A good meal is incomplete without a good drink to go with it. Wine, beer, non-alcoholic… choosing an appropriate drink menu enhances any and all types of events!
But of course, you’re not here to listen to us wax poetic about why choosing the right drink is important, or why you should only ever combine an aged merlot with your T-bone steak.
You already know this… but what you mightn’t know is how to choose the perfect beverage to accompany your catering. Thankfully, we’re the experts at matching food to drinks!
1) Make sure your beverages complement the food
There are certainly some combos that work better together.
There are two ways of going about choosing one.
The first (and more common) school of thought is that you should choose beverages that complement your menu. For example, if the main item on your menu is marinated in sweet sauce, why not go with an equally sweet wine like Port?
This is known as “mirroring” in foodie vernacular.
The opposite approach is equally valid. Selecting a drink that tastes nothing like your meal can lead to some interesting tastes. For example, combining spicy food with a fruity low-alcohol wine can help tame the hotness.
Need advice on what flavours work best together? Our team is more than willing to help!
2) Ensure your beverages are event-appropriate
Matching food and drink is one matter. Another is matching your beverages with your venue.
Logistics also come into play when choosing a beverage. For example, if you’re planning an outdoor event, you’ll need to have somewhere cool to store it. Nobody likes a warm soft drink or beer!
Our advice? Look at:
- Total number of guests
- Total number of beverages
- Time of the event
- Ambience of the set-up
- On-site storage and refrigeration
It’s also a good idea to make sure your beverage choices reflect the type of event you’re hosting.
Here’s an example…
We make no secret of our love for buffet. If you ask us, food is meant to be a social experience – and what’s a more social way to enjoy a meal than a buffet?
If your food is arranged in a buffet setup, why not go all the way and make the drinks social as well by pairing it with a punch? Alternatively, you could even get some drinks on tap.
It even carries through to the most basic of beverages – water!
If you’re hosting a fancy event, make it a point to class up water with lemon, mint and cucumber.
Keep your audience in mind, too
You should also keep your audience in mind. If you also know that most of your guests are health buffs or the event your hosting is the launch of a new range of active wear, you’ll need to plan a healthy menu.
And that means serving healthy beverages to accompany it, like freshly squeezed juices instead of soft drink or alcohol.
3) How will your beverages be served?
The drinks themselves aren’t the only consideration you’ll need to make. It’s also important to think about how they’re being served too!
Setting a good impression often means looking at every single detail. And that includes seemingly small (but, in fact, important!) things like what type of glassware you’ll use.
An elegant event or product launch calls for elegant glassware. You wouldn’t want to serve drinks in a plastic or paper cup for this type of event, unless it’s outdoors, for example. And even then, there are plastic cups modelled to resemble champagne flutes.
Unhappy with plastic cups? Talk to our Melbourne caterer about tableware and glassware hire.
4) Don’t forget your priorities – it should be food first!
While you want your guests to have a good time and feel comfortable throughout your event, keep in mind that the food always comes first.
While important, beverages are just a sideshow in the end – they complement your food, but certainly cannot replace it.
If your food and beverage options clash, we recommend changing up the drinks first.
Having a hard time picking out suitable beverages?
Talk to a Melbourne caterer for advice!
At Your Private Chef, we don’t just do food. We’re more than willing to help you choose the perfect beverages to go with your event catering!
Our drinks menu offers you a diverse mix of drink choices for all of your corporate or private catering needs.
Looking for something low-key out of your catering? Planning an early morning function? Wake your guests up with our hot drink menu:
- Tea and coffee stations
- Nespresso machine hire
- Hot apple cider
Formal events naturally call for beverages to match – talk to Your Private Chef about our huge range of alcoholic beverages, including:
- Locally-grown wines
- Champagne
- Boutique and classic beers
- Cocktail service
And for a little extra dash of glamour, why not get a fully-staffed bar? Talk to our team about adding one of our licensed bar staff to your function.
For orders and enquiries, contact Your Private Chef on 0497 333 100 or fill in our enquiry form and tell us a little more about your event!
