An event created for a local organization of professional caterers was designed to showcase “exciting twists” on beverages and beverage presentations. Recognizing that event caterers primarily focus on food, with beverages playing a supporting role, the caterer for this event decided to make a menu that incorporated popular drinks into the main dishes. The planner first identified popular drink trends for its “Creations Inspired by Libations” menu, including microbrew beers, specialty sodas, and classic drinks and liqueurs.

At the event, attendees were welcomed with passed hors d’oeuvres:

Mini Crudités—vegetable sticks and olive skewers with a spiced rum ranch sauce served in miniature tin pails

Martini Shrimp Shooters—martini-marinated shrimp with pink vodka cocktail sauce served in miniature martini glasses

Grand Marnier Chopped Chicken Wontons—chicken salad with Grand Marnier dressing served in wonton cups. 

Guests then moved onto a beer, wine, and soda–themed burger and sandwich station that offered mini-burgers made with ground turkey and an ale-cheese topping, meatball sandwiches with a Madeira-infused marinara sauce, and mini-falafel pitas with a yogurt sauce made with cucumber-flavored soda. Each sandwich was served with the beverage that inspired it. Spinach salads dressed with vodka vinaigrette were shaken and “poured” for guests into giant martini glasses. The dining experience was capped off with a range of beverage-inspired desserts, such as mojito cupcakes, mai tai cheesecake martinis, and grasshopper brownie bites.