How to drink coffee according to etiquette.  Coffee

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.

Perfect espresso cup has rounded edges, thickened walls, conical shape, 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 volumes of 140-220 ml are also used to serve some varieties of espresso (doppio, con panna), all kinds of national options (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, use glass glasses 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 wineglass 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 coffee spoon, which is similar in shape and capacity to a tea room. 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 coffee table served 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.

For strong black coffee Coffee cups work best. 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 in such a way as not to disturb him.

What to serve with coffee

Essential attributes of a coffee table - 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 ones with coffee. snacks and sweets: sandwiches, pies, pies, biscuits, muffins, cookies, cakes, 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

Coffee oriental 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, on which stands a coffee cup. To the left of it is placed 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.

Rules of etiquette

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.

Saucer held in the left hand and brought to the mouth with the right cup. When drinking coffee with milk, the saucer is left on the table. Spoon 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. Do not confuse a saucer with an ashtray either.

Coffee with alcohol, as a rule, they drink 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. Place cups with saucers, a glass with spoons and a sugar bowl with tongs on a tray with a napkin.

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

2. Place on a tray with a napkin two coffee pots- 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 is held in his left hand tray with two coffee pots, second - 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 comply fast, you 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. Preferable instead of coffee fruit or herbal teas. Restrictions do not particularly apply to sugar, but it is also advisable to abstain from sweets at such times.

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.

Hot drinks. Hot drinks include tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate. They are prepared in different ways. So, if cocoa and chocolate are boiled, bringing to a boil, then tea and coffee should never be boiled, since when boiled they become cloudy and lose their aroma and taste. That is why, instead of the expressions “boil tea” and “brew coffee,” it is better to say “make tea or coffee,” which is closer to the truth.

The water temperature at the time of brewing tea or coffee should not exceed 96°C.

Tea is served in cups placed on saucers, or in glasses inserted into cups and placed on a pie plate. Pour tea so that there is a distance of approximately 0.5-1 cm from the surface of the tea to the edge of the cup or glass.

Having placed a teaspoon on each saucer (or plate) with the handle in the opposite direction to the handle of the cup or glass holder, cups of tea are placed in front of each person sitting at the table so that the handle of the cup or glass holder is facing to the left.

A sugar bowl with sugar and tweezers or a spoon for transferring sugar into a cup (glass) is placed on the table for tea; a vase of jam (or honey, jam, etc.), next to which a stack of rosettes is placed (usually according to the number of people present at the table) and a spoon is placed for transferring the jam into the rosettes.

If sugar is served in lumps, then it is transferred to your cup with tweezers, and granulated sugar - with a spoon.

Mix tea and sugar quietly. After this, you try the tea with a spoon, and then, placing the spoon on the saucer and turning the cup with the handle to the right, take the cup by the handle with your right hand, bring it to your lips and drink the tea in small sips.

Lemon for tea is served cut into circles in a glass or porcelain tray or on a saucer. Place a fork next to the lemon for transferring.

If jam is served with tea, then with the left hand they take the rosette from the stack lying next to the vase with jam and bring it to the vase with jam. With your right hand, take a dessert spoon (it lies either on a vase with jam or on a plate next to the vase) and carefully transfer the jam into the socket. Having put the spoon in place, place the rosette with jam on the right next to the cup (at the level of the saucer) and drink tea.

If there are seeds in jam, for example cherry, then use a teaspoon to place them on the edge of a tea saucer.

Sometimes liqueur is served with tea. It is drunk from small (cognac) glasses in small sips, slowly, alternating with tea.

When guests are offered a sweet pie or cake for tea, a dessert plate is placed in front of each person, and if there is none, a pie or snack plate is placed, and a dessert knife and fork are placed. Only a dessert spoon is served with the sponge cake.

In this case, the dessert plate is placed next to the cup of tea with a saucer, to the right of it, but so that the edge of the plate farthest from the seated person and the far edge of the saucer are at the same level. The pie is eaten with a knife and fork, and the knife is placed with the blade on the side of the plate.

For lovers, you can make tea with milk or cream.

In this case, the cup is filled 2/3 or 3/4 full with tea, and milk or cream is poured into it. In addition, hot milk or cream is served with tea in milk jugs or creamers.

Coffee can be prepared in different ways:

black coffee - brewed and strained coffee;

coffee with hot milk (cream);

Venek coffee - sweet black coffee topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar;

Warsaw-style coffee is prepared with baked milk with added sugar, and served in tea cups with saucers and a teaspoon and drunk in the same way as tea;

Oriental coffee is a double or even quadruple amount of coffee, ground to a powder, with the addition of a small piece of sugar to soften the taste. They prepare oriental coffee in a Turkish pot and serve it in it. The turk with the finished coffee is placed on a pie plate; a teaspoon and a folded paper napkin are placed on the plate next to the turk. Coffee is poured from the Turkish coffee into a small 100 gram coffee cup. True, there is one subtlety. First you need to transfer the coffee foam into a cup; the Turks take it with a teaspoon right next to the wall, as if “cutting” it. And only after this the Turkish coffee is mixed and poured along with the grounds into a cup.

Note that, according to etiquette, it is the hostess who must pour coffee from the Turkish coffee into a cup, and not the guest himself.

And one more wish. It is customary to serve chilled and lemon-acidified water with oriental coffee separately in a glass. The fact is that oriental coffee is served with grounds and particles of it inevitably settle on the enamel of the teeth. So, after the coffee is drunk, just two to four sips of acidified water are enough, and your teeth are still clean;

Iced coffee is black sweet coffee, cooled to 8-10°C, into which a scoop of ice cream is placed. This coffee is served in a conical glass with a thick bottom on a pie plate. On especially special occasions, you can put a carved napkin under a glass of coffee, as is customary according to etiquette. Place a dessert or teaspoon and 1-2 straws on the side. Until the ice cream has melted, stir it periodically with a spoon and eat it little by little. Then the spoon is placed on a plate, and the coffee is sipped in small sips through a straw.

Cocoa and chocolate are served hot and sweet in tea cups on saucers with a teaspoon. First, they are drunk from a spoon, and then, just like tea, they are sipped from a cup in small sips.

Cold drinks. Cold drinks include non-alcoholic and alcoholic.

Rarely does lunch go without a variety of non-alcoholic drinks. In fact, when most people eat food, they wash it down with various drinks. These are natural plain and carbonated waters, table mineral waters, kvass, fruit drinks, fruit and berry carbonated drinks, fruit and berry juices and many others.

As you can see, drinks are presented for all tastes. But when serving drinks on the table, you need to focus not on the taste of the guests, which is also, of course, important, but on their compatibility with the dishes that are supposed to be served to the table. If juices, for example, suit the taste of certain dishes, then they will completely replace the ill-fated wine and vodka products. So, for snacks we can recommend light grape juice, lemon juice, which is especially suitable for fish dishes, carrot juice, birch juice, etc.; for hot fish dishes - cranberry juice, lemon, dogwood and cherry plum juices; for hot meat dishes - tomato, red grape, pomegranate, apple, blackcurrant, plum and other juices, bread kvass; for dessert (sweet dishes) - dessert carbonated fruit and berry drinks, sweet fruit and berry juices.

Almost all of these drinks are drunk in small sips from wine glasses, kvass and fruit drinks - from mugs or glasses and glasses, and juices - from conical glasses. And what is very important: mugs are taken by the handles, wine glasses and glasses - by the “waists”, and the stacks are behind the “sides”.

Before you wash down your food with any drink, you should definitely wipe your lips with a napkin so as not to leave unpleasant marks on the edges of the dish.

After opening a bottle of mineral water or soft drinks, you should wipe the neck of the bottle and only then pour the drink into glasses.

When lifting the neck of the bottle from the glass, you need to make a rotational movement “towards you” - then a drop of liquid will not fall on the tablecloth.

Cocktails, which have recently become very popular, are served in special glasses or conical or cylindrical glasses. They usually drink them through a straw. An indispensable condition is that cocktails must be well cooled before serving. That is why it is advisable to keep even glasses in the refrigerator before serving.

Traditionally, various alcoholic drinks are served at the festive table. Moreover, different drinks are recommended for different dishes according to their taste combination. For example: vodka and bitters are served with appetizers; for first courses (soups) - Madeira, port wine; for hot fish dishes - white natural wines; for meat dishes - natural red wines; for dessert sweet dishes - champagne or dessert wines; for tea - liqueur, for coffee - cognac. Each drink requires a glass or glass of appropriate capacity, and the stronger the drink, the smaller the glass. When setting the table, all glasses are placed in the order in which the dishes are supposed to be served, i.e. In the first row from the person sitting from right to left, vodka, Madeira and a glass for mineral and fruit water are placed, and in the second row - Rhine wine, Lafite and a glass for champagne.

And one more subtlety that should be remembered when preparing wines for the holiday table. For a more complete and vivid expression of the taste and bouquet of wines, the temperature at which they are served is of great importance. Thus, white table and semi-sweet wines are recommended to be served slightly chilled: in winter - to a temperature of 12-14 ° C, in summer - to 8-10 ° C.

Dry red table wines, on the contrary, are heated: in winter to 20°C, and in summer - up to 18°C. Sherry and Madeira are also recommended to be heated 4-5°C above room temperature, and red wines such as port exhibit their best qualities at room temperature. The same can be said about dessert and liqueur wines.

Champagne must be served chilled to avoid excessive release of carbon dioxide. By the way, it is recommended to drink champagne after carbon dioxide has been released.

All wines are drunk in small sips, washed down with food. As for vodka, it is impossible to drink it with food or quench your thirst. To weaken the burning bitter taste of vodka, you need to eat it - usually with snacks. It is no coincidence that they drink it at the beginning of the feast, to stimulate the appetite and relieve some tension, and little by little - no more than 1-2 glasses.

Perhaps, each of us has been to banquets where at least 5-6 glasses are placed in front of each participant, not counting liqueur and cognac glasses, which are placed in front of the guests immediately before serving tea or coffee. Now let’s calculate: if you wash down each meal with at least one glass, it turns out that you drank a whole half-liter bottle. Of course, this is a lot and even a lot: both in terms of volume and alcohol content. Therefore, when you sit down at the table, look at how many and what kind of glasses are in front of you, decide for yourself which wine you will drink and which one you will abstain from. Let's say you don't drink vodka (or any other drink), but you are urged to pour it. We do not recommend blocking the glass with your hand or putting it aside and unsuccessfully explaining why you refuse. Just say: “Thank you, I don’t want to.” And if they do pour you vodka, don’t pay attention to it until it’s cleared from the table.

However, most often, 3 glasses are placed in front of each participant in the feast: for example, a glass for white natural wine, for red wine and a glass for water, or, say, a vodka glass, a glass for red natural wine and a glass for water, or, finally, vodka glass, champagne glass and wine glass.

How many alcoholic drinks can you drink at the holiday table? This question is not for everyone, but mainly for those who do not know their capabilities, do not feel the extent of their drinking and prefer to act “like everyone else.” This is wrong, of course, and detrimental to both personal authority and health, and besides, it is unpleasant for the dining companions; it is no secret that the inability to control oneself is sometimes fraught with very regrettable consequences.

You need to drink in moderation and do not try to drink every glass to the bottom. We advise you to focus on the hosts of the table: well-mannered people, mindful of their responsibility for themselves and for their guests, always drink in moderation.

There are people who don't drink alcohol at all. According to etiquette, one should not insist that they definitely drink, coming up with such provocative toasts as “To the health of fathers,” “To the health of mothers,” “To the health of children.” It is unlikely that anyone, having a sick father or an elderly mother, will refuse to drink to their health, even if this is completely contraindicated for him. And the result is poor health, a poisoned mood.

According to etiquette, a non-drinker can, after the next toast, raise his glass and put it back in its place. At the same time, you can sip a glass, thus expressing your respect for your dining companions.

You should not fill the glass to the top, as lifting it and bringing it to your mouth can cause the wine to spill. Moreover, there are certain rules in this regard. So, a glass of vodka and madeira is not topped up 0.5 cm to the top; Rhine wine and Madeira glasses - by 1.0 cm; A champagne glass is filled to 2/3 of its volume, and a wine glass is filled to 1/2-2/3 of its volume.

Everyone pours wine into his glass, having first, of course, offered it to the lady on the right, as much as he can and wants to drink.

Since ancient times, we have had the custom of clinking glasses before drinking. It is believed that all the main senses are involved in clinking - vision, smell, taste, touch and hearing. Those clinking glasses should only look into each other's eyes. The look should be short and expressive. When clinking glasses with a woman or an older man, the younger one should hold his glass slightly lower than theirs, thereby emphasizing his respect and respect.

True, the custom of clinking glasses, although old and quite beautiful, and sometimes significant, is not always convenient, especially in large companies. In fact, it is hardly necessary to reach across the entire table or over the head of a neighbor in order to clink glasses and express respect to one, but to annoy the other.

That is why we are increasingly following the tradition adopted in many countries of the world, i.e. greet each other and drink health without clinking glasses. They toast and clink glasses only on special occasions. The owner, wishing to thank those present for their kind words and wishes addressed to him, can offer a toast at the end of the feast to the health of all those present.

Isn’t it true that the set of conventions of behavior at the table is distinguished by both diversity and a certain ceremony. But they all have their own meaning. And what is especially important, they are all designed to provide pleasure from food, joy from table communication, and a sense of solemnity of the ritual.

Literature

• 1. Duntsova K.G., Stankovich G.P. Table etiquette. - M.: Economics, 1990.
• 2. V.S. Zusin. Ethics and etiquette of business communication. Mariupol, Renata Publishing House, 2002.
• 3. Petrovsky A.V. Introduction to Psychology. Moscow, 1997.
• 4. Krylov A.A. Psychology. Textbook. Moscow, 1998.
• 5. Lavrinenko V.N. Psychology and ethics of business communication. Moscow, 1997.

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, emphasizing the completion of the celebration by the very fact of serving the drink.

In order to maintain a good impression on the guests of the evening, table setting must be done especially carefully. Flowers, candlesticks with candles, beautiful ashtrays, napkins, etc. can be a great decoration for a coffee table.

The assortment of flour and confectionery products is particularly diverse: pies, cookies, rolls with fillings, baked goods, croissants, cakes, muffins, chocolates.

At coffee evenings you can often see mineral water and a variety of juices. Berries and fruits go well with the drink, especially lemon, which is cut into slices and beautifully placed in a tray, and then taken from there with a special fork.

If you drink Turkish coffee, you must have cold boiled water. As a rule, ice is added to it.

Coffee goes well with alcoholic drinks. Cognac and various liqueurs can be offered to guests as coffee flavorings.

Most often, coffee is served with sugar. In addition, it is mandatory to have milk and cream on the coffee table; sometimes they are supplemented with ice cream.

Different types of coffee have their own serving characteristics. So coffee with milk is served not in coffee cups, but in tea cups or cappuccino cups.

Viennese coffee is served in a similar way, adding whipped cream before drinking the drink.

A few simple tips:
- The coffee pot, of course, must be cleaned and washed.
- Water for coffee should be as soft as possible.
- It is recommended to roast and grind coffee immediately before preparation.
- Store coffee in tightly sealed tin or glass jars, away from odor-bearing seasonings.
- To improve the aroma of coffee, you can add a pinch of salt or cocoa powder.

It would seem that it would be easier to drink a cup of hot drink. But this simplicity is deceptive: for many reasons, the rules for drinking coffee and tea are often not followed by many people

- After stirring tea or coffee, you should not leave the spoon in the glass, it should be placed on the saucer.
- It is not customary to dip cookies into a drink.
- You should not drink tea or coffee when the food in your mouth has not yet been swallowed.
- Coffee is drunk hot, in small sips and without making loud sounds.
- 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.
- You should not stick out your little finger in a mannered manner, or stick your finger into the eye of the pen.

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 in such a way 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 each guest being served a small tray with a coffee cup on it. To the left of it is placed 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.

Rules of etiquette

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 needed 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. Do not confuse a saucer with an ashtray either.

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.