After dessert, we move on to a new phase of our invitation, after dinner: what happens on this occasion? What is good for our guests? According to the etiquette, all this part of the evening must take place in a different place than the meal: a special room, perhaps a small lounge or in the summer in the garden, terrace or porch, is certainly ideal to end a pleasant invitation and talk in a comfortable environment.
Coffee
After a meal, the coffee, naturally hot and freshly made, will be served to our guests, starting from the most important guest, and we will bring it to the living room using a tray and a coordinated service, together with sugar bowl and milk jug. Each will have to hold his own cup with his left hand, while with his right hand he will use the spoon.
Bitter, digestive and liqueurs
What is better than an alcoholic distillate, perhaps a digestive, to end a successful dinner? In this case, etiquette requires that we as owners of the house, propose our guests liqueurs, trying to present a wide enough selection that can satisfy all tastes. Specifically it is good to think about qualities that can please both women, who usually prefer sweeter and lighter tastes, and men, who usually prefer stronger and more determined flavors. Obviously, depending on the choices, the right glasses made for each liqueur should be used, while, to avoid stains and rings, it is now advisable to use coasters (which, instead, are banned from the table). We can also decide to add a small bucket with ice in order to allow the guests to decide whether to refresh their drinks or not.
Accompaniments
Along with coffee and / or liqueurs we could also serve a few accompaniments in the after-dinner, specifically pastries, to bring into the living room with a tray (if covered in silver with a special doily!), Dried fruit, sweets or candies (such as, for example, of jellies). The extra touch of class can, of course, be to offer the gentlemen quality cigars, to smoke while sipping a good Whiskey.
