Taking spirits to dinner question

[VorFemme]

BYOB event - take the leftovers home, they should still be "yours".

Hostess gift, leave it unless the hosts mention a medical issue (red wine causes migraines or they are on a diet and the chocolates will just go to waist) and ask you to take the item home.

[Oh Joy]

Since smaller bottles are more expensive per ounce, I would have probably brought my large bottle only 1/4 to 1/3 full* along with a fresh bottle of the cheaper mixer, then planned to leave it there if we didn't drink it all.

Hope that makes sense!


* You know, so it looks like I was bringing what I had left of the good stuff.  Even if I had to buy a new bottle and add to an almost-empty bottle to bring it up to that much, or pouring out the extra into a jar to leave at home.

[Miss Unleaded]

I know the issue was resolved, but my opinion is that taking home booze you brought to a party stops being ok after you graduate.  The exception might be for a potluck situation or if the host/ess insists that you take it home with you.  In my opinion it looks tacky.  If money is the issue, get some single serving bottles, or take Camlan's excellent suggestion and invite them to your place later on.

In other words, I agree that your instinct to leave it behind was spot on.

[Margo]

I think this is situational. With family or very close friends where there is an established culture of doing so  I think it's OK to bring it, and to take it away. Although even then I think it's worth mentioning when you arrive so that everyone is clear.

Similarly, I think when you are all students it's normal to bring and take your own.

But otherwise I think it's better not to take it at all, or to leave it.  don't think I'd go so far as to say it is tacky, but it just feels a bit uncomfortable.

In a  similar situation in the future I would be inclined to either wait until they visit you, and serve them the new cocktail then.

Or if it needs unusual ingredients take those - so the alcoholic ginger beer and lime in this case, and then when cocktails are offered you can mention that you'd found a new recipie, and that you brought along the mixers if they'd be interested in trying it. But I think even that is only OK if these are close friends and you know them well enough to know they would be OK with it. Otherwise is feels a bit like bringing a side dish along to a dinner party which was not supposed to be a pot luck.

[TurtleDove]

I know the issue was resolved, but my opinion is that taking home booze you brought to a party stops being ok after you graduate.  The exception might be for a potluck situation or if the host/ess insists that you take it home with you.  In my opinion it looks tacky.  If money is the issue, get some single serving bottles, or take Camlan's excellent suggestion and invite them to your place later on.

In other words, I agree that your instinct to leave it behind was spot on.

POD.  To me, the "loss" of however many $$ by leaving the leftovers is simply not worth the awkwardness that would happen if I insisted on taking it back.