't good enough to cook with.

I'd always take a bottle of wine, even though I can't stand the stuff. I always assume it's for the host, rather than what I want to drink. I would think that might look quite rude, like taking your own food round in case the host's meal wasn't to your taste!

I take a bottle of wine / beers depending on the friend & a nice soft drink. Eg sparkling elderflower or similar.

I'm a wine drinker and would take a bottle as a gift (chocolates if a non drinker) and a bottle that I would drink whilst there. Sometimes I take flowers too depending on the host.

I more meant the actual occasion rather than the actual host re the flowers! That came out wrong!

It depends if you are having a formal dinner party or if you just want to see each other and end up feeding each other. Also whether it is an adult only affair. Most recently people have brought to ours : sausages from their native country (for a BBQ), baking, beer, a spicy non alcoholic apple juice, a bottle of lemonade (more than one person on different occasions) obviously wine, schloer. People we know well often text 'what should I bring?' and if we like them enough we let them contribute. My best friend has been known to bring an extra child with her, so long as she takes them all with her when she leaves it's pretty relaxed!

very trendy around here to take a bottle of kombucha (for those who don't drink) or craft beer. Triple points if the craft beer is handmade.

Also v trendy to bring hand-crafted chocolate

Wine plus a further gift like chocolates. I regard it as a gift for hosting, not something I will be offered during the evening.

I would take a bottle of wine, even though I don't like it and I find it a bloody nightmare because I don't know anything about wine. I once took advice from a man in Tesco who was swigging from a can of cider in the alcohol aisle and who frankly appeared to be homeless. I genuinely thought he would have better knowledge than me about what would be a suitable offering for a meal.

I generally vaguely pick something I think I might have heard of like a Merlot..with no idea whether people actually drink this or what it would go with.