Where to Place Used Flatware

Used flatware should not be left on the table or in a cup of bowl. Place flatware on the plate so that it won’t slide off the plate as it is removed. Place the knife with the blade facing in and the fork to the left of the knife. For American style eating, leave the fork tines up; for continental style eating, leave the fork tines down. If soup is served in a large soup plate, you may leave the soup spoon in it. If you are served dessert in a stemmed glass on a service plate, leave the dessert spoon on the side of the plate. If a soup plate or sauce dish is used for dessert, you may leave the spoon in the dish

Tipping a Dish

In order to enjoy the last spoonful of soup or dessert, you may tip the soup or dessert dish, as long as it is tipped away from you. Soup or bouillon served in a handled cup or very small Oriental – style bowl may be drunk instead of spooned. If there is food in the liquid, this should be spooned before you pick up the bowl to drink. Any food left in the bottom of the bowl should be spooned. Soup should be sipped, and care taken not to make slurping sounds.

Beverages at the Table

Beverages should be sipped only after the mouth is empty and has been wiped with a napkin. Hot liquids should be tested by taking a careful sip from a spoon. Large stemmed glasses should be held with the thumb and first two fingers at the base of the bowl. Glasses with chilled white or rosé wine should be held by the stem so as not to warm the wine. Small stemmed glasses should be held by the stems. Hold a brandy snifter with both hands to warm the drink, and hold a tumbler by the base.

Handling the Napkin

Place the napkin on your lap as soon as you are seated (at a large banquet) or as soon as the hostess takes her napkin (at a small party). Luncheon napkins should be entirely open on your lap; dinner napkins should be folded in half lengthwise. Do not return your napkin to the table until you are finished with the entire meal or after – dinner coffee. When you are finished with the napkin, simply fold is casually and place it on the table.

Jellies and Sauces

Mint jelly, currant jelly, horseradish, and cranberry sauce should be spooned onto the plate and pushed onto the fork with the meat or fowl. Liquid sauces should be poured directly over the food.

Finger Bowls

Finger bowls are generally used only at formal meals or after eating semi – finger food such as lobster in the shell or steamed clams. To use a finger bowl, lightly dip the fingers of one hand, and then the other, in the water. Then quickly dry your fingers on you napkin in your lap. You can also touch your lips with your moistened fingers and pat the lips dry with you napkin. After you are finished with this, place your napkin to the left of your place at the table. Never give the impression that you are using the finger bowl for a serious cleaning.

Elbows on the Table

In the past, elbows and hands on the table were never permissible. Today, however, it is considered acceptable to put your elbows on the table between courses, but never while eating. You may also rest your hands on the table with your wrists leaning against the table’s edge. It is inappropriate to tap the table with the fingertips or to play with the flatware, dishes, or other table accessories. For good posture at a table, feet should be kept flat on the floor and the base of the spine against the back of the chair.

Leaving the Table

Guests should not leave the table until the host or hostess leaves. Once they leave, everyone should follow. If, however, you suddenly feel ill or have an urgent need to visit the rest room, simply excuse yourself for a moment. You don’t need to apologize or make any excuses.

2. What is Aperitif?

The aperitif was introduced in 1846, when a French chemist, Joseph Deponent, created a wine-based drink as a mean of delivering malaria-fighting quinine.

The medicine was a bitter brew, so he developed a formula of herbs and spices to mask quinine's sharp flavor, and it worked so well that the recipe has remained well-guarded ever since.

French Foreign Legion soldiers made use of it in mosquito-infested Northern Africa. Joseph's wife was so fond of the drink that she had all her friends try it, and its popularity spread.

Some say that the concept of drinking a small amount of alcohol before a meal dates back to the ancient Egyptians.

Main records, however, show that the aperitif first appeared in 1786 in Turin, Italy, when Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented vermouth in this city.

In later years, vermouth was produced and sold by such well-known companies as Martini, Cinzano, and Gancia.

Aperitifs were already widespread in the 19th century in Italy, where they were being served in fashionable cafes in Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan, Turin, and Naples.

Aperitifs became very popular in Europe in the late 19th century.

By 1900, they were also commonly served in the United States. In Spain and in some countries of Latin America, aperitifs have been a staple of tapas cuisine for centuries.

There is no single alcoholic drink that is always used for an aperitif; fortified wines, liqueurs, and dry champagne are possibly the most common choices.

Sherry, a fortified wine, is a very popular aperitif.

In Greece, ouzo is a popular choice; in France, pastis. In Italy, vermouth or bitters may be served; popular brands of bitters are Campari, Cinzano, Byrrh, and Suze.

In the Eastern Mediterranean, arak (Araq (pronounced [araq]),is a highly alcoholic spirit(50%-63 % Alc. Vol.).

It is a clear, colorless, unsweetened anise-flavoured and is served with mezze (a typical middle eastern meal starts with Mezze). This can be an elaborate spread of forty or fifty hors d'oeuvres, little bits of tasty treats to please the palate.

Wines

The term "blush" is generally restricted to wines sold in North America, although it is sometimes used in Australia and by Italian Primitivo wines hoping to cash in on the recently discovered genetic links between Primitivo and Zinfandel. Although "blush" originally referred to a colour (pale pink), it now tends to indicate a relatively sweet pink wine, typically with 2.5% residual sugar; in North America dry pink wines are usually marketed as rosé but sometimes as blush. In Europe almost all pink wines are referred to as rosé regardless of sugar levels, even semi-sweet ones from California.

Liqueurs

A triple sec – Triple Sec is a variety of Curaçao, an orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of bitter oranges from the Caribbean. Triple sec, which is French for Triple Dry, is one-third as sweet as regular Curaçao. It is widely used in mixed drinks and recipes as a sweetening and flavouring agent.

Curacao – Curaçao (pronounced /ˈkjʊərəsaʊ/ in English) is a liqueur flavoured with the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit, grown on the island of Curaçao. A non-native plant similar to an orange, the laraha developed from the sweet Valencia orange transplanted by Spanish explorers. The nutrient-poor soil and arid climate of Curaçao proved unsuitable to Valencia cultivation, resulting in small bitter fruit on the trees. But the aromatic peel maintained much of the essence of the Valencia varietal, and the trees were eventually bred into the current laraha species, whose fruits remain inedibly bitter.

The drink was first developed and marketed by the Senior family (an old Caribbean family of Spanish Jewish descent) in the 19th century.[1] To create the liqueur the laraha peel is dried, bringing out the sweetly fragranced oils. After soaking in a still with alcohol and water for several days, the peel is removed and other spices are added.

The liqueur has an orange-like flavour with varying degrees of bitterness. It is naturally colourless, but is often given artificial colouring, most commonly blue or orange, which confers an exotic appearance to cocktails and other mixed drinks.

Some other liqueurs are also sold as Curaçaos with different flavours added, such as coffee, chocolate, and rum and raisin.

Vocabulary:

Types of liqueur

Liqueur is an alcoholic drink made from an infusion of fruit, herbs, nuts or other flavour to brandy or other spirits. It can be strong - 35% and 45% alcohol by volume, dessert – 25% - 30% alcohol by volume and cream liqueur – 20% - 30%. Among the popular liqueurs are:

• Advocate – made from fresh egg yolk, sugar and brandy, it is originally from Holland.
• Anisette – a clear liqueur made from anise seed and flavoured with bitter almonds.
• Aquavit – a clear liqueur flavoured with caraway seeds from Scandinavian countries.
• Benedictine – a liqueur made by Benedictine monks out of a secret formula, which is a combination of herbs, spice and fine brandy.
• Chartreuse – Cordial made by the Chartreuse order of monks. Its colors are yellow and green and are made of many ingredients such as spices, herbs, roots, etc.
• Sherry – Spanish wine, uniquely aged in barrels.
• Triple sec– liqueur with orange flavour made from peel of bitter and sweet oranges.
• Cointrean– a brandy of triple sec and orange Curacao.
• Crème de Cacao – made from cacao beans, spices and vanilla. It comes in two colours – white and brown.
• Crème de menthe – a peppermint liqueur made from fresh mint and brandy.
• Curacao triple sec – made form the peel of bitter oranges and enriched with spices, rum and sugar.
• Drambuie – a liqueur made from old Scotch, honey, herbs and spices.
• Grand Marnier - made from fine champagne, cognac and orange curacao.
• Kahlua (Kailua) - a Mexican liqueur made from coffee beans , vanilla and brandy.
• Kirshwasser– a liqueur made from wild black cherries.
• Pernod– made from licorice.
• Southern comfort – made in the USA from a secret formula.

So, the main types of liqueurs are: Chocolate liqueurs, Coffee liqueurs, Cream liqueurs, Fruit liqueurs, Berry liqueurs, Flower liqueurs, Herbal liqueurs: Anise-flavored liqueurs and other herbal liqueurs, Nut-flavored liqueurs, Whisky liqueurs, etc.

The Quick Trick

Liqueursare for nuts (hazelnuts, almonds), cordials are for fruit (lemon, orange, etc). And schnapps—well, just remember, they’re not sweetened.

If you’re looking for a basic rule , remember this: Cordials are liquors made from fruit or fruit juice, while liqueurs are alcoholic drinks made from seeds, herbs, or nuts. So Triple sec, Sloe gin, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Curaçao, Brandy, Kir, Framboise, and Chambord are cordials. On the other hand, Jägermeister, Pernod, Kahlúa, Amaretto, Frangelico, Strega, and Chartreuse are liqueurs. ( Beware! In England, the word cordial usually refers to a sweetened drink that is not alcoholic—Rose’s Lime Cordial is an example.)

While the difference between liqueurs and cordials isn’t always clear, the one between aperitifs and digestives is. Aperitifs are drunk before dinner, to help stimulate the appetite. Classic aperitifs include the Martini, the Manhattan, the Old-Fashioned, and the Sidecar. Digestives are, obviously, to aid digestion, and are drunk after dinner. You can also finish your meal with one of these digestives : the White (or Black) Russian, the Brandy Alexander, Kahlúa, the Grasshopper, Daiquiri, Amaretto, port, or cognac.

Bitters

A bitter is an alcoholic beverage that is flavored with herbal essences and has a bitter or bittersweet flavor.

There are numerous brands of bitters that were formerly marketed as patent medicines but are now considered to be digestives, rather than medicines.

They commonly have an alcoholic strength of 45% ABV and are used as digestives and as flavoring in cocktails.

The word "bitters" derives from the fact that it does not contain added sugar or sweetener despite being strongly flavored.

However, if the bitters is a tonic, it may have some added sugar, although European Union legislation defines bitters as having no added sugar.

In the United Kingdom, Angostura bitters are not classified as an alcoholic beverage, and they can be bought by persons of any age.

Types of Beer

Beer is produced by brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly from grains, for example malted barley, wheat, corn and rice. Mostly beer is flavoured with hops, which add bitterness. There are following types of beer:

• Lager is light beer, with pleasant spicy taste;
• Bock is dark, very strong Lager, with hops and malt taste;
• Amber – light beer with a little content of hops, with the taste of spices, fruit and yeast, bitter taste;
• Dry beer is very light, with quite a lot of alcohol content, without any taste;
• Pilsner is light beer, can be of three categories: luxe, export, dry. Has a variety of tastes: from neutral taste to bitter.
• Ale is non-strong alcoholic drink, brewed from malt, but it’s darker and more bitter than beer;
• Stout is a type of ale but of a very dark colour and strong taste of malt and hops;
• Half and Half is a mixture of two beverages, usually a half of Ale and a half of beer or Stout (strong porter) are mixed.

Beers

The visual characteristics that may be observed in a beer are colour, clarity, and nature of the head. Colour is usually imparted by the malts used, notably the adjunct malts added to darker beers, though other ingredients may contribute to the colour of some styles such as fruit beers. Colour intensity can be measured by systems such as EBC, SRM or Lovibond, but this information is rarely given to the public.

Many beers are transparent, but some beers, such as hefeweizen, may be cloudy due to the presence of yeast making them translucent. A third variety is the opaque or near-opaque colour that exists with stouts, porters, schwarzbiers (black beer) and other deeply coloured styles. Thickness and retention of the head and the lace it can leave on the glass, are also factors in a beer's appearance.

Aroma

The aroma in a beer may be formed from the malt and other fermentables, the strength and type of hops, the alcohol, esters, and various other aromatic components that can be contributed by the yeast strain, and other elements that may derive from the water and the brewing process.

Flavour

The taste characteristics of a beer may come from the type and amount of malt used, flavours imparted by the yeast, and strength of bitterness. Bitterness can be measured on an International Bitterness Units scale, and in North America a number of brewers record the bitterness on this scale as IBUs.

Strength

The strength of beer is a general term for the amount of alcohol present. It can be quantified either indirectly by measurement of specific gravity, or more directly by determining the overall percentage of alcohol in the beer.

Hops

Hops contribute bitterness, flavour and aroma to a beer in different ways depending on when they are added during the brewing process. How much hop bitterness and aroma is appropriate varies considerably between different beer styles. There are many varieties of hops, some of which are associated with beers from specific regions. For example, Saaz hops are associated with Czech Pilsners; Hallertau and Tettnanger are two of the "noble" hop varieties one expects to find in German beers, and Kent Goldings are an English variety.

Hybrid or mixed style beers use modern techniques and materials instead of, or in addition to, traditional aspects of brewing. Although there is some variation among sources, mixed beers generally fall into the following categories:

Altbier and Kölsch, both of which are top fermented before being cold conditioned, i.e. lagered.

Steam beers were invented by German immigrants living in California and are made with a type of bottom-fermenting yeast that can ferment at warmer temperatures. The name "steam beer" is a trademark of the Anchor Brewing Company, though other brewers brew this beer under the designation "California common".

Fruit and vegetable beers are mixed with some kind of fermentable fruit or vegetable adjunct during the fermentation process, providing obvious yet harmonious qualities.

Herb and spiced beers include herbs or spices derived from roots, seeds, fruits, vegetables or flowers instead of, or in addition to hops.

Wood-aged beers are any traditional or experimental beer that has been aged in a wooden barrel or have been left in contact with wood chips or cubes. Often, the barrel or wood will be treated first with some variety of spirit or other alcoholic beverage; bourbon, scotch and sherry are common.

Smoked beers are any beer whose malt has been treated by exposing it to smoke from burning or smoldering wood, such that a smoky aroma and flavour is usually present. The most traditional examples of this style are the Rauchbiers of Bamberg, Germany. However, many brewers outside of Germany—most notably American craft brewers—have been adding smoked malt to porter beers, Scotch ale and a variety of other styles.

Champagne style beers are generally ales that are finished "à la méthode originale" for champagne. These are produced mainly in Belgium and include Grottenbier, Deus and Malheur Bière Brut.

11. How to Choose Wine for a Meal?

Usually people choose red wine to go with red meat and white wine to go with white meat. If you are having a nice steak, leg of lamb or another red meat, choose from a variety of red wines. Fish, pork and poultry would be served with a nice white wine. This rule, of course, isn’t the case.

Instead of matching a wine with the colour of the meat being served, a better idea would be to match the intensity of the wine with the intensity of the meat. A deep, full-bodied red wine would go well with a juicy steak or lamb chops. Lighter meals would be good with a nice white wine. If you have a spicy poultry dish you might want to serve a red wine just as you might want to serve a white wine with a delicate meal that has a red meat entrée.

Appetizers ideally shouldn’t be paired with red wines. They can be paired with white wines. Chenin Blanc, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc; blushes, such as White Grenache, White Zinfandel; sparkling wines Blanc de Noir, Brut extra Dry and Spumante.

Barbeque and marinated poultry are best served with one of these red wines: Zinfandel, Petit Sirah and Beaujolais. Beef dishes are also best served with red wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, merlot and Zinfandel.

Mild cheese would benefit from Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, sauvignon Blanc and Semillon white wines. You could also serve White Grenache or White Zinfandel in the rose, or Blanc de Noir, Brut Extra Dry or Spumante champagnes.

Choose a red Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir or Zinfandel for strong cheeses. A nice white Chardonnay or sparkling wine would be agood choice.

Desserts would be best limited to a Gewurztraminer, Riesling, White Zinfandel or Spumante sparkling wine.

Pasta dishes, especially those that are heavily seasoned with tomato sauce and smoked or barbequed beef, would be great with a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Red Zinfandel. White wine choices include Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, Pinot Grigio and Riesling. Rose and sparkling wine would not be ideal to serve with these types of meals.

Pork dishes can be enjoyed with a Pinot Noir or red Zinfandel, white Chardonnay or Gewurztraminer, or a white Grinache.

Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and White Zinfandel are good choices for poultry dishes.

Finally if you plan to enjoy a seafood dinner, consider choosing a Merlot, pinot noir, burgundy, Chardonnay, Semillon, White Grenache or White Zinfandel for heavy seafood. Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, White Grenache and White Zinfandel would be recommended for lighter seafood fare.

Soft drinks.

А) Non-alcoholic beverages are drinks that usually contain alcohol, such as beer and wine, but contain less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. This category includes low-alcohol beer, non-alcoholic wine, and apple cider.

The term "soft drink" specifies the absence of alcohol. Beverages such as soda pop, sparkling water, iced tea, lemonade, squash, and fruit punch are the most common soft drinks. Milk, hot chocolate, tea, coffee, milkshakes, and tap water are not considered to be soft drinks.

A soft drink, also referred to as soda, soda pop, pop, tonic, coke, or fizzy drink and is a non-alcoholic beverage typically containing water, often carbonated water and a flavoring agent. Many of these beverages are sweetened by sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, or n the case of "diet" drinks with a sugar substitute. They may also contain ingredients such as caffeine and fruit juice.

Small amounts of alcohol may be present in a soft drink, but the alcohol content generally must be less than 0.5% of the total volume if the drink is to be considered non-alcoholic.

Widely sold soft drink varieties include cola, lemon-lime, root beer, orange, grape, cream soda, ginger ale, flavored water, tonic water, sparkling lemonade, sparkling water, iced tea, sweet tea, squash, and fruit punch.

Soft drinks are usually served chilled or at room temperature, are rarely heated, and

generally do not include milk or other dairy beverages. Beverages that are typically not considered soft drinks include hot chocolate, hot tea, coffee, pure juice, milkshake.