Always the same setup: Sample six products, talk a bit, done. It works – but there are other ways.
With the right format, a nice evening becomes a true experience. Here are ideas you can implement right away.
The Blind Tasting
The classic among surprise formats. Your guests don't know what's in the glass – and have to rely entirely on their senses.
The exciting part: Without a label, many prejudices disappear. The expensive wine suddenly doesn't automatically taste better. The hidden gem from the region beats the big name. Aha moments and discussions emerge.
You can design the whole tasting blind or just throw in one or two products. Both work.
The Battle
Product A versus Product B. Two whiskeys, two cheeses, two chocolates – side by side, in direct comparison.
The format is simple but incredibly effective. Your guests have a clear task: Which one is better? They discuss, vote, sometimes argue passionately.
Works especially well with: Old vs. Young, Classic vs. Modern, Regional vs. International, Budget vs. Premium.
The Theme Night
Instead of jumping across different products: A common thread that connects everything.
An evening with wines from just one region. Only raw milk cheeses. Only whiskeys from Scotland. Only single-origin chocolates.
The limitation is the strength. Your guests dive deeper, notice differences they would never have spotted otherwise. And you position yourself as an expert on that exact topic.
The Food Pairing Event
Not just tasting, but combining. Each product comes with a matching companion – or a deliberate contrast.
Cheese and honey. Chocolate and sea salt. Whisky and dark chocolate. Wine and the perfect appetizer.
The format is more demanding but also more impressive. Your guests experience how flavors enhance each other or create entirely new taste worlds.
The Time Travel
The same product in different vintages or aging stages. Three vintages of the same wine. A young, a medium-aged, and a long-aged cheese. Whisky from different cask types.
This format shows how time changes flavor. It's educational, surprising, and often the absolute favorite among experienced enthusiasts.
The Surprise Guest
You invite someone with a personal connection to one of the products. The winemaker, the cheesemaker, the master distiller – someone who can tell the story firsthand.
Suddenly, these aren't just products anymore. They're stories from real people. Your guests ask questions, get insights they wouldn't get anywhere else.
More effort to organize, but unforgettable.
Mix and Match
The beautiful thing about these formats: You don't have to choose just one. A theme night with a blind element. A battle with food pairing. A time travel with a surprise guest.
Experiment. Try out what suits you and your guests. And if something doesn't work – next time you'll do it differently.
Conclusion: Break Out of the Routine
The standard format has its place. But every now and then, you need a fresh breeze – for yourself and for your guests.
With TastingHub, you can execute any of these formats: flexibly set up products, live voting for battles and blind tastings, automatic materials for every theme night. So you can focus on the creative part.
