To bring a fizzy drink to a meal?

[mapofthechicks]

So, I visited my boyfriend's family for the first time on Sunday

His mum cooked for us all. Lovely meal. When I arrived, I came with a bottle of lemonade. I said this to his mum ''I've got this, can I pop it in the fridge? Please help yourselves''

When having dinner, I asked for a glass (there were only small wine glasses on the table).

His mum said 'but we're having wine?'

I said no thanks, I'll just have some of the lemonade please'

She seemed really at me!

We had a nice meal and then my boyfriend mentioned to me today 'Mum was really confused about your lemonade! Maybe don't do that next time '

AIBU to think it's fine? It wasn't just for me. Anyone could've helped themselves but it was so strange. It was as if I had placed 10g of coke on the table and told everyone to help themselves to a line

Very odd indeed surely?

"Sarsaparilla"
Said I had spelt it wrong 🙂

I’ve never heard of Barrs. I don’t know about fizzy lemonade at all. I’ve never had it. I’ve never seen it for sale in shops -not that I’ve looked for it. I don’t know of anyone who’s ever had it, or talked about it. It’s just not something that anybody I’ve met or go out with ever drinks.

But those drinks aren’t nice quality, though. They surely aren’t the sort of thing you give your host as a nice present for a meal. If someone gave me those for hosting a meal, I’d be very surprised and would think them odd. I certainly wouldn’t want to drink any of those, meal or no meal. I don’t drink wine or any alcohol, but I’d give some to someone if I was going for dinner.

We usually let anyone coming to ours knows what we'll have available (always includes red/white/sparkling wine, beer, some spirits and a range of non-acoholic drinks including filtered water) and that they're welcome to bring their own drink if they have a particular preference. We love wine, both worked in the industry for some years, and would never judge anyone because of what they drink so we see some pretty interesting line ups on the counter some days 😁

@Bettethebuilder you've never heard of Barrs ! Blimey.
At least tell me you have heard of R Whites Lemonade?
That's like saying you've never heard of Heinz or Persil or Walkers Crisps.
And you don't know anyone who has ever drunk fizzy lemonade? Ever ? It's sold in just about every pub, bar and restaurant.
Also if you don't seem to know anything about fizzy drinks - how do you know they aren't "nice quality" ?

(R Whites Lemonade has been around since 1845 so older than Barrs)

It doesn’t matter. I’ve never heard of R Whites. Coca Cola has been around for many, many decades too, but I still wouldn’t take that round as a gift for a meal. I wouldn’t want to drink that either. No one I know drinks Coke. If one definition of lemonade is a fizzy drink in a can or bottle, then I’ll accept that perhaps J Up can count as a lemonade. That clears up that confusion. But it’s odd to take it round to give -or in this case, not give -to your host.

The first time you're invited round to eat at your boyfriend's parents is a semi-special occasion, or at least they might think it is, even if you don't.

It's pretty standard and polite in British culture to take a bottle of wine to a special occasion. (It doesn't matter if you don't drink wine. It's not for you, it's a token gift for the hosts. It doesn't matter if it's an expensive wine, though it could be.)

Taking a £1.85 2litre plastic bottle of 7Up for yourself to drink to a semi-special occasion makes you look cheap and selfish. It suggests that you don't expect them to be good hosts, or to be able to satisfy your needs.

I’d view it as weird unless maybe it was some super fancy lemonade. I’d have just drank water if I didn’t want wine

Lol at the lemonade snobs 😂 Worse than the coffee ones.

I have had a comment before having taken them asked for some lemonade with meal... I decided to go with it and not take next time assuming they weren't telling me what I'm allowed to drink (alcohol only or tap water) and that they were happy to provide soft drinks themselves

Took nothing next time and asked what soft drinks they had when it came to having a drink, they said none just wine or tap water and I said I had been commented not to take my own soft drink? I don't drink alcohol and enjoy something other than water to drink. They said they didn't say/mean that and more than welcome to bring a drink in future.. think they realised in the moment that they were dictating that those who don't drink can enjoy nothing but tap water and that sort of isn't ok!

What about bottled water would that be acceptable oh wise ones? Essex tap water is horrible.
Lemonade is used as a mixer with a lot of the trendy gins, I'm an old fart who only really drinks wine but even I know that.

@Sparklingbrook it is kind of hilarious. People claiming to have"never heard" of or known anyone ever drink fizzy lemonade.
I mean have they never in their life been to a supermarket - there are whole aisles devoted to the stuff 🤣

Why do a lot of the posts seem to miss that OP took chocolates as a gift for the hosts, the lemonade was more just a contribution as that’s what she drinks- the only way it would be odd is if she’d asked for the bottle to take home with her.

I find it more odd the hosts didn’t offer a range of drinks tbh. But then at my in-laws you get about 150mls of diluting juice and that’s your lot 😂 .. and a cup of tea. Everyones different I guess!

I'd find it weird if someone brought pop but that's because I always provide a variety of everything you could possibly drink.
I'd find it actually quite rude someone only providing one drink option with dinner. I don't drink wine at all, it tastes like mouldy grapes to me.

I think a box of chocolates is fine, it's not a dinner party, it's someone going to his mums for dinner and taking his new girlfriend. I wouldn't expect her to bring anything

Has anyone else got the "Secret lemonade drinker" song on the brain now?

@Iwantmyoldnameback ha ha 🤣

Yes, this.

As I am a bit of a random history nerd I was reading up on the history of fizzy drinks last night.
Many of the famous name brands were invented in the 19th century and usually marketed as types of 'tonic' or for other health reasons. Dr Pepper has (or had) prunes as one of the ingredients and it was advertised as a drink to help you 'go'.
More popular brands came about in the early part of the 20th century thanks to the temperance movement.
So basically these drinks were invented for adults to drink. They were for 'health' reasons or to give a decent non alcoholic alternative.
Obviously recipes have changed over the years. More artificial sweeteners instead of sugar and none of that nice fancy cocaine in your cola anymore.
Wine is definitely not any more superior to fizzy drinks.
I mean it's just some manky old grapes 🤣

At my in laws they make a pot of tea for 6 people with 1 or 2 teabags 🤢

But sparkling elderflower is rank

I feel the same about 7UP to be fair!

The first time I visited my boyfriends parents I stood in their kitchen in my knickers and socks and I bought his Dad a McFlurry, his mum didn’t want anything. I clearly made an excellent impression as they’ve been my in laws for over twenty years.

I don’t think it matters what everyone else’s taste in fizzy pop are.
OP likes 7UP and won’t drink water or wine. So they assumed some people they’ve never met wouldn’t have the required drink and took their own. Which is a little strange.
However the boyfriend did not have to repeat his mother’s comments.

Topless at the first meet? Kudos!