That was the question I asked myself during our first flight night. Why do we not do this more often? All meals should be flighted!
If you are unfamiliar with this particular concept of “flight”, our friend Merriam-Webster let me know that it’s an order of samplings or tastings. Interestingly, they do specify that the food or drink is served on a wooden board or a specially designed carrier. With this definition, our dessert was not technically a flight as it was served on a regular plate, so I will be informing my sister that she missed the mark.
What are sisters for?
That tremendous failure on her part aside, please sit back and enjoy your time being inspired to host your very own flight night.
The Menu: Boarding Pass to Flavour Town
A flight night has to start with a flight of your choice of beverage. Our lovely hosts had a wine option as well as an alcohol free option. They actually made the wines, which is not a necessary step but is a sure way to impress your guests (even if the wines don’t taste great, in my experience). They walked us through each wine from swirl to sniff, and finally, sip.
For your beverages, you can pick a unifying theme like regional wines or beers, going from lightest tasting to most flavourful. For the alcohol free flights, she had us guess what the drinks were, which did add a fun twist.
Making flights does add some time. Be sure to set out some appetizers for your guests to pick at while they finish their drinks. Our hosts served home made french fries and deep fried pickles, a very strong start.
Next, came fish tacos. Tacos are an easy dish to add a lot of variety to, but you can take pretty much anything and dress it up a little bit differently for your flights.
Lastly, our hosts served us a flight of brownies. If you have done your job correctly, your guests are likely very full. I would opt to have a couple of take-home containers so your guests can bring home whatever they don’t finish.
The Perfect Interlude Between Courses: An Obstacle Course
“Don’t eat too much, we have an obstacle course after dinner.”
This is not something someone should say as they place a tray of deep-fried pickles and homemade fries in front of you. Collectively, we decided not to listen to that advice.
There is something hilarious about a group of adults getting ready to compete in an obstacle course after finishing a large meal. You can find some great ideas for a DIY obstacle course here.
One reason why I love this idea so much is that it adds a very silly element to what is typically an elegant experience.
Gifts for Your Hosts: Can We Talk About It?
Having limited kitchen space myself, I wouldn’t recommend gifting any charcuterie board sets. If they are hosting a flight night, they likely have more than enough! Instead, I would opt for your favourite beverage to share with the host.
I live in scotland and have never heard of flight nights or flight meals. Sounds like fun