A Meeting Planner’s Guide to Catered Events

A Meeting Planner’s Guide to Catered Events Chapter Three Beverage Functions

Beverage Functions • These days it is very unusual for a beverage function to offer only alcohol. • Most liquor laws will not allow alcohol to be served unless food is available to slow intoxication. • There will typically be at least a few hors d’oeuvres and dry snacks.

Purpose of the beverage function • A way for attendees to socialize and network. • Provides a relaxed, leisurely setting. • A transition period from a long workday to an enjoyable meal function.

Types of beverage functions • Cocktail Reception • Hospitality Suite • Poured Wine Service

Cocktail Reception • One of the most common types of beverage functions. • During week days it is usually scheduled during the early evening hours, just after the end of the normal business day. • On weekends there is more flexibility, but as a general rule, a cocktail reception is scheduled after 5:00 PM.

Cocktail Reception • A cocktail reception often precedes a dinner function, in which case it will usually be scheduled for about 45 minutes to an hour. • At least a few foods should be served.

Hospitality Suite • Normally opens after 10:00 in the evening. • Some suites offer a full bar, some beer and wine only. • Some have lots of food, some have only dry snacks. • Some offer only desserts and specialty coffees.

Hospitality Suite • Consider ordering more food, and different types of foods, if the attendees have had an open evening. • Some may have skipped going to dinner and may be quite hungry.

Hospitality Suite • Hospitality suites are usually held in a suite on a sleeping room floor, and are usually serviced by the property’s room service department. • They may be sold by catering, but sometimes you may deal directly with the room service manager. • If they are held in a public function room, or held in another public area (such as a hotel’s front lobby area), they would be sold and serviced by the catering department.

Hospitality Suite • Regardless of the location, do not allow people to self-serve alcohol. • Do not leave your function unattended by a staffer. • You run the risk of enormous cost overrun. • Unsupervised people may display unheard of behavior. • People who don’t even belong to your group may drop by.

Poured Wine Service • Poured wine beverage service is typically part of a meal function. • Wines may be opened and preset on the tables. • At elaborate meals, cocktail servers, or the food servers, supervised by a sommelier, may be in charge of the wine service. • This is more common when the meal includes a rare and/or expensive wine served with each course.

Poured Wine Service • Experience has taught us that for meals with wine, you will need to have about 3 whites to every red. • For dinners, you can expect each attendee to consume about 2 ½ glasses. • For lunch the average consumption will be about 1 glass per person.

Menu Planning • It is relatively easy to develop a drink menu. • If a meeting planner wants a particular type of drink, the caterer can usually provide it. • The equipment needed to handle normal beverage service is sufficient to produce almost any type of finished beverage. • If any unique brands or products are needed, you must give the caterer sufficient time to procure them.

Wine Imported Domestic Varietals Spirits Imported Domestic Distilled Blends Neutral Beverages Non-alcoholic Water, soda, juice, soda, coffee, etc. Beer Imported Domestic Bottles/Cans Kegs/Pony Kegs Types of Beverages

Spirits • Well Brands • Premium Well Brands • Call Brands • Premium Brands

Red Wine White Wine Domestic Light Beer Domestic Regular Beer Soft Drinks Drink Mixers Scotch Gin Vodka Bourbon Rum Tequila Canadian Whiskey Basic Drink Menu

A Meeting Planner’s Guide to Catered Events