Coffee etiquette.  Coffee

Continuing to consider the rules of table etiquette, in this article we will dwell on such an important topic as how to properly drink drinks according to the rules of table etiquette in a formal setting.

How to drink various drinks according to the rules of table etiquette?

Drinking etiquette at the table has basic rules that must be followed. The following tips apply to all drinks:

• Only take a sip of the drink when you don't have food in your mouth.
• Do not swallow loudly, take small sips, do not tilt your head deeply.
• Advice for women: if you plan to drink, don't wear too much lipstick; There should be no dirty lipstick marks left on the glass.
• Even before drinking any food, you need to wipe your lips with a napkin. Don't leave any nasty marks on the edges of your glass or cup.
• Mugs must be held only by the handles, wine glasses and glasses must be taken by the “waists” and only shot glasses can be taken by the “sides”.
• Never transfer pieces of ice from one drink to another, for example from a glass of water to a cup of coffee.

Hot drinks

Coffee and tea. Here are the basic rules to follow. Never leave a spoon in a cup of coffee or tea; place it on the cup's saucer or plate. You can dip liver or other dessert into coffee or tea only if you are alone, at home, and no one can see it. And the most important point, DO NOT bend your little finger when drinking coffee or tea, these are traditions of the Victorian era, this is the 21st century. You must be very careful when lowering sugar cubes or pouring sugar into a cup so as not to splash your neighbor or yourself.

The most delicious tea is freshly brewed large leaf tea. Two teapots are served on the table: one with tea leaves, the other with hot water. Water from the second teapot is used to dilute strongly brewed tea, but directly in its own cup. What do we do with the packaging of used sugar and cream packets? Carefully place them on the edge of a saucer or on a pie plate. We use a teaspoon only to stir cream or sugar. After using it, the spoon must be placed on the saucer. So, you have been served tea - what are your actions? The handle of the cup is on the left side; this is the only way to serve the cup to the table. You carefully add the sugar with tongs if it is served in the form of cubes, with a spoon if the sugar is in the form of sand. Then we stir the drink silently, use a spoon to taste our tea, put the teaspoon on the saucer, only now we turn the handle of the cup to the right and take the cup with our right hand.

Lemon for tea. If the lemon is served on a common saucer, then we transfer it with a special fork, which will lie next to the lemon. It is not customary to finish the lemon that is left after tea.

Unusual ritual of consumption oriental coffee, as they serve it to the table in Turk. The Turk is placed on a pie plate, and in front of you is an empty coffee cup. First, you need to transfer the foam into a cup with a spoon, and then pour yourself some coffee. Before you drink iced coffee(and you drink this type of coffee from a special cone-shaped glass with a straw), you need to wait until the ice cream melts, which you will stir with a spoon.

Cold drinks

Ice water. Never swallow water loudly, even if you are very thirsty. Never crunch ice in your mouth, even if it is part of a drink. Before pouring mineral water from a bottle into glasses, you need to wipe the neck with a napkin after you open the bottle.

Cocktails. When you drink a cocktail, the only thing inedible is the straw, which must be left in the glass. Sticks for stirring cocktails, umbrellas - everything goes on the table or saucer (pie plate). At parties, when you constantly hold drinks in your hand, all these accessories need to be kept in a napkin and in your hand until you find a suitable place where you can throw it away. If your cocktail garnishes are edible, you can eat them.

Coffee etiquette

Dishes

Different coffee drinks require different cups. So, oriental coffee is drunk from a cup of dmitas (60-75 ml). Moreover, it is the standard volume when preparing this type of drink.

The ideal cup for espresso has rounded edges, thick walls, a conical shape, and a volume of at least 60 ml. Espresso-based drinks (copetto, macchiato, romano and ristretto) with minimal addition of various ingredients are also served in espresso cups.

Cappuccino cups with a volume of 140-220 ml are also used to serve some varieties of espresso (doppio, con panna), all kinds of national variants (Viennese coffee) and even desserts (glaze with rum).

For American and filter coffee, it is customary to use a special regular mug with a volume of 220-230 ml.

Traditionally, coffee is served in porcelain dishes.

For coffee cocktails with the addition of ice and alcohol, glass glasses are used: highball (150-300 ml), tumbler (200-320 ml), old fashion (180-320 ml), cocktail glass with a funnel-shaped bowl (120-160 ml), milkshake ( 300-350 ml). There is a special glass of frappe designed for cocktails based on cold coffee (160-200 ml).

For hot coffee with alcohol, use a glass of Irish coffee - a tall glass on a stem with a handle (240-280 ml). It also serves all variations of latte (coffee with milk) and glace (coffee with ice cream).

It is customary to serve coffee with a coffee spoon, which is similar in shape and capacity to a tea spoon. But if coffee is poured into dmitas cups, then spoons with a capacity of 3 ml are served, which are also called “mocha spoons”.

Setting the table

According to etiquette, the coffee table is set carefully. The table is covered with a colored tablecloth and decorated with flowers, candles, and ashtrays. A saucer is placed on the tablecloth, a cup and a spoon are placed on it, to the left of it is a plate and a small knife in case toast is offered, on which you can spread butter or marmalade. A knife is placed to the right of the plate, with the blade facing the plate, and a small napkin is placed to the left of it.

It is advisable to serve coffee to the table in exactly the vessel in which it was prepared, but you can pour it into another.

Coffee cups are best for strong black coffee. Coffee with milk can be poured into tea cups.

Cups of coffee are poured at the table, not all cups are filled at the same time, but one at a time, immediately handing the cup to the guest and trying to do this so as not to disturb him.

What to serve with coffee

The essential attributes of a coffee table are hot milk, cream and sugar.

You can serve both granulated sugar and refined sugar, but the latter is preferable. Sugar tweezers are offered for refined sugar. If they are not on the table, you can take the sugar with your hand, but you should try not to touch other pieces. Don't take sugar with a spoon.

It is advisable to serve small snacks and sweets with coffee: sandwiches, pies, pies, biscuits, muffins, cookies, pastries, cake, sweet nuts, chocolates, ice cream, sliced ​​lemon, other fruits and berries. You can also put juice, mineral water or ice water on the table, since some people like to drink hot coffee with very cold water. You can offer guests cognac and various liqueurs.

How to serve coffee the oriental way

Oriental coffee is served in a special way. There are several ways to submit. For example, a cup of coffee is placed in front of the guest. To the right of it, on a pie plate, is placed a glass of cold boiled water, to which lemon is sometimes added.

Another method involves serving each guest a small tray with a coffee cup on it. To the left of it is a rosette with sugar, and to the right is a glass of cold boiled water. A Turk with freshly brewed coffee and a pie plate with a teaspoon are also placed on the tray.

Etiquette rules

Coffee is drunk in small sips, without making loud sounds. You should not dip cookies into the drink, and you should not drink coffee when the food in your mouth has not yet been swallowed.

The saucer is held in the left hand, and the cup is brought to the mouth with the right. When drinking coffee with milk, the saucer is left on the table. A spoon is necessary for dessert or to stir sugar into coffee. After the sugar has dissolved or you have finished eating dessert, remove the spoon from the cup or vase and place it on the saucer. The empty cup should be placed on the saucer, and not on any free space. You should also not confuse a saucer with an ashtray.

Coffee with alcohol is usually drunk in the living room. At the same time, ladies are usually offered liqueurs, and men - cognac.

Coffee at banquets

During banquets, coffee is usually served as follows.

1. Cups with saucers, a glass with spoons and a sugar bowl with tongs are placed on a tray with a napkin.

The waiter brings a pot of hot coffee, and each banquet participant serves himself.

2. Place two coffee pots on a tray with a napkin - one with sugar, the other without sugar, then cups, stacked saucers and a glass with spoons.

The waiter, holding the tray in the palm of his left hand, places the cup on the top saucer with his right hand, pours coffee to 2/3 of the cup's volume and, placing the coffee pot on the tray, serves the guest a cup and saucer.

3. Guests are served by two waiters. One holds in his left hand a tray with two coffee pots, the other a tray with cups, saucers and spoons.

The first one offers coffee and pours it into a cup, which the partner has placed on a saucer on his tray.

Coffee while fasting

People who love coffee and want to fast need to remember the following. As you know, fasting is a time of purification and prayer, during which believers consciously renounce pleasures.

Although the church does not classify coffee as a fast food, it nevertheless recommends refraining from eating such dishes, especially if you have a special addiction to them - this is the meaning of fasting. Instead of coffee, fruit or herbal teas are preferable. Restrictions do not particularly apply to sugar, but it is also advisable to abstain from sweets at such times.

It so happened that over a cup of coffee it is customary to “gather thoughts”, have wise conversations (not intimate conversations - not to be confused with tea) and comprehend the basics of the development and structure of the world.

This is probably due to the ability of coffee to improve brain function in general and the departments responsible for creativity, creativity and memory in particular. And the coffee ceremony contributes to this in the best possible way.

The tradition of drinking coffee was born in countries where it is not customary to rush, and where observance of customs is very important. Everything matters - from the dishes and snacks accompanying coffee to the behavior of the host and guests. For example, among the Bedouins, refusing an offer of coffee is regarded as disdain for the owner of the house. By the way, it is the owner of the house who, in the presence of guests, roasts and grinds the grains, and then brews a drink from them.

They prepare coffee in a special copper jug ​​with a narrow neck, from which they pour each guest into a cup without handles, and drink it slowly, in small sips. If the guest is served not coffee, but water, it means that he is not welcome in this house.

The most valuable guest is served coffee first, but the host takes the first sip (from his own cup, of course). This demonstrates the complete safety of the drink. Guests, in turn, show their admiration for the coffee in every possible way and are sure to drink the cup to the end.

In Europe, the coffee ceremony is somewhat different, but rushing when drinking a cup of coffee is just as unacceptable as in the East. The European coffee ceremony involves light snacks and sweets, as well as cream and milk.

The method of serving coffee must correspond to the preparation:

Turkish coffee is served to everyone on a small tray - the coffee itself in a cezve, a tiny cup (no more than 60 ml), a glass of cold water and a coffee spoon with a long handle. Everyone pours their own coffee into their own cup.

For oriental coffee, you can prepare the drink in separate pots or in a common pot, but pouring the drink into cups is the responsibility of the owners.

Black coffee is served in coffee cups, placing the cup and saucer to the right of the plate under the cake so that the handle of the cup is on the right and parallel to the edge of the table. The teaspoon is on the saucer behind the cup, and the cake fork or spoon is to the right of the cake plate.

Café au lait and Viennese coffee - with whipped cream added just before drinking - are served in tea cups or glasses with glass holders.

Iced coffee is served in a conical quarter-liter glass with a scoop of ice cream: the glass with ice cream is placed on a plate covered with a paper napkin, and two coffee straws and a dessert spoon for ice cream are placed next to it.

Oriental coffee is prepared in a Turk with sugar, the foam is skimmed off with a teaspoon, the coffee is poured into a cup along with the grounds, and then the foam from a teaspoon is transferred into the cup. After serving, the coffee should not be stirred.

The details of the coffee ceremony depend on the location (palace etiquette is very different from home etiquette) and the participants. For those who are used to gulping instant coffee on the run, preparing natural coffee by hand on Sunday is already a ceremony.

Actually, the coffee ceremony includes preparing the grain (roasting, grinding, preferably in a manual mill), preparing the drink and tasting it. It is tasting, since the ceremony suggests that coffee is drunk leisurely, appreciating all the subtleties of taste and aroma.

And the most important thing in a coffee ceremony is the mood. The realization that now it is not just roasting, grinding, brewing coffee, but a sacred rite is being performed, a ritual that originates in the distant past, when cars, telephones and global time pressure were the stuff of fantasy... and this past is connected by a thin thread of coffee aroma .

The best time for coffee is from five to seven in the evening, after hot snacks and salads. The drink itself is usually served hot in a coffee pot wrapped in a napkin or any other container in which it was prepared, but the method of brewing and the setting in which the event takes place - informal or formal - plays a decisive role here.

At home evenings the rules are not so strict. For example, filtered black coffee without sediment can be poured directly into cups and saucers, which are removed from the tray with the right hand and placed to the right of the guest. In this case, the handle of the cup should point to the left, and the coffee spoon should point in the opposite direction. Coffee with milk or Viennese style is most often placed on the table in glasses with cup holders right in front of the guests. A scoop of ice cream is added to the glass, and next to a tall conical glass, two coffee straws and a dessert spoon are placed on a plate covered with a carved napkin.

Oriental coffee brewed in Turk is served in a special way. In this case, the grounds are not strained, the foam formed on top is removed with a spoon, the drink is poured into the cup, and then the foam is added. After this, the coffee can no longer be stirred, but you can wash it down with boiled cold water with the addition of lemon juice, the glass of which should be on the guest’s right hand on the snack plate.

There is also a method called "coffee kit". It assumes that each person present has personal serving elements: a cezve, a rosette with sugar, a glass of water, a saucer, a plate for snacks, a spoon with the handle facing to the right, and a cup turned in the opposite direction. All this is placed on a tray.

There are two ways to serve guests in an informal setting. The first involves walking around the table from right to left, while stopping on the right side and pouring coffee into the cups on the table with the same hand. According to the second option, the movement is carried out in the opposite direction, the saucer with a cup is taken in the left hand, and the coffee pot in the right, after which the dishes with the drink are placed on the table again.

At an official reception, the rules for serving coffee are observed much more strictly, and the drink itself is brought by waiters. Serving can be done in three ways.

Serving according to the first option is carried out as follows: the tray is covered with a napkin, cups and saucers are placed on it, a sugar bowl with refined sugar and tongs, as well as a special glass in which coffee spoons are placed with the handles up. The waiter brings the coffee pot with the drink, after which everyone present pours it to their own taste.

A table set using the second method looks like this: a tray is covered with a napkin and cups, saucers in a stack, spoons in a glass and two coffee pots are placed on it. The drink in one of them contains sugar, in the other - not. The handles of both are directed to the right side of the waiter. He holds the tray in his left hand in the palm of his hand, and with his right hand fills two-thirds of the cups, which are placed on the top saucer and given to the guests along with it.

The third service option is for two waiters. Both have their trays in their left hands. On one there are two coffee pots, on the other there are saucers, spoons and cups, into which a drink with or without sugar is poured from the coffee pots, according to the wishes of those present.

The very process of drinking coffee at banquets is regulated by etiquette. For example, it is not recommended to drink noisily or with a full mouth, tap the spoon when stirring sugar and then leave it in the cup, soak food in the drink, and so on.

A first impression cannot be made a second time, and this applies to many areas of our lives. The concept of business etiquette helps to create a positive image in the eyes of others. Companies striving for excellence know and respect the laws of hospitality accepted in the business environment, because the ability to welcome clients and business partners is an important element of their image. Offices of modern companies strive not only not to violate these laws, but also to comply with them in the best possible way. Large companies even train staff in the basics of etiquette when receiving guests and clients. There are even individual employees (coffee ladies) whose responsibilities include preparing and serving coffee to the company’s clients and partners.

An important role in business etiquette is played by serving coffee and tea during negotiations or a coffee break. Based on the characteristics of the company, one or another type of treat is offered.
In large stores, points of delivery of goods, car services, that is, wherever there is a large flow of customers, coffee machines are installed. This is the easiest way to provide an additional level of customer service. But if we are talking about a high-level company or office, where every client is dear and valued, a treat is not just a sign of attention, but also an indicator of the level of the company, corporate identity and respect for the client. Many companies decorate serving items with company logos - this increases prestige.

Why serve coffee or tea

This will allow the guest to look around, feel in a favorable environment and relax a little. This is especially important if there are long or tense negotiations ahead.
The entire etiquette of serving drinks is dictated by the convenience of the guest and the creation of a favorable atmosphere during negotiations. Next we will talk about the rules and why they are what they are.

When to serve

There are several times when it is customary to serve tea or coffee:
1. The guest has arrived for the scheduled meeting, but its start is delayed for some reason - this will help brighten up the awkward pause and start the conversation on an abstract topic.
2. Before the start of a business meeting in the meeting room, it puts you in a business mood and helps you cheer up.
3. In the middle of a long conversation, an hour and a half after the first treat, during this pause the guests systematize and think about the results of the conversation.
4. During a break at meetings, negotiations, meetings, guests will communicate with each other in an informal setting.

What to Serve

It is recommended to serve classic coffee, always of good quality, freshly roasted and freshly ground, in no case soluble, without flavoring additives. Serve coffee with a glass of cold water and cream in individual packaging.
Tea can be offered to choose from - black or green. Sugar must be served with black tea, even if it is not touched. To green - it is better to check with the guests.

The quality of coffee cannot be neglected. If you use an espresso machine, choose special espresso blends. We recommend professional blends from Fiore, Donizetti or Paganini.
As a worthy alternative, we suggest using high-quality coffee from plantations. Both an espresso machine and a filter coffee maker are suitable for its preparation. The second option is even preferable, as you will surprise your guests with unusual and very tasty coffee.
And of course, the coffee must be freshly roasted. Gone are the days of drinking “just coffee.” The opportunity to taste coffee in different countries has made people picky in choosing the type and method of preparation. Coffee lovers are turning into connoisseurs.

Features of serving coffee and tea

The correct way to serve tea and coffee is as follows:
The cup is filled to two-thirds of its volume. It's no longer worth it, as it will cause inconvenience when trying to lift the cup.
- the handle of the cup turns to the LEFT;
- the spoon is placed with the handle to the RIGHT. You can take a cup with either hand, but it is better to use a spoon with your right hand.
- the spoon is placed IN FRONT of the cup, and not behind it and not perpendicular to the table;
- it is more convenient to put sugar cubes ON a spoon, and not on a saucer BEHIND the cup. The guest may be embarrassed to take the sugar with his hands, and an unsuccessful attempt to pick up a piece of sugar with a spoon will cause awkwardness.
It is best to serve refined sugar separately in a sugar bowl along with sugar tongs or a separate spoon. It is better to serve cane sugar with espresso. If there is no lump sugar, then serve in separate stick bags.
If you decide to serve dessert, give preference to the safest - dry cookies and pastries. They should be served after the cups of drinks have been set out.
Have some napkins in reserve. If the napkin gets dirty during serving, it should be replaced immediately.

Follow these simple rules, buy fresh coffee, and your partners will be happy to return to negotiations.
Enjoy your coffee and lucrative contracts!

The coffee table, like the tea table, is one of the most common. Usually people invite you for coffee at the end of the day, after 18:00. And it is also served at the end of the feast. The very fact of serving creates a feeling of triumph. To create a good impression on your guests of the evening, the table setting must be done especially carefully.

Coffee can be served hot. It all depends on the time of day, the occasion of the celebration, and personal preferences. No matter how you serve coffee, it deserves to be appreciated and enjoyed. For this purpose, coffee is served hot, immediately after preparation.

The coffee table is covered with a tablecloth (preferably a soft, light shade). You can lay out a path in the middle, and give each guest a napkin folded in four - it is placed on the right.

The coffee table is decorated with flowers, but in such a way that they do not obscure those gathered at the table and do not interfere with the conversation. For these purposes, it is better to use tall flower vases.

Candlesticks with candles and ashtrays can be a great decoration for a coffee table.

Before coffee, they offer hot snacks and salads. Then small sandwiches, pies, biscuits, cookies, sweets, nuts, various fruits, berries, and cakes are served directly with the coffee.

It is also customary to place boxes of chocolates, juices, mineral water, and sliced ​​lemon in a tray with a special fork for transferring on the table.

An indispensable condition of the coffee table is hot milk served in a milk jug, cream in a creamer and sugar. You need to put a spoon in a sugar bowl with sand, and tweezers for lump sugar.

Cognac and various liqueurs can be offered to guests as coffee flavorings. Unlike the tea table, where the samovar is the epicenter of everyone’s attention, the coffee table attracts guests primarily with the coffee set. Its arrangement is not complicated.

If before coffee there are various sandwiches, rolls, etc., then in this case dessert plates are placed on the table. They place a snack fork to their left, and a cake fork to their right, followed by a snack knife. After the dessert utensils have been removed, a plate for a pastry or cake is placed on the left side for each guest, and a coffee cup and saucer is placed on the right side. In this case, the handle of the cup should be on the right and parallel to the edge of the table. The teaspoon should be on the saucer behind the cup, with the handle also to the right. There is an option when black coffee without grounds is served poured into coffee cups and saucers. The cup is placed in front of the guest so that its handle is turned to the left, and the handle of the coffee spoon placed on the saucer is turned to the right on the guest’s side. In this case, the cup is removed from the tray with the right hand and served to the guest’s right.

Drinks placed on the table are filled in two ways. According to one option, the person pouring coffee moves along the table from left to right, takes a saucer that has already been previously placed on the table along with a cup and spoon in his left hand, fills the cup from the coffee pot with his right hand and places it on the table with his left hand to the left of the guest. In another option, the person serving the guests walks around the table from right to left, stops near each person on the right, and with his right hand fills the coffee cups on the table with a drink from the coffee pot.

The coffee pot must be wrapped in a napkin. It is customary to pour 3/4 cup for each guest. The coffee pot with the remaining drink is usually placed on a napkin in the center of the table. Different types of coffee have their own serving characteristics. Thus, coffee with milk is served not in coffee cups, but in tea cups (they are larger in volume) or glasses with glass holders. Cups of this drink are placed directly in front of the guest. Viennese coffee is served in a similar way, adding whipped cream before drinking the drink. Iced coffee is served in a 250 ml conical glass with a scoop of ice cream. The glass of glace is placed on a plate covered with a carved paper napkin. A dessert spoon for ice cream and two straws for coffee are placed nearby.

Special specificity is inherent in the presentation oriental coffee. It is cooked in a Turk with sugar and served with grounds. First, you need to skim off the foam with a teaspoon, pour Turkish coffee into a cup, then transfer the foam from a teaspoon on top. Under no circumstances should the drink be stirred.

A cup of coffee is placed in front of the guest, and to his right on a pie plate is placed a glass of cold boiled water, which is sometimes slightly acidified with lemon.

There is another way to serve coffee in the oriental style - as a coffee kit. For each guest there is a small tray with a coffee cup, the handle of which should be facing to the left, a saucer and a coffee spoon, the handle of which should be facing to the right. A sugar bowl or rosette with sugar is placed to the left of the cup, and a glass of cold boiled water is placed to the right. A Turk with brewed coffee and a pie plate with a teaspoon are also placed on the tray.

It should be noted that the above procedure for serving coffee is applicable only at home. When holding public events in restaurants (for example, during a buffet banquet), coffee is served differently.

Coffee etiquette - buffet

First way: On a tray previously covered with a napkin, place coffee cups and saucers, a glass with coffee spoons, handles placed up, a sugar bowl with sugar and tongs. After the waiter brings a pot of hot drink, each participant in the celebration serves himself according to his own preferences.

Second way: two coffee pots with drinks (one with sugar, the other without sugar) are placed on a tray previously covered with a napkin, with handles to the right of the waiter. There are also coffee cups, stacked coffee saucers and a glass with coffee spoons placed with the handles up. The waiter himself serves the guests, offering them coffee. He holds the tray in the palm of his left hand, places the cup on the top saucer in the stack with his right hand, pours the sweet or unsweetened drink ordered by the guest into 2/3 of the cup’s volume, places the coffee pot on the tray and serves the guest a cup of coffee placed on the saucer.

Third way: Guests are served by two waiters. One of them holds in his left hand a tray with two coffee pots (one contains coffee with sugar, the other without sugar). The second waiter holds a tray with coffee cups, saucers and coffee spoons in his left hand. The first waiter offers coffee to the guests and with his right hand pours the drink from the coffee pot into a cup, which his partner has previously placed on a saucer on his tray.

Subtleties of coffee etiquette

So, the guests are served coffee. The conversation at the table immediately became lively. It would seem that it would be easier to drink a cup of hot coffee. But this simplicity is deceptive: for many reasons, the rules for drinking coffee and tea are often not followed by many people. Let us recall these rules.