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how much beer and wine and what kind?

posted 2 years ago in Food
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    1.
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    Helper bee
    greenek2    October 22, 2010   Atlanta, GA

    How much beer and wine should we buy for 4-5 hours of drinking for 70 guests...I'd say about 35 will drink a good bit, and most the others will have at least a couple glasses. Also, what are some good inexpensive wines and beers? Nobody is a wine connoisseur I am inviting, in fact most like white zinfandel, but I refuse to have that (which I guess makes me a wine snob)...I do want to find a good inexpensive sweet riesling for those folks though. Also, which beers? I was thinking bud light, budlight wheat, and a mexican beer. hmmm...decisions decisions

     
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    Busy bee
    jadeblue    July 31, 2010   Western Massachusetts

    For quantities, just use this handy drink calculator from Evite:

    http://www.evite.com/pages/party/drink-calculator.jsp

    A knowledgeable distributor could make several good, affordable brand suggestions and offer you a package price.

    Also, make sure you can return the extras. I know I'll feel more secure over-buying and then bringing back what we don't use.

     
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    pendola      

    There is a drink calculator on evite.  I would suggest having more white than red...Suggestions for Reislings: Silver Lake and Leonard Kruetch (sp?). Wherever you go, see if they have magnum bottles- they are essentially two bottles of wine in one large bottle and cost less than what 2 bottles would be.

    I don't know how reasonable they will be to you though.  Even though you don't care for White Zinfendel, at least get it for your guests, especially since most drink that.  You don't have to drink it. 

     
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    Honey bee
    Jenn23    April 17, 2010   Philly suburbs

    I also think you should get white zin for those who like it. (My aunt only drinks this wine) I would get a few bottles of that and then a great variety of reds and whites. For beers, I would have a little more variety. Our caterer told us we get to select 2 domestic and 2 imported. I think Bud Light is fine for those who like that, but I would have some good imports too. We're probably going to have Labatt Blue as one-not sure about the other yet. I also need to figure out the beers! Can't wait to hear beer suggestions from Bees!

    Also, not sure if it's a state law or not but here in PA you can return any liquor or wine if it's unopened. So if that's true in GA, then you can always buy "extra" knowing you could return some after the wedding. :)

     
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    Helper bee
    greenek2    October 22, 2010   Atlanta, GA

    I think the reason people only like white zin is they do not know about sweet riesling..I mean I may get the white zin but I am undecided...as for beer...everyone likes bud light (I don't ....I like craft (especially magic hat #9) but it's also $$$). Hmm...decisions decisions. thanks though!

     
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    Helper bee
    greenek2    October 22, 2010   Atlanta, GA

    I'm pretty sure you can't return alcohol in GA. It is still illegal to sell alcohol on Sundays here and a lot of counties restaurants either are dry, byob, or sell drinks but not on Sundays.. so annoying!

     
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    Buzzing bee
    veganglam    January 5, 2013   Philadelphia; Wedding in NYC

    There are now lots of really good, high-quality white zinfandels since they've become so popular in the past ten years, and though my favorite type of wine tends to be chardonnay, I have had some white zinfandels that I really liked.  Not every white zinfandel is like the crappy spiked fruit punch-ish wine from a cheap brand like Sutter Home.  I personally, meanwhile, have never had a riesling I liked.  I always find it too flat and tinny, that's just me.  You should look around and taste some white zinfandels, I think you'll be surprised.  That way your guests can be happy too.

     
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    Honey bee
    amariem25    October 2009  

    We bought the cheapest wine we could find and we thought it was good still.  It was Tisdale Shiraz and Tisdale Chardonnay.  It was $1.99/bottle at a Labor Day Weekend sale.  We had 105 guests and only went through about 15-17 bottles of wine I think.  We also had a keg of beer and that didn't go fast either.  By 11pm people were trying to finish it but it was slow-going.

    We had mulled nonalcoholic cider and that went super fast.  I got one of the last glasses of it and that was before dinner. 

     
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    Buzzing bee
    spaganya    September 4, 2010   Arlington, VA/wedding in Williamsburg, VA

    as far as beer is concerned - we are gonna pick a generic light pale lager (probably miller lite) a lager or red ale (yuengling or killians) and probably a stout as well (HELLO GUINNESS!!! :) hehehe)

     
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    Bumble bee
    KIKI82    October 30, 2010   SoCal

    For wine try Stella Rose it's a sparling wine and is waaay better than zinfindale. I think it's 10 bucks at bevmo but 6 bucks at the california winery

     
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    Newbee
    iLuvLove    February 14, 2009   Dana Point

    Nothing is worse than bad beer or wine. you may be on a budget but spend a tad more for good flavor. The last thing you want to do is being remembered for something that made your guests tastebuds go downhill. Try local micro beer breweries. They want to get their name out there & will give you a good deal. Try the smaller locally owned vineyards too. Excellent wines at really great prices.

     
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    Newbee
    iLuvLove    February 14, 2009   Dana Point

    There are some really good vineyards in Julian, California. We drove through a few on a roadtrip and were really impressed. 

     
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    Helper bee
    nonimouse12    July 24, 2010  

    Are you sure about "everyone likes bud"? I know a lot of people who can't drink it because it gives them headaches.

    And for wine, Yellow Tail tends to be an inexpensive but good choice--I don't know as much about the specific varieties though. I do, however, vote for getting what your guests like. If thats white zin, just go with it.

     

     
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    Honey bee
    Jenn23    April 17, 2010   Philly suburbs

    None of my family or friends (myself included) like Bud. I can drink most beers, but can't stand Bud or Bud Light. Stella, Labatt, Boston Lager, Heineken are all good choices for those who don't like Bud.  That's a shame you can't return unused wine/liquor!

     

     
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    Honey bee
    amariem25    October 2009  

    We had Michelob golden light for our keg of beer.  I would agree that Bud's not that great.  Could you do Michelob or Miller Lite?

     
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    Bumble bee
    LadyGoodman    September 25, 2010   Baltimore, MD

    Do you have Trader Joe's in your area?  They sell the 2 buck chuck wine, which is a decent standard wine and only $2!

     
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    Helper bee
    lynnabby       northeast

    I have to agree about the Bud.  No one I know likes it, I'd go with Miller Lite instead.  But, it could just be the people I know.  It seems to me   most people like Yuegling (not sure of the spelling).  Oh, and the Mexican beer sounds great.

     
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    Helper bee
    greenek2    October 22, 2010   Atlanta, GA

    yeah I might do a Rose...as for the bud thing...I don't get it either, if I had to choose a domestic it would be miller, but they all taste watered down to me...but yes, the majority like bud the best FOR SURE...maybe it's a more southern domestic? I dunno..that prob sounds stupid because a few do like Miller Light better...but overall... as for inexpensive wines...I wouldn't do like bay bridge cheap but yellowtail cheap is more what I would do. The people at my wedding are not big drinkers and not full of money, they are used to keg of natty light and bottles of sutter home white zinfandel. I do want to introduce them to new things, but not expensive things. They're not a bunch of rednecks they just don't care. As long as there is alcohol they're happy. 

     
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    Bumble bee
    rachelss    August 22, 2010   Fort Collins, CO

    We're buying Black Box wine. I know boxed wine sounds bad, but FI (the wine snob!) and some of his picky friends swear by it, as do many online reviews. The fact that it doesn't come in glass bottles makes it way cheaper. For beer, well we live in Ft Collins, which has some of the best microbrews in the country, so we're having a keg from O'Dells. We're definitely beer snobs! Yuengling is decent - I know few people who would be happy with Bud.

     
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    Busy bee
    waitingbee    September 4, 2010   California

    I think boxed wine is a great idea. We have purchased cases of "2 buck chuck" from trader joes, champagne from Costco and a domestic keg from our venue. I think people will just be happy to celebrate. I know I will

     
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    Busy bee
    bridegrl    October 9, 2010   Monterey County, California

    I was having the same problem, however I have 250 guests. Most of my guests drink beer (Bud Light & Coors) Some will drink wine (Kendall Jackson Reisling is a good one, btw). I'll be serving a red & a white wine. We will also have a selection of hard liquor (Vodka, Tequila)

     
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    Sugar bee
    daniellemybelle    June 19, 2010   Baltimore, MD

    We are also going with Trader Joe's Charles Shaw wines ("Two Buck Chuck"). I disagree with iLuvLove - a cash bar is worse than bad beer and wine! I expect that our guests will be grateful that we are hosting the bar and won't be that critical of what we are serving.

    As far as "approachable" rieslings go, FI and I love Relax, and it is about $9 a bottle. Tastes like apple juice, so not exactly for a wine snob, but I'm sure your guests will love it.

     

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