When someone invites you to a house party, are you expected to bring drinks to share?
Posted by No_Necessary_3847@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 49 comments
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Success_With_Lettuce@reddit
Bring a bunch of drink, more than you’ll consume. Plonk it somewhere. Enjoy the party, and ask others if you fancy something different to what you bought over the course of the night, 99% you’ll get a yes help yourself.
Fantastic-Screen7105@reddit
Always ring the doorbell with your elbows.
ProfessionalMottsman@reddit
Translation- bring a crate
7DeadlyFrenchmen@reddit
You bring more than you'll drink. Often you'll contribute to "the drinks", drop your drinks in, and everyone will help themselves. You're not strictly limited to drinking what you brought - if you bring wine and the prosecco is open and cold, feel free to have a glass. But don't take the mick, for example don't bring a couple of ciders then spend all night drinking someone else's vodka.
Rule of thumb: take more than you'll drink, of roughly what you'd like to drink. And expect others to drink some of yours and you some of theirs. This system only works when everyone pulls their weight - if everyone takes a little more than they need, there'll be plenty to go round.
Lopsided_Snower@reddit
Been to thousands of house parties and they’ve never been like this, this might happen at a family do or a dinner party but you bring and drink your own drinks at the parties I’ve been to
NoTt_MaG@reddit
Been to thousands of house parties; bro how old are you?
JamJarre@reddit
Completely disagree, it's always been putting drinks in a shared pool - but as u/7DeadlyFrenchmen pointed out, you don't take the piss and do mostly drink you own stuff
TehDragonGuy@reddit
Agree with this. There tends to be a bit of people sharing once someone runs out but it's always been a thing that you drink your own drinks.
Fusilero@reddit
Yeah, not sure what parties the OP you're replying to has been to but this has never been the case.
In my experience, the host might have a big pack of some cheap supermarket beer or some spirits for shots to share but otherwise everyone drinks their own drinks.
craigus17@reddit
You missed the important part of fking checking first.
If I’ve brought a bottle of vodka and someone else has only brought strongbow I’m gonna be a bit annoyed if I see them helping themselves to my vodka without asking
_isolati0n@reddit
In my circle everyone brings their own drink
LegalDistribution595@reddit
In the south yes, north no.
Certain_Pineapple_73@reddit
You’re a student (I am too) the norm is bring enough for yourself, drink that and if anyone offers their drink around feel free to accept it. It wouldn’t be weird to bring a plastic cup but most people just drink out of the original bottle, that’s unless you’re drinking vodka mixer.
PomegranateV2@reddit
I feel like this thread is highlighting the north/south divide.
I'm from the south so the idea of bringing booze to a party and then sitting there drinking your own booze seems insane. The whole point is to share, to mingle and to be gracious to others.
To northerners, it's the complete opposite. You bring your own food and drink to a party, sit on your own in a corner with your own stash and growl at anyone who approaches "You'll have had your tea!". Anyone who offers you some of theirs is showing weakness and should be exploited.
The ideal party to a northerner would be one where you brought four tins you got on special offer and ended up drinking eight tins that were bought by someone else at full price - a clear win!
gerrineer@reddit
And any left over is left at the house.
Current_Fly9337@reddit
Someone came to my house years ago, brought a bottle of wine. Drank whatever wine was open/being passed round for top ups for about 4-5 hours.
When she left, she said ‘ah there’s still some of my wine left’ and took it with her. I couldn’t believe it. I don’t really care that I didn’t get her 150ml of wine, but I judged her from that day on.
Dry-Grocery9311@reddit
Ask the person who invited you.
If in doubt, bring enough to be seen as a net contributor.
Be prepared to share.
lxxmng@reddit
Why not do it anyway? Greedy visitors never get a second invite
FantasticMeow@reddit
We always bring something that can be shared to others. The host never asked us but we always bring anyway. Other guests do the same too.
MzHmmz@reddit
Usually you'd bring a drink that you like, but enough of it to share (e.g. a bottle of wine, a multipack of beer). If you have weird taste in drinks and don't think other people would want to drink it, or you know you'll probably be the one drinking most of what you bring, then ideally bring a bottle of something else too that others can share, or maybe some snacks or a token gift for the host (e.g. flowers).
It does depend slightly on the type of party, I've been to bigger more casual house parties where people have generally just brought their own drinks. If it's a smaller gathering or a more "civilised" event definitely either bring enough drink to share, or bring something else like snacks.
Individual_Bat_378@reddit
Student house party you just bring your own normally, especially if it's pre-drinks. If it's a nice meal or something I usually take a bottle of wine for the host.
terryjuicelawson@reddit
Enough for yourself and more. We don't seem to go in for those party cups that you see in those US teen movies, either they have glasses or drink out of the can.
No_Necessary_3847@reddit (OP)
That’s so interesting! I haven’t been to many flat parties but sometimes they’ll have red plastic cups !
Whoppa-seagull@reddit
It does not sound like a student party & I find it strange that you’r hosts cannot even supply a plastic cup. Usually I think you take a bottle but as somebody said do not take a couple of cans of beer & drink whiskey all night!
Whoppa-seagull@reddit
Sorry I did not mean to offend, you sound annoyed. I was just asking what kind of party. If it is a student party I can understand the cup thing.
No_Necessary_3847@reddit (OP)
Oh no sorry I didn’t mean to come across as annoyed at all haha was just curious why it didn’t sound like a student party!
Whoppa-seagull@reddit
Thanks, I just thought when you said House Party I thought it could have been a house warming Party,enjoy anyway.
No_Necessary_3847@reddit (OP)
Why doesn’t it sound like a student party? I thought I’d ask Reddit because I’ve seen different people do different things. Some will bring drinks for themselves only, others will bring a bottle of stuff.
PartyPoison98@reddit
If you're a student and its a student party, I would 100% expect you'd bring your own
ArmWildFrill@reddit
I'm sure a bottle of voddy would be welcome at any boozy party
notactuallyizzy@reddit
I guess the general rule is that you bring more than you would drink yourself, and you can drink some of your drinks, and some of other people's!
I like cider, so I'd bring a ten or twelve pack of cider cans, drink half of them, and also have spirits if they're offered to me (which they nearly always are!)
I always used to bring a Tesco meal deal with me, and use my small bottle of fizzy drink as a mixer - just have a swig and pour spirits in to top it up :)
You likely don't need to bring your own cup, but feel free to! I definitely wouldn't find it weird, but I would also make sure I had enough cups for everyone if I was hosting.
Skruffbagg@reddit
Depends on the party.
If it’s just a get together of mates, BYOB.
If it’s someone you don’t know particularly well and it’s not just a piss-up, bring a bottle for the host.
Background_King_3551@reddit
Yes take some of what you like and some mixers lemonade etc. Take some nibbles as well crisps etc or ask if they need you to bring something.
notanadultyadult@reddit
Is it a student house party or an “grown up” house party?
If student, I’d say everyone brings their own. At least that’s how we always did it.
PomegranateV2@reddit
Bring drinks but don't have them yourself. If you do, then people will think you don't like what they've brought.
If everyone else has brought cheap crap then you might not have a choice, mind.
Ok_Performance5378@reddit
Yeah I'd rock up with some
BaBaFiCo@reddit
Students? Bring your own but bring more than you'll drink. Kindly leave the extras when you go. Don't expect to buy for everyone else. But do expect others to end up drinking yours.
LadderNorth3506@reddit
It depends on the person and whose house I’m going to. I usually take what I like to drink for myself but if I know that the people there like the same drink then I take more to share. If I know that person likes something else I take that as well as my own drink. Example, I occasionally go round to my neighbour and she doesn’t like wine so I take wine for myself and a few beers for her and her husband. She mainly drinks gin but I’m not gonna take a bottle of gin as she always has her own and she would be annoyed at me for taking a bottle of gin for her. She gets annoyed at me taking my own drinks anyway but I don’t expect them to accommodate my wine but they always buy some for me.
If I’m going to a fellow wine drinker I usually take 2-3 bottles if it’s going to be a full night.
The host will usually have bought a few varied drinks to offer people so I’d just take what you want to drink and maybe a few beers or an extra bottle of wine or something for politeness of being invited 😊
SuperDinkle406@reddit
Yes. You bring enough for you and others, plus be ready for your drinks to be taken and put to the side and you drink something else. You are bringing a gift for the house, not for you to drink.
Itchy-Book402@reddit
Basically what you bring is a ticket for the next house party
hughesyg@reddit
If you’re a student then bring everything yes.
As a grown up I provide cups haha. But people bring their own drinks to have themselves and share. Which I think is fair as they all drink a lot and I provide the food. Plus I host most the time.
GlitchingGecko@reddit
I always go with, whatever I'll be drinking - but extra. If I'd drink a bottle of wine on my own that night, I'd take 2.
If I'm not drinking, I take a few different types of carbonated drinks or fruit juices. Few people think to take mixers, so they're usually welcomed.
Ordinary_Barber_6260@reddit
Don't just bring drinks for just yourself you cheap bastard!
electact@reddit
They're a student, they're supposed to be a cheap bastard
reddog_72@reddit
It depends on the occasion and the host, but generally I tend to take a bit more than id usually want to drink for myself just in case others at the party want some. And, I will take a bottle of wine or something else that I know, or think, the host would like, it's a courteous way to thank them for the invite.
Classic_Mammoth_9379@reddit
I think you bring more than enough for yourself but that gets dumped in a communal area where others may well sample from the pool of available drinks, although they will tend to stick with what they brought themselves as presumably it's stuff they like.
Ok_Aioli3897@reddit
Yes you take something for yourself but usually enough that you can share
Dull_Combination_678@reddit
If you’ve been invited, I’d bring a token bottle of wine, or if you’re drink something other than wine /beer, bring that to drink for yourself.
My go to is a bottle of Prosecco.
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