Forget About Apps: Order a Table Cocktail Instead

The biggest advantage to dining with a group is getting to taste more things. When you dine solo or with one other person, it’s simply a more limited experience. But hear me out — I feel the same way about cocktails.

Think about it: when perusing a great cocktail menu, it’s often difficult to decide which drink you’re going to order. I know what you’re about to say: Isn’t that what round two is for? Maybe, but what if you want to drink wine next? All of a sudden, the opportunity for cocktail hour has passed, at least until the after-dinner libations come ‘round. That’s why you should treat yourself to a little something extra on the upfront.

If I’m Paying $20 for a Martini, I Need a Fresh Glass Halfway Through

Not ice-cold? Not worth the money.

The table cocktail isn’t for the squeamish — you have to feel comfortable enough to share a drink with the people at your table. That means it isn’t for strangers and likely not for casual acquaintances, unless you’re a ~free spirit~. It’s also, obviously, not for the sick. If you have a cold or some other contagious disease, definitely don’t suggest sipping from the same glass (and maybe reconsider being out in the first place). But when everyone orders something stiff and straight-up, like a Martini or Manhattan, why not have a little fun and order the fruitiest, most tropical drink on the menu? You only have to commit to a few sips, and it might open your palate to something you may not have tried otherwise.

That said, what kind of drinks are perfect for a table cocktail? I’m so glad you asked:

Anything frozen
Piña Coladas
Espresso Martini (if you want just a hit of caffeine)
Anything over crushed ice because crazy straws look great coming out of crushed ice
Drinks containing banana liqueur or any other type of banana
Anything pink, blue, purple or bright red
The cocktail that someone from the staff describes as their “most popular” but that no one in your party wants to commit to entirely themselves
Anything made for a specific holiday

I encourage you to order a cocktail for the table this weekend. Maybe it’ll open your eyes to this wonderful phenomenon, but at the very least, you’ll be humoring me into thinking that telling you this wasn’t completely in vain. Cheers!

Meet your guide

Amanda Gabriele

Amanda is InsideHook’s Senior Editor and has been writing about food, drinks, travel and style for 16 years. She’s written for Travel + Leisure, Eater, Gear Patrol and New York Magazine among other outlets.