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

[Newmummytobe79]

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

I think it's a little rude to host a party at your house and demand that guests bring their own drink...

But then how do you separate what belongs to each person? Do you label them, like you are students?

IMO, bring a bottle means everyone brings some booze, you add it to the collection, and whatever is there can be drunk. If the hosts add a load of spirits they should expect them to be drunk.

Hexagonal - So when you have a party, do you provide drinks for everyone? The last party I had there were about 30 people. Say £5 at least for drinks per head, that makes £150! And that's a conservative figure. I already provided food and decorated the place out, there's no way I could afford that on top. It's rude of people to turn up without anything.

Yes, if I invite guests into my home then I would fully expect to cater for them all. Yes, most people do take a bottle or beers to a house party/barbecue but there is no way I would expect that and certainly no way I'd slag them off on a forum for not bringing the prefered brand of drink. And yes, we do always take drinks and nibbles with us if we go to a party or barbecue

And I once knew a couple who hired the dirtiest, dingiest, tiny village hall for their engagement party, and told everyone to 'bring your own drinks and food' then asked for a contribution of £5 per couple/family towards the disco. I think that's just fucking rude tbh. 'We want an engagement party but YOU can foot the bill'

I think I must be quite old. It would never occur to me to bring a bottle to a party and then keep that exclusively for myself. If I brought a bottle I would hand it over to the host or put on drinks table and then drink whatever is currently open. At some point my contribution would be drunk by someone or other. If the wine I brought was particularly nice (OK, expensive), I might open mine to add to the general pool of open wine and sneak a glass for myself, but then anyone else would be perfectly welcome to help themselves to it to it as well.

When I was younger and threw parties we always ran out of booze before the night was out. Now I am an ancient old crone we throw parties and end up with more bottles (of usually very nice) wine than we started with. One of the few benefits of getting old.

in my circle of friends bring a bottle means bring what you'll end up drinking, we do end up sharing sometimes, there's always the one friend who takes the pi** by sharing others drink and then taking any of her's left home.

It sounds as though if you have a party and haven't enough money to provide the booze then you just tell people to bring a bottle, hide any booze of yours you don't want drunk, and be prepared to run out of alcohol if your guests are mean.
My experience of parties is much like neolara's. As a student I'd take cheap stuff to parties, drink whatever looked nicest and the party would often run out of booze as we were all skint, in my 20s there was more nice booze but if I didn't hide it my guests would work their way through my spirits and the single malt would be being knocked back at 3am.
Now everyone brings posh wine, there is loads left and no-one touches the spirits.

what hexagan said

Its so tight! If I host a party I know people will bring stuff, I dont tell them too.

I always assume it's bring your own booze! I assume I'll be allowed a brew if I want one though without providing the teabags milk & mug!

I do lob it in the general direction of the fridge and we mix and match between the guests!

Wow ? I must say the majority of you sound lovely bringing your own booze and a gift for the host! Fancy coming to a party

For those who assume I?m planning on making people drink their own booze and not cater for guests ? how wrong you are. I would provide plenty of wine, beer, spirits and mixers as well as a damn good spread of food!

I just don?t see how people can justify bringing four crappy beers and then sink the drinks cabinet in a few hours.

Plus I always offer a glass of fizz (ok ? a nice cava rather than an expensive champagne!) as soon as they arrive :)

For those who say they have booze left over ? here?s hoping!

It seems the overall consensous is it?s ok to say bring a bottle ? so I shall

Yabu - I'm with hexagon. We invite friends to parties because we like them, they are our friends and great people. Hence they also bring gifts to say thank you. We have ended up with more wine and beer than we started with. If they are tight arses who are rude, why invite them?

However, sometimes a few families ( who are friends) get together - new year or summer BBQ etc. someone offers to host and all bring food or drink so no-one is out of pocket.

If you want a party, prepare to pay or don't invite.

What is it with mumsnet this week - charging for family to stay, expecting people to bring own food and drink - its a wonder some of you have friends to invite!!!!

I interpret it as "bring what you'd like to drink and more to share". So we tend to take at least 3 bottles of decent wine to a party. I'd rarely drink a whole bottle of wine but who cares? I don't go to parties to spend the time keeping a careful eye on whether anyone else is getting more than their fair share. Or at least I haven't since I was about 18, anyway.

For those who assume I?m planning on making people drink their own booze and not cater for guests ? how wrong you are. I would provide plenty of wine, beer, spirits and mixers as well as a damn good spread of food!

Just wanted to reiterate I am not a tight ar5e and would buy plenty to go round :)

I just can't afford to provide 10+ drinks (my pals drink a lot!) to cover a full night. I know most will bring far more than they expect to drink - I was just shocked at the guests who went to my pals party and took 4 crappy beers!

Plus there are so many good offers on at the moment - it'd be rude not to buy in a few cases of beer ... and test the quality tonight maybe?

I like to 'think' that dh and I are 'overly-generous'. And funnily enough we therefore like to mix with like-minded folk. Dh wouldn't dream of going to a party without a box(24) botttles of becks or similar.
When we go to parties our friends/bil/family lay on drinks that never ever run out and food that goes on and on and on. I always phone to offer to whip up a lasagne, curry, minted new potatoes, eton mess, etc / can I be of any help.
Funnily enough all our family and friends are like minded!
I can't stand tight arses and funnily enough do not have any in our close circle, becasue I can not entertain them.
This all works out very well.
I can't understand why some of you continue to entertain these tight people. yuk!