When I attend a dinner party, usually I bring a bottle of wine or liquor to contribute. What is your usual budget for such occasions? Or what do you bring otherwise?
Depends what type of dinner party and who's attending. If it's a dinner party with a crowd involving teenagers and below, I will only bring food and possibly some good beer, but no liquor. If it's a dinner party for 18 and up, I will bring beer and liquor, while food will be a bonus! More over, what type of dinner party will it be, because I have experienced a wide range of dinner party, from formal to casual, and there was always different types of people involved.
I just bring food when I attend these kinds of things. I do not bring alcoholic drinks because I don't drink. But, if someone will directly ask me to bring one, then why not?
It depends on the friend, I usually go mid-range. I always pick something I like in case they don't have anything I like. If I don't know them well I go for a Cava as most people like it and it goes with anything and the host can use it for something else if need be. If they don't drink wine, then I bring chocolates or after dinner mints instead, again ones I would eat and I wouldn't be cheap, but go for something universally popular.
If I know what the host/hostess likes I get them a bottle of that. I figure it is a gift for them and if they are having me over they deserve a bottle of something they like. If I don't know much about their drinking preferences I will tend to go mid range or buy something that was recently written up. If all else fails I have found a great bottle of champagne is always a big hit.
I usually prefer to get a bottle of white or red wine along with myself. I think it is very important that one knows what their hosts would like as a gift in such parties. I think it is really important that the host actually like what you are exactly giving to the hosts, or else it is a dead waste. Where I live almost everybody prefer a bottle of wine as a treat, and sometimes I also prefer to whip up something delicious.
I just talk with the host in advance or with the first people that arrived there, this way I can cover what's missing and really make an impact. Buying drinks or some chips/peanuts is fast and can be done right before attending the party, no need to prepare way in advance. The budget, I don't spend much. We throw a party here and there to avoid going out and spending on expensive drinks.
I think it would depend on the number of people attending the dinner party. You're only going to get about 4 glasses out of any bottle of wine, so if you've got like 8-10 people there, there wouldn't be enough for everyone - particularly if you went with some more expensive wine. Plus you may want to consider the crowd, will you all be drinking throughout the meal, or will you all just have a glass or two before or after the meal? If it was a larger party and everyone was planning on drinking throughout the meal, I may speak with the host and offer to take care of all the wine, and perhaps pick up a case of "two buck chuck" with different varieties. It's a great table wine, and you can get a case of it for what you would pay for a single more expensive bottle of wine (in the $30 range). Even if you don't want to spend the $30, you can still pick up several bottles of it for a good price. If the crowd were the kind of people who like to drink cocktails and socialize, then I would pick up a mid range bottle of liquor and perhaps a mixer to bring to the party - vodka is usually a safe bet - Sobieski is an excellent mid range vodka, second to that perhaps a mellow bourbon such as Makers Mark.
Within our friendship group a bottle of decent vodka is the customary tipple to brink along, so usually looking at about £20. Otherwise if I do take wine to a dinner party I would usually look at spending about £7 on a bottle, which is a little more than I would spend on a bottle just to have at home.
I limit myself to a glass of red wine or a small bottle of sparkly vodka (like Antonov). Gin-poms are also nice once in a while but I don't deliberately buy it in stores. I simply wait for someone else to prepare the drink before hand. My usual budget is $5. Fruit wines including red wines are not that expensive. They also have health benefits, so I prefer to bring them during parties.
I bring what I was asked or suggested to bring. I also don't drink, so I'm also not inclined to bring alcoholic drinks on a gathering. I'd probably bring something easy to eat and affordable.
