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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think bring a bottle ... means bring what you plan to drink?

93 replies

Newmummytobe79 · 15/05/2012 17:23

I always take what I think I'll drink to a party - often a bit more just in case.

Went to a party recently and some guests brought four beers ... then drank the hosts spirits like they were going out of fashion. The hosts ran out of booze and felt bad even though I know they'd spent a fortune on a good selection of alcohol

Thinking about hosting a party later on in the year but worried the alcohol cost will make it too expensive ... thoughts please on 'bring a bottle' and it's true meaning

OP posts:

notaniphoneownerjustabadtypist · 15/05/2012 19:08

It means bring what you intend to drink, but be prepared to share it. So nothing too precious, rare or expensive.
On the other hand if you brought red wine and there was already a bottle open, you'd drink that one before opening your own bottle.

StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes · 15/05/2012 19:22

we had a party recently and we bought quite a lot of booze in, DH got a barrel of real ale, we got a few 'posh' bottles given to us as presents which we put away as the givers expected, everyone brought stuff to drink too and we ended up with more than we started with such a chore to get rid of it all not

DizzyKipper · 15/05/2012 19:26

Same meaning to me too

PoppyWearer · 15/05/2012 19:27

I take what I'd drink, plus something for the host - sometimes a bottle of wine or champagne, but maybe some nice chocolates they can stash away for later.

GnocchiNineDoors · 15/05/2012 19:28

I take what I intend to drink. If I fancy Rose, I take at least one bottle if not two, even though I wouldnt drink that much, and if I fancy beer, I take a box.

Curteously leaving what I dont drink.

GnocchiNineDoors · 15/05/2012 19:28

Oh, and I always take nibbles, even if food is provided.

muminthecity · 15/05/2012 19:36

I had this situation a couple of weeks ago. Was hosting a get together for friend's birthday. Not a proper party, only about 20-25 people there but everyone bought their own drink, some drank others' drinks and shared but mostly stuck to their own.

One so-called friend bought a miniscule bottle of bacardi with her, didn't open it but drank everyone else's drinks, finished off my vodka and wine, then at the end of the night took her unopened bottle home with her! I thought that was the height of rudeness.

DeWe · 15/05/2012 19:38

That's interesting. Me and dh drink very little. We'd both tend to keep to the soft drinks. But when people say bring a bottle they'll often look a bit if you bring soft drinks. We now usually take a bottle of wine (dd2 does a good line on the wne tombola) and a soft drink, so we know there'll be soft drinks available and wine for others.

NettoSuperstar · 15/05/2012 19:40

That is very rude.
I'd never take anything undrunk with me

GnocchiNineDoors · 15/05/2012 19:42

When I was pg, I'd only take soft drinks with me. Wouldn't even have thought of taking booze.

HermioneE · 15/05/2012 19:45

It means invite Netto bring what you'll drink, plus something for your hosts / sharing.

That said, my friends and I are pretty relaxed about sharing, it probably all comes out in the wash. Depends on how much you see the group and whether you'll get to reciprocate soon.

QueenofPlaids · 15/05/2012 20:04

I generally take it that way, although if the host is giving someone a cocktail / glass of fizz or punch on arrival I'd accept that as I assume that's for everyone.

I try to take more than I'll drink. On occasion if things have gotten a little drunken, the host has offered whisky etc to people and I've accepted.

There's a flipside to this though. I've been to the odd party where my bottle of wine has been taken off me and a glass of shite plonk handed to me. On one occasion (an old and previously closes friend's b'day) I brought two bottles, one of which was champagne because it was a landmark birthday. Birthday girl's best mate took the champers off me and served it to birthday girl and her mates who all said 'thanks' but didn't offer me a glass. I was [shocked] at their manners!

On another occasion I brought a £30 bottle of red wine to a very posh party (alongside a gift for my friend). Hosts were apparently most insulted that I'd brought it, didn't say thanks and plonked on their wine rack before pouring me champagne. The vintage champagne was free-flowing (and I love champagne, so I didn't feel hard done by) but to this day I still don't know what I did wrong....

StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes · 15/05/2012 20:19

we went to a posh party and when we drank our first glass wandered over to refil ... host was most offended, we should have waited for him to 'circulate'

squeakytoy · 15/05/2012 20:23

When we go to parties or bbq's it is always "bring your own" and everyone turns up with a crate of beer, bottles of wine etc..that gets bunged into a paddling pool full of ice and cold water, then everyone helps themselves..

If we go to someones for dinner we would always take a couple of bottles of wine or beer with us, even if it wasnt requested.

PuppyMonkey · 15/05/2012 20:30

The moral of the story is... If you leave expensive spirits out in full view at a party, you only have yourself to blame. lock 'em away fgs.

I must go to the wrong kind of parties, because if I bring, say, two bottles of wine (ie for me and DP), it always, always gets necked by someone else. So you have no choice but to snaffle someone else's wine and, well, it's a vicious circle.

GetDownNesbitt · 15/05/2012 20:39

I tend to take a couple of bottles and something else - flowers or chocolates for the host. When people come to ours, we usually have a bottle or two left at the end as a bonus.

Whatmeworry · 15/05/2012 20:42

The moral of the story is... If you leave expensive spirits out in full view at a party, you only have yourself to blame

Correct!

Gold Star :)

TheSecondComing · 15/05/2012 20:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

supernannyisace · 15/05/2012 20:48

We often have house parties/piss ups - and most guests do 'bring a bottle'. In fact, we often end up with spare bottles of lager left over - as some guests just buy a crate of lagers - and obv don't drink itall.

If I go to a party and am driving- I still take alcohol - for the party - and maybe a bottle of diet coke for non-drinkers.

The PIL never bring a bottle - when invited for dinner. I find that strange. My DP do, but it is usually shit - so I ensure that have stocked up plenty first

Whatmeworry · 15/05/2012 20:52

On the wine thing, is it done to serve the wine brought or one's own wine when hosting?

(One tends to prefer one's own taste in wine, natch)

BrianButterfield · 15/05/2012 20:53

See, PuppyMonkey, if I brought wine to a party, I assume it goes into a wine pool (figuratively) and would just drink any wine that was open/cold. I don't just drink my own bottle, that's a bit studenty! And I don't go to parties where people bring super-expensive or super-cheap bottles, so it all works out.

supernannyisace · 15/05/2012 20:57

brian true - but it can turn into a bit of a wine lottery. You could take something nice (ish) and end up having a glass of lukewarm Blossom Hill rose!

(I didn't know how to put an acute accent on the e on rose )

Heleninahandcart · 15/05/2012 20:59

In addition to the cheapskates who bring a couple of cans and help themselves all night are the ultimate irritation, the couple who bring one bottle of wine between the, then work their way through the bar claiming they don't get out much

BrianButterfield · 15/05/2012 20:59

Well...you pour yourself a biiiiig glass of your own nice stuff and by the time you've sunk a couple of those your quality threshold goes down anyway! Or is that just me...?

Ratbagcatbag · 15/05/2012 21:02

I love blossom hill rose not quite as much as Gallo white Grenache but nearly.

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