Suggestions for Drinks needed

**if we could get affordable wine and beer options that will also make guests happy with the options available - that would be amazing!

For our non-alcoholic drinks.. soda (what brand and what options?) -- I was thinking coke products, cheer wine, and seltzer water; juices (maybe cranberry and orange); strawberry lemonade; water; coffee and Russian tea (unsweet tea and AP will be available during dinner time, though I am unsure if our caterer will be making extra to add it to the bar - we could ask him to do so, maybe?)

Also, where would I put Clausthaler Beer (It's Non-Alcoholic) -- under beer or non-alcoholic?

ETA: I forgot to mention - we are bringing everything in except for the sangria, strawberry lemonade, unsweetened tea, AP, and water.

For soda, I would go with coke, sprite and diet coke. For beer, I would do either bud or coors and a craft beer. I know nothing about wine. For the kids, I think you're good if you provide chocolate milk and apple juice, since you will have soda and other non alcoholic options.

Botabox or Black Box will give you far better wine than CHarles Shaw/Winking Owl. One box of Black Box is 4 bottles and it's $16-$20 for a box.

For red, merlot or pinot noir

white, chardonnay or pinot grigio.

If you're only having one red, I think Cabernet is the best choice. For white, either Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. Beer, a local craft beer and a standard American lager. Your non-alcoholic options seem plentiful--strawberry lemonade and seltzer would be a perfect NA mock-tail! I'd list NA beer with the NA drinks.

Taz - I meant to write that we want 1 red and 1 white (I updated that before I could respond to your message -- my mom called).

Winking Owl (IMO) is a sweeter than Two Buck chuck. But the Botabox sounds like a good idea. We were hoping between $3-4 per bottle.. but between $4-5/bottle is okay too!

I'm going to have to try this Botabox or BlackBox.. but if I buy that I have no where to put it.. I love my wine but I think I might need help from WW to help drink some of it (we have soo much right now).

sorry for the bad quality -- that isn't even all of the wine.. we have at least 6 other bottles and then some wine slushie we have stored in the freezer. You can never have too much wine right??

You are more than welcome to come Spazzy! Maybe I should have a non-sanctioned WW social in NC where I just supply the wine!

I'm sorry, I'm not helpful on picking wines or beers but that is a TON of drink options, so they should be happy no matter what you pick.

If you wanted to brand out from regular sodas Maine Root is a really good brand

Thanks Megan. The kid drinks were easy (bulk buy from Costco, hence the variety of juices) - I can see some of our friends ask for chocolate milk! Lol. I can see FH going up to the bar and ask for chocolate milk. We just don't drink soda, so it's figuring that out. Beer - don't really drink much of that either anymore. And juice - we both love cranberry, pomegranate, and pineapple juices (but that doesn't mean everyone else will like that). The wine - I like pretty much all wines, so it's hard to make a decision.

Bryce - I'll see if we can find Maine Root here and try it out.

I Googled cheerwine. I've never seen or heard of it before, but now I want it!

I don't like it.. And I'm living in NC (uh oh).. But I know FH likes it and it's kinda a more southern drink that we can introduce to most of our family and friends who live in the northeast. So I guess he does drink soda (he stopped for awhile and now occasional has cheerwine floats from sheetz).. But I don't like root beer or cherry soda or many dark sodas (I'll have Sprite, gingerale, or seltzer water/club soda, here and there).

But I do suggest you try it, if you can!

Cheerwine float! Sweet baby Jeebus! Yes please.

I don't know much about NC local wine and beer. We are doing all local, mostly small brewery, beer and wine from local vineyards. For the kids drinks we are watching HFCS (flower girl is very allergic). If NC has a good selection of locally made beer and wine at a reasonable price, I'd go with that for showing off what they do well.

For beer, I like Corona and Bud LIght, but I'm a simple person. I like the idea of using a local craft.

Faith and Laura -

We were going to do local wine and craft beer from a vineyard we love here in NC. The problem is that it's expensive - at least from 75-100 people. While we could maybe swing it - we would be paying around 5 times more for the same amount of wine/beer purchased.

Maybe the other NC ladies have some suggestions?

I won't lie, I bought the Oak Leaf wine from Walmart for my wedding. It was almost all gone, so it got drank. We got a red sangria, moscato, white zin, merlot. We had mostly white wine drinkers.

Beer- I suggest bottles. I would go with 2-3 kinds. I did bud light, coors light, and yuengling based on my crowd. I found that total wine and Costco had the best prices for beer unless you wait for Harris Teeter to have a sale. For me, kegs get wasted. The bottles you can keep afterwards and have another party !! I always go one domestic (bud light is most popular) and then one craft.

Also if you go to costco they sell mixed cases of local beers like Natty Greens ! (I have a costco card if you'd like me to go with you).

VM- I would love for you to go with me but I won't lie, I have a Costco card too.. :-) I love that place!

I'll be doing bottles - you convinced me a couple months back!

I'm going to have to try the Oak Leaf wine as well. I keep meaning to go buy some - maybe I'll stop by on my way home from work, since it's right around the corner.

I was thinking Bud Light and Yuengling, but j wasn't sure. Maybe we will do Coors too. I think those should be safe choices.

Haha well as long as you have a costco card, next time you go check out the prices on Natty's if you're wanting some local beer

All of your choices look awesome! If there is no budget issue then I say go with what you have. If you were trying to cut back to save money you could definitely slim down the non-alcoholic options. Just because you love it all doesn't mean you have to serve it all. I think most guests, children and adults, would be happy with soda, water, juice or lemonade, and coffee.

But hey if you have the budget for it then don't let me stop you!

VM - maybe I'll go tonight and check it out after work, plus I need gas anyway :-)

Swolemates- the drinks for the kids are in those small boxes with straws vs cups. I asked parents and they told me juice and chocolate milk - so soda wouldn't be an option for the kids, I don't think. Water is free - and can be in cups because afterall if it spills, it's water. Adults can have their juice and soda in cups - lol, they should be able to manage. My question is.. Coke or Pepsi? And what juices would most adults like -- is juice (for adults) even necessary? (If so, should I just get the big Costco bottles, or canned juices - like the ones you see at a bar?)