What Drinks Should We Order for a Company Dinner? A 3-Minute Guide

When the menu is fixed but the drinks are not, everyone hesitates. A three-minute decision flow solves it.

Drink recommendations in this article are based on Soolmate's internal evaluation criteria. They are not an external standard.

The longest pause at a company drink session is often “what should we drink?” One person drove, one has a presentation tomorrow, and one only drinks beer. A fast drink decision keeps the table moving and improves meal satisfaction.

The Three-Step Decision Flow

Step 1: Confirm the Menu Category

Fatty Korean food — samgyeopsal, bossam, jokbal, gopchang
Spicy or sauced Korean food — dakgalbi, yangnyeom chicken, spicy octopus
Clean Korean food — sashimi, sushi, pajeon, samgyetang
Western, Chinese, Japanese — pizza, pasta, mala tang, ramen

Step 2: Estimate Average Tolerance

Light: half a soju bottle or two 500ml beers per person
Medium: one soju bottle or three to four beers
Heavy: more than one soju bottle plus mixed drinks

Step 3: Check Timing

First round before 7 p.m.: softer first glass
First round after 7 p.m.: main pairing choice
Second round: switch style after one beer or soju round

Category × Situation Matrix

Menu category	Early first round	Later first round	Second round
Fatty Korean food	Beer first, then soju	Soju	Soju
Spicy/sauced Korean food	Makgeolli or Cass	Somaek	Highball
Clean Korean food	Cheongju or white wine	Soju	Highball
Western/Chinese/Japanese	Heineken or wine	Sake or wine	Highball or gin and tonic

Three Common Scenarios

Eight People, Samgyeopsal, 7:30 p.m.

Choose soju as the main drink. Keep non-alcoholic beer for drivers. A normal starting order is six soju bottles and six to eight 500ml beers.

Four People, Chicken, 6:30 p.m.

If yangnyeom chicken is the center, choose makgeolli or Cass. For a slower table, two makgeolli bottles plus four cans of Cass is balanced.

Six People, Izakaya Second Round

Switch away from the first-round drink. Highballs as the base plus one or two sake pours for specific dishes is usually the easiest order.

One-Minute Check Before Ordering

Are drivers, pregnant guests, or non-drinkers covered?
Are glass sizes consistent?
Are water and food ordered before alcohol?

Quantity Guide by Group Size

People	Soju	Beer 500ml	Makgeolli 750ml
4	4-5 bottles	8-10 cans	2 bottles
6	6-7 bottles	10-12 cans	3 bottles
8	8-10 bottles	14-16 cans	4 bottles
10	10-12 bottles	18-20 cans	5 bottles

Choose one main drink from the table and add only about 30% of a secondary drink to avoid over-ordering.

Once the menu is fixed, check pairing scores on Soolmate — View pairings by food

FAQ

Q. Is somaek always right for company dinners? A. It depends. Somaek is fine with fatty foods like samgyeopsal or gopchang, but it is weaker with sashimi, sushi, and pajeon.

Q. Is it okay to suggest wine at a company dinner? A. It feels natural for Western food, izakaya tables, or second rounds. For a first team dinner, simpler lager and soju orders have lower failure risk.

Q. Are low-alcohol or zero-sugar soju good for company dinners? A. Yes. Modern mainstream soju around 16% works like regular soju in pairings and is easier for mixed-tolerance groups.

Related Guides & Pairings

Excessive drinking is harmful to your health. Alcohol is prohibited for people under 19.