| Other than wine, what beverage to serve with cheese? - CLICK HERE for the Cooking Forum Index |
| Christine |
I am hosting a wine and cheese party tomorrow - invitees bring their
favorite wines and cheeses, while I am providing the bread, crackers,
fruit, etc. A few of us, including myself, are pregnant, and I'm at a
loss what to provide for non-alcoholic beverages that will complement
the spread. I've never tried dealcoholized wines, but I've been
advised that they're all pretty bad (even the supposed "good ones").
I'm hitting BevMo in the morning, so the selection is wide open - any
suggestions?
Thanks very much!
Christine
|
|
|
| Puester |
Christine wrote:
>
> I am hosting a wine and cheese party tomorrow - invitees bring their
> favorite wines and cheeses, while I am providing the bread, crackers,
> fruit, etc. A few of us, including myself, are pregnant, and I'm at a
> loss what to provide for non-alcoholic beverages that will complement
> the spread. I've never tried dealcoholized wines, but I've been
> advised that they're all pretty bad (even the supposed "good ones").
> I'm hitting BevMo in the morning, so the selection is wide open - any
> suggestions?
>
> Thanks very much!
> Christine
Real apple cider, not processed apple juice.
gloria p
|
|
|
| Julia Altshuler |
Christine wrote:
> I am hosting a wine and cheese party tomorrow - invitees bring their
> favorite wines and cheeses, while I am providing the bread, crackers,
> fruit, etc. A few of us, including myself, are pregnant, and I'm at a
> loss what to provide for non-alcoholic beverages that will complement
> the spread. I've never tried dealcoholized wines, but I've been
> advised that they're all pretty bad (even the supposed "good ones").
> I'm hitting BevMo in the morning, so the selection is wide open - any
> suggestions?
I just ran through the possibilities in my head and discarded them one
by one-- juices like orange, apple or grape would be too tart. Beer
would be good but is still alcoholic. Sodas are plain bleah with
cheese. You want something that's not sweet, but nutty and still with
some flavor. I ended up with strong hot tea. I think that would do it.
It would go with the cheese. You could get a few varieties.
--Lia
|
|
|
| Naomi Darvell |
x-no-archive: yes
>I just ran through the possibilities in my head and discarded them one
>by one-- juices like orange, apple or grape would be too tart.
Really? Are most fruit juices really tarter than most wine, and is tartness a
bad thing, anyway?
I think the main problem with juices is excessive sweetness, and heaviness. I
would go for something sparkling-- juice or juice concentrate cut with selzer,
or a sparkling cider. I'm very fond of Italian bottled fruit drinks such as
sparkling lemonade. Aranciata is very good but Aranciata Amara is amazing.
Naomi D.
|
|
|
| Richard Periut |
Naomi Darvell wrote:
> x-no-archive: yes
>
>
>>I just ran through the possibilities in my head and discarded them one
>>by one-- juices like orange, apple or grape would be too tart.
>
>
> Really? Are most fruit juices really tarter than most wine, and is tartness a
> bad thing, anyway?
>
> I think the main problem with juices is excessive sweetness, and heaviness. I
> would go for something sparkling-- juice or juice concentrate cut with selzer,
> or a sparkling cider. I'm very fond of Italian bottled fruit drinks such as
> sparkling lemonade. Aranciata is very good but Aranciata Amara is amazing.
>
>
> Naomi D.
>
Careful, certain sparkling ciders contain IIRC about .5% of ETOH. Also,
certain malt beverages contain something around that figure.
R
--
"Dum Spiro, Spero."
As long as I breath, I hope.
Cicero (Ancient Rome)
ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°
`°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø
><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸. ><((((º> ·´¯`·. , .·´¯`·.. ><((((º>
Let there be fish!!!
|
|
|
| Julia Altshuler |
Naomi Darvell wrote:
> Really? Are most fruit juices really tarter than most wine, and is tartness a
> bad thing, anyway?
>
> I think the main problem with juices is excessive sweetness, and heaviness. I
> would go for something sparkling-- juice or juice concentrate cut with selzer,
> or a sparkling cider. I'm very fond of Italian bottled fruit drinks such as
> sparkling lemonade. Aranciata is very good but Aranciata Amara is amazing.
You're right that fruit juices aren't really tarter than most wine. I'm
searching for the right word. Apples and pears are perfect with most
cheeses, and they're both sweet and tart, but when I imagine a subtle
raclette or aged gouda cheese with orange or apple juice or sprite or
coke, the flavors don't go together at all. The sweetness and tartness
would overpower the cheese. I like the idea of something carbonated.
That made me think of cidre, but then we're back to alcohol. That's
what made me think tea might do it.
--Lia
|
|
|
| Naomi Darvell |
x-no-archive: yes
Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
>You're right that fruit juices aren't really tarter than most wine. I'm
>searching for the right word. Apples and pears are perfect with most
>cheeses, and they're both sweet and tart, but when I imagine a subtle
>raclette or aged gouda cheese with orange or apple juice or sprite or
>coke, the flavors don't go together at all. The sweetness and tartness
>would overpower the cheese. I like the idea of something carbonated.
>That made me think of cidre, but then we're back to alcohol. That's
>what made me think tea might do it.
>
>--Lia
Tea does have kind of an astringent effect which makes it appealing. I think a
pitcher of iced tea is nice to serve at any time. Hot tea-- or any other hot
drink-- seems a little too different from what everyone else is having and it
could be a fuss to keep making and serving it. (I'm just thinking from my own
point of view as a host and a frequent designated driver.)
I was thinking of non-alcoholic cider, which you see all over the place. It
came as a surprise to me to hear that some of it has a percentage of alcohol. I
always assume that if no alcohol content is listed on the bottle, there is
none.
In Whole Foods and Trader Joe's I see a lot of fruit-based drinks and European
soft drinks which don't seem to be as sweet as US ones, in general. Here in
Chicago you can also buy unusual sodas from Riggs and Forsythe. I've only had
the bitter lemon but it is wonderfully light and dry and I would certainly use
it as a substitute for white wine.
Naomi D.
|
|
|
| Peter Aitken |
"Julia Altshuler" <jaltshuler@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:Ev%bd.134837$He1.26002@attbi_s01...
> Christine wrote:
> > I am hosting a wine and cheese party tomorrow - invitees bring their
> > favorite wines and cheeses, while I am providing the bread, crackers,
> > fruit, etc. A few of us, including myself, are pregnant, and I'm at a
> > loss what to provide for non-alcoholic beverages that will complement
> > the spread. I've never tried dealcoholized wines, but I've been
> > advised that they're all pretty bad (even the supposed "good ones").
> > I'm hitting BevMo in the morning, so the selection is wide open - any
> > suggestions?
>
>
> I just ran through the possibilities in my head and discarded them one
> by one-- juices like orange, apple or grape would be too tart. Beer
> would be good but is still alcoholic. Sodas are plain bleah with
> cheese. You want something that's not sweet, but nutty and still with
> some flavor. I ended up with strong hot tea. I think that would do it.
> It would go with the cheese. You could get a few varieties.
>
>
> --Lia
>
But unlike wines, there are excellent non-alc beers such as Clausthaler and
Kaliber. None of the ones made in the US are worth a damn.
--
Peter Aitken
Remove the crap from my email address before using.
|
|
|
| Bill T |
"Naomi Darvell" <darvell349@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20041016100005.21100.00002108@mb-m07.aol.com...
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
>>
>>You're right that fruit juices aren't really tarter than most wine. I'm
>>searching for the right word. Apples and pears are perfect with most
>>cheeses, and they're both sweet and tart, but when I imagine a subtle
>>raclette or aged gouda cheese with orange or apple juice or sprite or
>>coke, the flavors don't go together at all. The sweetness and tartness
>>would overpower the cheese. I like the idea of something carbonated.
>>That made me think of cidre, but then we're back to alcohol. That's
>>what made me think tea might do it.
>>
>>--Lia
>
> Tea does have kind of an astringent effect which makes it appealing. I
> think a
> pitcher of iced tea is nice to serve at any time. Hot tea-- or any other
> hot
> drink-- seems a little too different from what everyone else is having and
> it
> could be a fuss to keep making and serving it. (I'm just thinking from my
> own
> point of view as a host and a frequent designated driver.)
>
> I was thinking of non-alcoholic cider, which you see all over the place.
> It
> came as a surprise to me to hear that some of it has a percentage of
> alcohol. I
> always assume that if no alcohol content is listed on the bottle, there is
> none.
>
> In Whole Foods and Trader Joe's I see a lot of fruit-based drinks and
> European
> soft drinks which don't seem to be as sweet as US ones, in general. Here
> in
> Chicago you can also buy unusual sodas from Riggs and Forsythe. I've only
> had
> the bitter lemon but it is wonderfully light and dry and I would certainly
> use
> it as a substitute for white wine.
>
>
> Naomi D.
>
There are several different varieties of sparkling grape juice that are
non-alcoholic. They will replace wine!!!
Bill
|
|
|
| Naomi Darvell |
x-no-archive: yes
Bill T wrote:
>There are several different varieties of sparkling grape juice that are
>non-alcoholic. They will replace wine!!!
>Bill
>
Yes, some of those are not too bad.
For sodas, I forgot to mention Hansen's.The ginger ale is excellent.
Naomi D.
|
|
|
| Peter Aitken |
"Bill T" <williet10001@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:fpacd.6915$SZ5.6891@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>
> "Naomi Darvell" <darvell349@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:20041016100005.21100.00002108@mb-m07.aol.com...
> > x-no-archive: yes
> >
> > Julia Altshuler wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>You're right that fruit juices aren't really tarter than most wine. I'm
> >>searching for the right word. Apples and pears are perfect with most
> >>cheeses, and they're both sweet and tart, but when I imagine a subtle
> >>raclette or aged gouda cheese with orange or apple juice or sprite or
> >>coke, the flavors don't go together at all. The sweetness and tartness
> >>would overpower the cheese. I like the idea of something carbonated.
> >>That made me think of cidre, but then we're back to alcohol. That's
> >>what made me think tea might do it.
> >>
> >>--Lia
> >
> > Tea does have kind of an astringent effect which makes it appealing. I
> > think a
> > pitcher of iced tea is nice to serve at any time. Hot tea-- or any other
> > hot
> > drink-- seems a little too different from what everyone else is having
and
> > it
> > could be a fuss to keep making and serving it. (I'm just thinking from
my
> > own
> > point of view as a host and a frequent designated driver.)
> >
> > I was thinking of non-alcoholic cider, which you see all over the place.
> > It
> > came as a surprise to me to hear that some of it has a percentage of
> > alcohol. I
> > always assume that if no alcohol content is listed on the bottle, there
is
> > none.
> >
> > In Whole Foods and Trader Joe's I see a lot of fruit-based drinks and
> > European
> > soft drinks which don't seem to be as sweet as US ones, in general. Here
> > in
> > Chicago you can also buy unusual sodas from Riggs and Forsythe. I've
only
> > had
> > the bitter lemon but it is wonderfully light and dry and I would
certainly
> > use
> > it as a substitute for white wine.
> >
> >
> > Naomi D.
> >
>
> There are several different varieties of sparkling grape juice that are
> non-alcoholic. They will replace wine!!!
> Bill
>
>
I'll have to disagree with that. Grape juice is sweet, and wine is not.
Plain tonic water with lime might be a nice idea.
--
Peter Aitken
Remove the crap from my email address before using.
|
|
|
| zxcvbob |
Richard Periut wrote:
> Naomi Darvell wrote:
>
>> x-no-archive: yes
>>
>>
>>> I just ran through the possibilities in my head and discarded
>>> them one by one-- juices like orange, apple or grape would be too
>>> tart.
>>
>>
>>
>> Really? Are most fruit juices really tarter than most wine, and is
>> tartness a bad thing, anyway?
>>
>> I think the main problem with juices is excessive sweetness, and
>> heaviness. I would go for something sparkling-- juice or juice
>> concentrate cut with selzer, or a sparkling cider. I'm very fond of
>> Italian bottled fruit drinks such as sparkling lemonade. Aranciata
>> is very good but Aranciata Amara is amazing.
>>
>> Naomi D.
>>
> Careful, certain sparkling ciders contain IIRC about .5% of ETOH.
> Also, certain malt beverages contain something around that figure.
>
> R
>
I'm not sure why that small of an amount of alcohol is a problem.
Bob
|
|
|
| PENMART01 |
>Richard Periut wrote:
>> Naomi Darvell wrote:
>>>
>>> I think the main problem with juices is excessive sweetness, and
>>> heaviness.
>>>
>>> Naomi D.
>>>
>> Careful, certain sparkling ciders contain IIRC about .5% of ETOH.
>> Also, certain malt beverages contain something around that figure.
>>
>> R
So can freshly baked bread.
>I'm not sure why that small of an amount of alcohol is a problem.
>
>Bob
---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````
|
|
|
| Naomi Darvell |
x-no-archive: yes
The original poster has probably gone shopping by now, so this will be too late
in that sense, but another juice possibility is pomegranate juice. It's widely
available both straight and mixed with sweeter juices. It has an astringent
quality which might make it a good stand-in for wine. It is both expensive and
quite high in calories, however. I tend to drink it-- like other juices-- mixed
in fairly small amounts into sparkling water or diet ginger ale anyway.
I'm now thinking that if I were serving wine and cheese, I would probably make
the nonalcoholic alternative lots of ginger ale and sparkling water, with some
fruit juices. I would also serve a few European sodas, but only because I
probably have them on hand already.
Naomi D.
|
|
|
| Dave Smith |
zxcvbob wrote:
>
>
> I'm not sure why that small of an amount of alcohol is a problem.
It isn't.
|
|
|
| Bob |
Julia wrote:
> You're right that fruit juices aren't really tarter than most wine. I'm
> searching for the right word. Apples and pears are perfect with most
> cheeses, and they're both sweet and tart, but when I imagine a subtle
> raclette or aged gouda cheese with orange or apple juice or sprite or
> coke, the flavors don't go together at all. The sweetness and tartness
> would overpower the cheese. I like the idea of something carbonated.
> That made me think of cidre, but then we're back to alcohol. That's
> what made me think tea might do it.
I've used cranberry iced tea (or cranberry juice) in place of wine at dinner
for my nondrinker friends. It's not a substitute for white wine, but its
berry notes and tannins echo some of the wine notes if I'm serving Chianti
or Pinot Noir. I'd think that cranberry-cherry juice would work just as
well, although I haven't tried it.
Bob
|
|
|
| Glenn Jacobs |
On 15 Oct 2004 18:47:32 -0700, Christine wrote:
> Path: be02!c01.usenetserver.com!news.usenetserver.com!wns14feed!worldnet.att.net!199.218.7.141!news.glorb.com!postnews1.google.com!not-for-mail
> From: christine_cmc@comcast.net (Christine)
> Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
> Subject: Other than wine, what beverage to serve with cheese?
> Date: 15 Oct 2004 18:47:32 -0700
> Organization: http://groups.google.com
> Lines: 11
> Message-ID: <65d3c82c.0410151747.1f1b2340@posting.google.com>
> NNTP-Posting-Host: 67.160.248.32
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
> X-Trace: posting.google.com 1097891252 28144 127.0.0.1 (16 Oct 2004 01:47:32 GMT)
> X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com
> NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 01:47:32 +0000 (UTC)
> Xref: usenetserver.com rec.food.cooking:1426176
> X-Received-Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 21:47:29 EDT (be02)
>
> I am hosting a wine and cheese party tomorrow - invitees bring their
> favorite wines and cheeses, while I am providing the bread, crackers,
> fruit, etc. A few of us, including myself, are pregnant, and I'm at a
> loss what to provide for non-alcoholic beverages that will complement
> the spread. I've never tried dealcoholized wines, but I've been
> advised that they're all pretty bad (even the supposed "good ones").
> I'm hitting BevMo in the morning, so the selection is wide open - any
> suggestions?
>
> Thanks very much!
> Christine
Water, get some good bottled waters, particularly mineral waters.
--
JakeInHartsel
If there is a God, let it be Bacchus!
|
|
|
| Paracelsus |
On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 18:47:32 -0700, Christine wrote:
> I am hosting a wine and cheese party tomorrow - invitees bring their
> favorite wines and cheeses, while I am providing the bread, crackers,
> fruit, etc. A few of us, including myself, are pregnant, and I'm at a
> loss what to provide for non-alcoholic beverages that will complement
> the spread. I've never tried dealcoholized wines, but I've been
> advised that they're all pretty bad (even the supposed "good ones").
> I'm hitting BevMo in the morning, so the selection is wide open - any
> suggestions?
>
> Thanks very much!
> Christine
A lot of people don't drink acohol, I recomend
Fruit juice (natural)
Seltzer with a twist
|
|
|
| Bill T |
> I'll have to disagree with that. Grape juice is sweet, and wine is not.
>
> Plain tonic water with lime might be a nice idea.
>
>
> --
> Peter Aitken
>
> Remove the crap from my email address before using.
>
>
This is "sparkling grape juice" , not plain grape juice!!
Bill
|
|
|
| Julia Altshuler |
zxcvbob wrote:
> I'm not sure why that small of an amount of alcohol is a problem.
Because when guests say they would rather not drink a small amount of
alcohol, it is polite to make sure they get a beverage with no alcohol
in it. It is not up to the host to make these decisions for the guests.
Me, I'd drink the wine, but I'm not attending this party.
--Lia
|
|
|
| Charles Gifford |
"Christine" <christine_cmc@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:65d3c82c.0410151747.1f1b2340@posting.google.com...
> I am hosting a wine and cheese party tomorrow - invitees bring their
> favorite wines and cheeses, while I am providing the bread, crackers,
> fruit, etc. A few of us, including myself, are pregnant, and I'm at a
> loss what to provide for non-alcoholic beverages that will complement
> the spread. I've never tried dealcoholized wines, but I've been
> advised that they're all pretty bad (even the supposed "good ones").
> I'm hitting BevMo in the morning, so the selection is wide open - any
> suggestions?
>
> Thanks very much!
> Christine
Forget fruit juices. They would be nasty with cheese. Note that not all
wines are good with cheese and even the type of wine depends on the cheese.
Sparkling dry grape juice might work for some cheeses, but why take a
chance. The best non-alcohol drink with cheese is GOOD coffee. No milk
though. The more aged the cheese, the stronger the coffee. Blue cheeses go
best with a Turkish-style lightly sweetened coffee (no herbs or spices).
Espresso goes well with all cheeses except double/triple creams and very
aged goat/sheep cheeses. These go well with a slightly bitter dark-roast
coffee. As far as bread or crackers, etc., when serving cheese and coffee, I
prefer a neutral, buttery cracker. Dry and seasoned crackers and bread will
kill you when trying to eat cheese and coffee ---- especially when dealing
with demitasse or espresso cups.
Charlie
|
|
|
| Dave Smith |
Julia Altshuler wrote:
> > I'm not sure why that small of an amount of alcohol is a problem.
>
> Because when guests say they would rather not drink a small amount of
> alcohol, it is polite to make sure they get a beverage with no alcohol
> in it. It is not up to the host to make these decisions for the guests.
> Me, I'd drink the wine, but I'm not attending this party.
The OP was hosting a wine and cheese party, not a wine and none alcohol
beverage party.
|
|
|
| Zspider |
I remember when I used to drink real beer, I would turn my nose
up at nonalcoholic beer. It just didn't have the full rich-
bodied flavor of a real beer. Now that it's been a long time
since I've had a real beer, I find an occasional nonalcoholic
beer refreshing, and that's what I would recommend. Don't
judge all nonalcoholic beer by the common O'Douls. Try some
of the darker nonalcoholic beers for a richer flavor. There is
a darker O'Douls in a brown bottle, I think, instead of a green
one. I like Coors myself.
Michael
|
|
|
| Peter Aitken |
"Dave Smith" <adavid.smith@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:4171C24B.1008F914@sympatico.ca...
> Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
> > > I'm not sure why that small of an amount of alcohol is a problem.
> >
> > Because when guests say they would rather not drink a small amount of
> > alcohol, it is polite to make sure they get a beverage with no alcohol
> > in it. It is not up to the host to make these decisions for the guests.
> > Me, I'd drink the wine, but I'm not attending this party.
>
> The OP was hosting a wine and cheese party, not a wine and none alcohol
> beverage party.
>
>
Even so, it's common practice, and a good idea, to have non-alc drinks
available.
--
Peter Aitken
Remove the crap from my email address before using.
|
|
|
| Dave Smith |
Peter Aitken wrote:
>
> > The OP was hosting a wine and cheese party, not a wine and none alcohol
> > beverage party.
> >
> >
>
> Even so, it's common practice, and a good idea, to have non-alc drinks
> available.
One of the nice things about wine and cheese is that they go along quite well
together, which is why there are wine and cheese parties and not tea and cheese
parties or soft drink and cheese parties. I am sure that we all know some
vegetarians, but I can't imagine hosting dinner party where I was planning on a
nice prime rib roast beef with gravy and Yorkshire puddings and wondering about
what to serve the vegetarians. I would be re-thinking the meal. Perhaps the OP
should consider getting away from the cheese highlight and make it a junk food
and soda pop party, or perhaps tea and sandwiches.
|
|
|
| Amarantha |
christine_cmc@comcast.net (Christine) wrote in
news:65d3c82c.0410151747.1f1b2340@posting.google.com:
> I am hosting a wine and cheese party tomorrow - invitees bring their
> favorite wines and cheeses, while I am providing the bread, crackers,
> fruit, etc. A few of us, including myself, are pregnant, and I'm at a
> loss what to provide for non-alcoholic beverages that will complement
> the spread. I've never tried dealcoholized wines, but I've been
> advised that they're all pretty bad (even the supposed "good ones").
> I'm hitting BevMo in the morning, so the selection is wide open - any
> suggestions?
>
I've been experimenting with sophisticated non-alcoholic drinks in
preparation for my own pregnancy (hopefully sometime in the next few
years), and my favourite so far is cranberry juice and soda. Although my
partner made a damn fine Claytons mint julep last night :) Being less of a
sweet tooth, however, I shall probably stick to the tartness of my
cranberry soda most of the time. Lime juice and tonic ain't bad, but
again, a little sweet for me. YMMV.
Good luck :)
K
--
nil illegitimi carborundum
|
|
|
| Christine Chase |
Thank you for all of the great suggestions! The party went off smashingly,
and for non alc, I served Sonoma Sparkler Pear and hot tea.
As for why I chose a wine and cheese party and not a junk food and soda pop
party? Well, I had 40 adults here, and only a handful of us are pregnant,
so I didn't want to orient my gathering to that small a minority. I've been
to all of their homes for similar parties, it isn't my style to reciprocate
with Pepsi and Ring Dings :)
Cheers,
Christine
On 10/17/04 11:20 AM, in article 4172B7DC.4DD07EB3@sympatico.ca, "Dave
Smith" <adavid.smith@sympatico.ca> wrote:
>
> Peter Aitken wrote:
>
>>
>>> The OP was hosting a wine and cheese party, not a wine and none alcohol
>>> beverage party.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Even so, it's common practice, and a good idea, to have non-alc drinks
>> available.
>
> One of the nice things about wine and cheese is that they go along quite well
> together, which is why there are wine and cheese parties and not tea and
> cheese
> parties or soft drink and cheese parties. I am sure that we all know some
> vegetarians, but I can't imagine hosting dinner party where I was planning on
> a
> nice prime rib roast beef with gravy and Yorkshire puddings and wondering
> about
> what to serve the vegetarians. I would be re-thinking the meal. Perhaps the
> OP
> should consider getting away from the cheese highlight and make it a junk food
> and soda pop party, or perhaps tea and sandwiches.
>
|
|
|
|
|
