What type of alcoholic drink for a callback dinner? Forum

[Old Gregg]

Any sort of price range we should be sticking to when ordering drinks? (Scotch in particular?) Or just see what kind of drinks others are ordering and go from there?

edit:

Also, girls ordering scotch neat... too "weird"? I genuinely enjoy scotch, but always get remarks from people that I "drink like a dude"

Always use social cues. Come the fuck on.

Agreed. What the fuck is wrong with you people???

[Betharl]

What's with this hoity-toity nonsense? I guess I understand being a little self conscious about your drink selection at a CB dinner, but I hope you guys don't order that crap when you go out with friends. Honestly, my favorite alcoholic drink is a Miller Lite, but I'm just a simple man. Of course, I also typically drink to have fun, not to show people how sophisticated I am or what a refined palate I have.

tldr; Your drink order doesn't impress me, if you go with something too expensive/exotic, I'm going to think you're trying too hard.

Clearly this thread isn't "Why type of alcoholic drink for a night out with friends?" I have a feeling that most of the people here wouldn't order the same thing during a CB dinner that they would going out with friends, but they're also not out to impress you, they're out to fit in comfortably at a CB dinner.

Yeah, fair enough, I went off on a bit of a tangent. It just irks me when I'm at a college bar, sports bar, or similar establishment and some smug jabroni orders a scotch and goes off on some rant about how pedestrian xzy drinks are. Thought I sensed some of that smugness ITT.

[Old Gregg]

What's with this hoity-toity nonsense? I guess I understand being a little self conscious about your drink selection at a CB dinner, but I hope you guys don't order that crap when you go out with friends. Honestly, my favorite alcoholic drink is a Miller Lite, but I'm just a simple man. Of course, I also typically drink to have fun, not to show people how sophisticated I am or what a refined palate I have.

tldr; Your drink order doesn't impress me, if you go with something too expensive/exotic, I'm going to think you're trying too hard.

Clearly this thread isn't "Why type of alcoholic drink for a night out with friends?" I have a feeling that most of the people here wouldn't order the same thing during a CB dinner that they would going out with friends, but they're also not out to impress you, they're out to fit in comfortably at a CB dinner.

Yeah, fair enough, I went off on a bit of a tangent. It just irks me when I'm at a college bar, sports bar, or similar establishment and some smug jabroni orders a scotch and goes off on some rant about how pedestrian xzy drinks are. Thought I sensed some of that smugness ITT.

In the same vein, order that miller light at a callback dinner. If any atty says anything, it will be a joke, at which point you can say you're a simple man with simple tastes. It comes across as endearing and having a sense of humor. No one will give a shit. And I personally like simple people with simple tastes.

[Anonymous User]

Any sort of price range we should be sticking to when ordering drinks? (Scotch in particular?) Or just see what kind of drinks others are ordering and go from there?

edit:

Also, girls ordering scotch neat... too "weird"? I genuinely enjoy scotch, but always get remarks from people that I "drink like a dude"

Always use social cues. Come the fuck on.

Agreed. What the fuck is wrong with you people???

So... social cues dictate that girls shouldn't drink scotch at CB's, or no?

[Old Gregg]

Any sort of price range we should be sticking to when ordering drinks? (Scotch in particular?) Or just see what kind of drinks others are ordering and go from there?

edit:

Also, girls ordering scotch neat... too "weird"? I genuinely enjoy scotch, but always get remarks from people that I "drink like a dude"

Always use social cues. Come the fuck on.

Agreed. What the fuck is wrong with you people???

So... social cues dictate that girls shouldn't drink scotch at CB's, or no?

It doesnt fucking matter as long as it doesn't cost too much and doesn't make you drunker than another attorneys at the table.

[WODKilla123]

I need an answer bros if ordering an imported brew at a CB dinner is some kind of social faux pas. Now I'm really confused.

[Fark-o-vision]

twenty-two year old kids with refined drinking palates? I doubt anyone would buy it, but I guess you don't want to look silly. Still, I don't think there is a problem with declining to drink, or at least waiting till dinner is over to order one. Plenty of people prefer their drinks (especially if they aren't drinking wine) apart from their food. Johnnie Walker black or gold (depending on the appropriateness of the cost) are drinkable and simple scotches that aren't going to impress people, but aren't going to make you look like a child, either. If you prefer beer (or just think you have to drink, but don't really want to) then you won't get a look by going with a simple continental lager, like a Beck's, Heineken, Stella, etc. Ordering a Shock Top, a Bud Light, or a jack and coke runs the risk of looking slightly unsophisticated, but I don't think people will care much, to be honest.

Unless you like wine a lot, I'd stay away from it. Only because Wine assholes aren't that rare, and in a group of people with money there is likely to be at least one. You don't want to have to decide if you want to start with, "Look, I don't know what the fark I'm talking about" or try and fake your way through a conversation about legs and tannin's.

[flcath]

Any sort of price range we should be sticking to when ordering drinks? (Scotch in particular?) Or just see what kind of drinks others are ordering and go from there?

edit:

Also, girls ordering scotch neat... too "weird"? I genuinely enjoy scotch, but always get remarks from people that I "drink like a dude"

Always use social cues. Come the fuck on.

(guy who has never socially interacted with law students)

[target]

Lagavulin tastes like scorched earth, which is fine if that's what you like. If you're new to scotch go Oban.

Or Glenlivet. It's easy to drink and moderately priced.

Beginner scotch.

In my defense

[Grazzhoppa]

Old fashioned with no cherry. It's a bourbon based cocktail and you can, but don't need to, choose your whiskey by name. Works pretty much all over the country, no one will judge you negatively anywhere, works in the south because its bourbon, sophisticated enough for northern markets as a cocktail that is not too fancy. It's served on ice so that will slowly water it down if you want to drink it slowly. Also, be sure not to drink it through the little straw/stirring stick (I only say because i've seen people do it, sure fire way to look like an idiot).

this is the credited response.

[AppsAbound]

So hopefully this answers any questions one might have about these sort of things.

1. Don't worry about price. Most venues charge by the hour or some per person rate, many top-shelf items may not even be available. So don't imagine recruiters will be reviewing a ten-mile long receipt of what people ordered.

2. Every callback dinner I went to as follows: you have a one hour cocktail reception with an open bar, and then you have a sit down dinner where waiters just bring you red or white wine. If neither of those suit you, you could order a cocktail, but probably don't.

3. If all else fails, just do what everyone else does. I promise you no one expects a summer candidate to have refined taste, I've had many partners and senior attorneys admit that they don't know shite about wine, it's fine to be clueless about wine/liquor generally.

[Bronte]

Absent an allergy or recovering alcoholism, refusing to drink wine is incredibly picky and childish. And lol at the idea that wine is somehow hoity-toity. Basically all adults of every class drink the shit. Grow up and drink the wine that will almost inevitably be served.

[Bildungsroman]

Absent an allergy or recovering alcoholism, refusing to drink wine is incredibly picky and childish. And lol at the idea that wine is somehow hoity-toity. Basically all adults of every class drink the shit. Grow up and drink the wine that will almost inevitably be served.

wut. Nothing "incredibly picky and childish" about declining to drink, assuming you're not a social retard about it (big assumption in this crowd).

[Bronte]

Absent an allergy or recovering alcoholism, refusing to drink wine is incredibly picky and childish. And lol at the idea that wine is somehow hoity-toity. Basically all adults of every class drink the shit. Grow up and drink the wine that will almost inevitably be served.

wut. Nothing "incredibly picky and childish" about declining to drink, assuming you're not a social retard about it (big assumption in this crowd).

I meant refusing to drink wine in favor of beer or liquor.

[Bildungsroman]

Absent an allergy or recovering alcoholism, refusing to drink wine is incredibly picky and childish. And lol at the idea that wine is somehow hoity-toity. Basically all adults of every class drink the shit. Grow up and drink the wine that will almost inevitably be served.

wut. Nothing "incredibly picky and childish" about declining to drink, assuming you're not a social retard about it (big assumption in this crowd).

I meant refusing to drink wine in favor of beer or liquor.

Oh, yeah. That makes more sense.

[Fark-o-vision]

Absent an allergy or recovering alcoholism, refusing to drink wine is incredibly picky and childish. And lol at the idea that wine is somehow hoity-toity. Basically all adults of every class drink the shit. Grow up and drink the wine that will almost inevitably be served.

Not that it has to be hoity-toity, as you put it. But people who are made nervous by ordering drinks in the first place strike me as the type who would be better off avoiding a wine conversation altogether.

Additionally, it isn't that wine is a snob drink, but that wine snobs are very common. Personally, there a handful of people in my life that I avoid drinking wine around because I'd rather not have a conversation regarding the effect of volcanic ash on pinot grapes, or if wine legs are a substantial metric to judge wine by, or an old-world relic. Because of this, when I find myself in a crowd that might include these people, I stick to scotch or beers. Not a rule at all, but a personal preference.

I like wine, but I hate talking about it.

[WODKilla123]

So Stella Ike Heneiken is OK for CB dinners??????

[Fark-o-vision]

So Stella Ike Heneiken is OK for CB dinners??????

Never been to a law-firm callback dinner, but plenty of these types of events. As others have said, it depends on the event. I've been to dinners where house wine was served without anyone being asked, and then it would be the way to go. I've been to business dinners where the lead man just shouts down the table for drink orders, and in that situation I'd go with a route I prescribed. In others, not a word was said, a waitress took individual orders, and I usually stuck with lemon water without anyone mentioning anything.

All depends on the crowd and the evening. I was just outlining a guide of what might work for the completely inept.

[Bronte]

Not that it has to be hoity-toity, as you put it. But people who are made nervous by ordering drinks in the first place strike me as the type who would be better off avoiding a wine conversation altogether.

Additionally, it isn't that wine is a snob drink, but that wine snobs are very common. Personally, there a handful of people in my life that I avoid drinking wine around because I'd rather not have a conversation regarding the effect of volcanic ash on pinot grapes, or if wine legs are a substantial metric to judge wine by, or an old-world relic. Because of this, when I find myself in a crowd that might include these people, I stick to scotch or beers. Not a rule at all, but a personal preference.

I like wine, but I hate talking about it.

Wine is just the most obvious choice at firm events and will often be served to the group by default. Many callback dinners are in private rooms with fixed menus. For example, at a callback dinner I went to there was wine out when I arrived. It was just one type of red and one type of white, and for the rest of the evening the waiters would just fill your glass with what you chose. The easiest thing to do was just to drink it. If you wanted to, you could have ordered something else from the waiters, but this is not the path of least resistance.

There's always naysayers on TLS who say "oh only on TLS could someone give a damn about the choice of your drink" and "just get whatever you want." But you really should not order a Redbull vodka at a white tablecloth dinner with SullCrom. That's not some nitpicky TLS thing. That's basic life advice. Just be a grown up.

[chasgoose]

Not that it has to be hoity-toity, as you put it. But people who are made nervous by ordering drinks in the first place strike me as the type who would be better off avoiding a wine conversation altogether.

Additionally, it isn't that wine is a snob drink, but that wine snobs are very common. Personally, there a handful of people in my life that I avoid drinking wine around because I'd rather not have a conversation regarding the effect of volcanic ash on pinot grapes, or if wine legs are a substantial metric to judge wine by, or an old-world relic. Because of this, when I find myself in a crowd that might include these people, I stick to scotch or beers. Not a rule at all, but a personal preference.

I like wine, but I hate talking about it.

Wine is just the most obvious choice at firm events and will often be served to the group by default. Many callback dinners are in private rooms with fixed menus. For example, at a callback dinner I went to there was wine out when I arrived. It was just one type of red and one type of white, and for the rest of the evening the waiters would just fill your glass with what you chose. The easiest thing to do was just to drink it. If you wanted to, you could have ordered something else from the waiters, but this is not the path of least resistance.

There's always naysayers on TLS who say "oh only on TLS could someone give a damn about the choice of your drink" and "just get whatever you want." But you really should not order a Redbull vodka at a white tablecloth dinner with SullCrom. That's not some nitpicky TLS thing. That's basic life advice. Just be a grown up.

Yeah, I mean its not bad advice to learn something about wine. You don't have to go full on wine-snob on people, but if you don't have an aversion to alcohol for whatever reason, being able to deal with a wine list and knowing some basics about how to order wine is a grown-up skill.

[Fark-o-vision]

Not that it has to be hoity-toity, as you put it. But people who are made nervous by ordering drinks in the first place strike me as the type who would be better off avoiding a wine conversation altogether.

Additionally, it isn't that wine is a snob drink, but that wine snobs are very common. Personally, there a handful of people in my life that I avoid drinking wine around because I'd rather not have a conversation regarding the effect of volcanic ash on pinot grapes, or if wine legs are a substantial metric to judge wine by, or an old-world relic. Because of this, when I find myself in a crowd that might include these people, I stick to scotch or beers. Not a rule at all, but a personal preference.

I like wine, but I hate talking about it.

Wine is just the most obvious choice at firm events and will often be served to the group by default. Many callback dinners are in private rooms with fixed menus. For example, at a callback dinner I went to there was wine out when I arrived. It was just one type of red and one type of white, and for the rest of the evening the waiters would just fill your glass with what you chose. The easiest thing to do was just to drink it. If you wanted to, you could have ordered something else from the waiters, but this is not the path of least resistance.

There's always naysayers on TLS who say "oh only on TLS could someone give a damn about the choice of your drink" and "just get whatever you want." But you really should not order a Redbull vodka at a white tablecloth dinner with SullCrom. That's not some nitpicky TLS thing. That's basic life advice. Just be a grown up.

Yeah, I mean its not bad advice to learn something about wine. You don't have to go full on wine-snob on people, but if you don't have an aversion to alcohol for whatever reason, being able to deal with a wine list and knowing some basics about how to order wine is a grown-up skill.

I think if we go back through the posts, we all agree. Rocking out like an undergrad (which many aren't far away from) is a bad idea. Other than that, just use your head. As you pointed out, and I mentioned, many dinners like this are pre fixe menu and the wine selection is basic. Choosing not to drink, or just drinking the house wine, won't hurt you.

My point was that if you feel nervous you can keep it simple and appropriate by staying within those easy lines. There is no reason you should have to, however.

[3ThrowAway99]

Bring a flask is TCR. /thread

[WODKilla123]

It sounds like safest bet is to just drink the house wine but if a lawyer ahead of me gets a brew then it's ok to get Stella/Dos Equis/Beck (which I prefer >>> wine).

[BioEBear2010]

If you're at a restaurant, I'd recommend a Hendricks and tonic or a nice beer. If you're at a bar/lounge/restaurant known for its drinks, I'd go with a sazerac or manhattan. Just don't order something crazy, i.e. keep it simple, stupid.

[fatduck]

It sounds like safest bet is to just drink the house wine but if a lawyer ahead of me gets a brew then it's ok to get Stella/Dos Equis/Beck (which I prefer >>> wine).

at a V10, get wine regardless. V11-V20, it's okay to get a beer as long as you aren't the first to do so. V21-V27, you can get a beer as long as wine has not been explicitly discussed prior to ordering, but only Heineken or Beck's. at a V28, you can only get Beck's. at V29 and below, high life is credited in all situations.