Alcohol suggestions

aubreyheckrote

We don't have a huge alcohol budget, so what are some really popular not expensive beers and wines? We aren't big drinkers so I just wanted an idea of what most people buy. Thanks!

mikenberger

aubreyheckrote said:

We don't have a huge alcohol budget, so what are some really popular not expensive beers and wines? We aren't big drinkers so I just wanted an idea of what most people buy. Thanks!

Usually the cheaper ones are always going to be domestics. So bud, Miller, coors. And usually those are the ones with the most crowd appeal. You know your crowd best though. Are they beer people? What do they drink? Do they like craft beer instead of domestic beer? Which craft beer is usually more expensive. If they'd like craft beer better, blue moon is usually a good crowd pleaser.

I got nothing for wine.

allispain

For beer, I would say some standards would be anything in the Bud, Coors, or Miller family. Also Corona and Yuengling. These are your most common lower-end beers in terms of price.

That being said, if you have a beer-loving crowd and can spring for at least one higher end beer, I would suggest it. Personally, I wouldn't drink any of the above, but I'm a huge beer snob :-) Even something from Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada would work - neither one is very expensive, but they're definitely better quality.

[Deleted User]

allispain said:

For beer, I would say some standards would be anything in the Bud, Coors, or Miller family. Also Corona and Yuengling. These are your most common lower-end beers in terms of price.

That being said, if you have a beer-loving crowd and can spring for at least one higher end beer, I would suggest it. Personally, I wouldn't drink any of the above, but I'm a huge beer snob :-) Even something from Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada would work - neither one is very expensive, but they're definitely better quality.

Agreed.  My group are beer snobs.  Our bottomest of the bottom beer is Sam Adams, we never drink Bud or Coors.  If I was selecting wine, I'd go to my wine snob Aunt and ask her for recommendations for cheap but good wine.  And I'm pretty sure there are web "calculators" for you to figure out how much of each you need for the number of people, number of hours, time of day, etc.  Do a google search.

MandyMost

I'd ask some of your friends or relatives to pick stuff out with you, unless you're working with a vendor on this. I managed to get 2 whites (a pino grigio and a sauvignon blanc, I think) and 2 reds (I don't remember the kinds, honestly) and a prosecco each from around 10-11 dollars/bottle, and I liked them all. For beer we did Bud Light (I'd never drink this, but so many of my relatives in particular do), Yeungling (it's what we drank in college when we had the money for something "high end" hahaha) and Amstel Light (for people who wanted a light beer and just can't stomach Bud Light. For liquor we did only vodka and bourbon, and had "signature cocktail" out of each--a cosmo and a bourbon sidecar. 

Aim to get crowd pleasers. My friends all drink white wine, and never chardonnay, so we took care of that. My relatives all drink cheap beer, so we took care of that. Everyone we know who drinks hard liquor either drinks vodka and/or a brown one like whiskey/scotch/bourbon. I've never been at a bar with any of my friends ordering rum, for example, so it would have been a waste of money. 

ElcaB

Domestic beers fit the bill, as far as cheap is concerned. Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite, etc. 

As far as wine goes, if you're looking for a reisling try Crane Lake. It's very sweet, but it's supposed to be since it's a reisling. It retails for about $4.99/bottle. 

[Deleted User]

Honestly, Three Wishes wine from Whole Foods is DELICIOUS. They're $3 a bottle. Whenever I buy it for a dinner party, my friends always rave about it. They don't know I only spent $3 on them! Shhhhh.... lol. Otherwise, Barefoot is pretty decent (about $6 a bottle). If you have the funds for it, I would recommend springing for Rodney Strong wines (more around $10 a bottle).

Ditto PPs on the beers. I would also recommend PBR if you have hipster or college-age friends.

maeday2

I'd stick with domestics for beer to keep the budget down. A keg or 2 may be a budget friendly option for you, depending on how many you're expecting. 

For wine, I like Yellowtail as a good quality option without breaking the bank.

[Deleted User]

I really love Trader Joe's for wine.  I think the last time I was there I spent $200 and bought, like, 30 bottles.  (There's not one near me and so when I road trip I stock up for the whole family.)

Barefoot wines are usually really cheap and pretty good as well.  They have an excellent red Moscato, which is sweet.

I echo PPs though...find out what your guests like.  There are a lot of really cheap options out there, but you'll budget best by finding out what it is they like and tailoring it accordingly.  If I were to throw a party with my BFF and her husband and my sisters and their husbands, there would be absolutely no need for me to buy white wine (because we all prefer red) or gin (because they all drink whiskey).  Same thing for the wedding, just on a larger scale.

*I am in no way recommending that you only buy red wine.  My point is that by figuring out what your guests will drink, you'll save yourself some unnecessary expenses.

Kahlyla

I agree that Barefoot wines are quite good for the money. They're pretty darn cheap here, but far far cheaper even in the U.S. I've never tried any of the U.S. store brands so I couldn't comment on those.

I really appreciate craft beers and am kind of a beer snob, but Budweiser or Molson Canadian is what I choose if my options are only domestics (unless we're talking about locally where I might be able to get Keith's or Moosehead cheaply).

Junebug2015

I know you're not a big drinker, but it could be fun to host a low-key "tasting night" for your close family members and wedding party to pick the best cheap wines. Ask a local wine store for suggestions in your price range (or pick up the ones offered by your venue) and have people over for snacks and wine.

rcher912

Barefoot wines! When I'm looking for cheap, I go there. Solid in quality, and GREAT price (I'm in PA).

I've heard of Trader Joe's being phenomenal and cheap, but as I'm in PA they aren't allowed to sell me wine

There are tons out there, though. When I go to buy my beer/wine, I plan on just eyeballing it, honestly. I enjoy Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, and I just found Fat Cat Pinot Noir, Argyle is a good vineyard as well, not too expensive (and seriously, I VERY rarely go above $10/bottle for wine).  I'm more of a wine person, so that'll be easier for me, and with beer, I'll probably just stick with domestic as well.