What do you drink with your meals

[fresco]

NYC water is definitely better than NYC wine.

[herbacidal]

philly.

lessee, when i'm dining with others, particularly wine geeks, particularly one wine geek,

i'll drink wine.

otherwise, i'll usually drink water.

when i'm at bars, it's usually bourbon, but occasionally beer.

at parties, i'll bring and drink cognac. then there's the occasional shot of something or other.

hmm, guess i'm an equal opportunity alcohol abuser.

[Flocko]

Utah.......................The vast majority of Utahns drink only water or non-caffeinated soft drinks. I prefer wine or iced tea with meals.

[pixelchef]

With "nice" meals, wine and water. With regular everyday-type food, water and juice or sometimes pop (soda for you Americans). :)

Ontario.

[rdailey]

Northern California - Wine, water, and beer.

The hard stuff is usually not seen at the table, unless its a margarita with Mexican.

[Nick]

Usually nothing. Sometimes with lunch either water or V-8, depending on the lunch. Beer always goes good with pizza.

[afoodnut]

Colorado. What people drink appears to depends on the meal. With dinner, often wine; beer with Mexican food and at brew pubs; tea, or sometimes beer, with Chinese, iced tea or soft drinks with lunches, coffee with breakfast, chai with Indian, water with everything.

Edited June 9, 2003 by afoodnut (log)

[torakris]

in Japan

tea (hot or cold) just lots of tea

and beer too

I drink water (no alcohol) with everything.

[Ruth]

NYC We can enjoy Asian food with beer but for all else it's wine every night whether at home or out. We have our little ritual at home. Husband asks me in the morning what I'll be cooking and then goes down to the cellar to pick a wine.

[hjshorter]

Wash DC suburbs.

Usually water, sometimes wine, sometimes milk. My husband drinks beer with spicy food, but I can't drink beer with food.

Edited June 9, 2003 by hjshorter (log)

[marie-louise]

California. Wine or beer, depending on the meal, plus a large glass of water at every meal.

[MatthewB]

Michigan here.

Usually wine, sometimes beer, always water.

Only water if it's time to slow down on the alcohol consumption. (Not that I would ever be in that situation.)

[fresco]

Bux,

My experience is that every meal is a nice meal with wine. Or at least a nicer meal.

[pixelchef]

I'm curious as to why your "regular everyday-type of food" isn't "nice."

Sometimes I'll eat McDonald's for dinner. I don't consider that "nice", do you? And certainly not appropriate (in my mind) to open a bottle for.

[tommy]

I'm curious as to why your "regular everyday-type of food" isn't "nice."

Sometimes I'll eat McDonald's for dinner. I don't consider that "nice", do you? And certainly not appropriate (in my mind) to open a bottle for.

ham sandwich for me falls into the same category. i suppose not everyone has foie gras every day for lunch and dinner.

[Craig Camp]

I'm curious as to why your "regular everyday-type of food" isn't "nice."

Sometimes I'll eat McDonald's for dinner. I don't consider that "nice", do you? And certainly not appropriate (in my mind) to open a bottle for.

Why in the world not? A nice slightly chilled Beaujolais or a fresh young rose improves the Quarter Pounder experience greatly. You are already punishing yourself by eating at McDonald's why double your punishment by denying yourself the pleasure of a glass (or 2) of wine?

[fresco]

Pixelchef,

Think the McDonalds outlets in Paris serve wine.

[tommy]

I'm curious as to why your "regular everyday-type of food" isn't "nice."

Sometimes I'll eat McDonald's for dinner. I don't consider that "nice", do you? And certainly not appropriate (in my mind) to open a bottle for.

Why in the world not? A nice slightly chilled Beaujolais or a fresh young rose improves the Quarter Pounder experience greatly. You are already punishing yourself by eating at McDonald's why double your punishment by denying yourself the pleasure of a glass (or 2) of wine?

not in the drive through or at work. for most of us anyway.

[Craig Camp]

I'm curious as to why your "regular everyday-type of food" isn't "nice."

Sometimes I'll eat McDonald's for dinner. I don't consider that "nice", do you? And certainly not appropriate (in my mind) to open a bottle for.

Why in the world not? A nice slightly chilled Beaujolais or a fresh young rose improves the Quarter Pounder experience greatly. You are already punishing yourself by eating at McDonald's why double your punishment by denying yourself the pleasure of a glass (or 2) of wine?

not in the drive through or at work. for most of us anyway.

There is a difference to not having some wine because it is not allowed and not having it because you think your lowly meal is not worth it.

By the way, if I remember right the French drink a lot of wine with ham sandwiches.

[Bux]

Bux,

My experience is that every meal is a nice meal with wine. Or at least a nicer meal.

When I asked why someone's "regular everyday-type of food" isn't "nice," I kind of had that in mind. Not that wine always improves a meal, but that one shouldn't turn one's taste buds on and off and even a sandwich or slice of pizza can be made better with a supporting drink rather than a sweet drink.

It may sound snobbish to say I never have dinner at McDonald's, but I've always thought that instead of licensing restaurants to serve alcohol, restaurants should be required to serve beer or wine by the glass. Even a dinner of a fast food burger might be improved with a glass of zinfandel. On looking ahead, I see Craig's already said that. I see his suggestions. I don't disagree with his choice, but I'll bet spring has made a more definite appearance where he is, than it has here. Give me a month and I'll prefer rose or chilled beaujolais too.

Regarding a quick lunch on a workday, I'd have water in lieu of wine perhaps, but I don't think sweet drinks compliment most foods, although they may contribute to a craving for ketchup and less subtle tastes.

[=Mark]

I've also noticed that some of the answers here reply to the title question -- "What do you drink?" -- rather than the question asked in the post -- "Where do you live and what do the people in your area drink with dinner?"

I'm in NJ, and the "people in my area" drink water, iced tea, coffee, milk, pepsi, coke, dr. pepper, sprite, 7-up, milk, beer, hot tea, fruit juice, champagne, margaritas, and wine.

[tommy]

There is a difference to not having some wine because it is not allowed and not having it because you think your lowly meal is not worth it.

By the way, if I remember right the French drink a lot of wine with ham sandwiches.

some other reasons might include, but of course are not limited to:

1) budget

2) not wanting to feel sluggish

given the choice of having a glass of wine in my hand and not, you can be yer ass that 99% of the time i'll choose the former. however, if i'm having a sandwich and a pickle, sometimes i just can't be bothered to pick a wine from my "cellar" (closet) that would pair well, or worse yet, drive to the store to get that perfect ham sandwich/pickle pairing wine.

for the most part, i agree with craig and bux. however, i question their approach to this issue vis-a-vis questioning peoples' tastes and choices when i think they really do understand where people are coming from.

[Bux]

for the most part, i agree with craig and bux.  however, i question their approach to this issue vis-a-vis questioning peoples' tastes and choices when i think they really do understand where people are coming from. 

First of all, I think water is the universal drink and appropriate with all foods. I drink a lot of water, far more of it than wine, beer, coffee and tea combined. (Try drinking wine, beer coffee and tea combined and you'll know why.) I don't so much argue that wine, or beer, improves most foods as I do that many other drinks -- sugary ones especially -- often ruin the taste of foods for me and suggest others consider that possibility.

Clearly, many Americans enjoy pizza and cola as well as hamburgers and milkshakes. I don't dispute that taste, nor do I think it should be derided, I just think it's a taste that hampers an appreciation for other foods that I find far more interesting and rewarding. I suspect that developing a taste and appreciation for one kind of food may often hamper the ultimate appreciation for another kind of food. Substitue French, Chinese, Indian, Thai or Spanish food on either side of that. In the end, we all have to make our own decisions about what we want to eat and appreciate. All that any of us here can do is explain the decisions we've made and how they affect the way we see and taste food.

I'm happy to entertain theories as to why Coke and a Big Mac deserve each other. Perhaps we'll even have one of the molecualr gastronomists do that and deconstruct that combo meal and serve us the result. My great reservation about the creative food coming from Spain and Bray is the amount of sugar in the food.

[SobaAddict70]

New York City.

Anything that doesn't involve alcohol. Take a look at the Dinner thread and you'll see that things range from Edensoy soy milk to oolong tea to apple cider to Evian (or insert your favorite mineral or sparkling water here). I will imbibe alcohol on occasion (like maybe three times a year), and then only a thimble-sized glass or sip. It's not that I don't like wine or beer, its just that I can't metabolize alcohol properly.

Soba

[a-nomad]

Hawai'i

For lunch & dinner: Iced tea, green tea & occasionally wine.

For breakfast: Coffee, espresso & occasionally wine ... er, never mind on that last one.