Six Tips To Craft The Perfect Wedding Cocktail Menu
The actual wedding day might seem like the most important day for a couple in love but before the marriage takes place, there are a host of other ceremonies and dinners that are arranged for the couple to spend time with family. Some of these ceremonies also comprise of certain rituals which are performed before marriage as an initiation into family life. Either way, there are lots of days prior to the big one, full of ceremonies and one of them is wedding cocktails. You can either host a cocktail night prior to the wedding or merge your cocktails and reception together or blend this evening of drinking and general merriment with your rehearsal dinner or sangeet.
Either way, cocktail night means guests coming over simply to share the joys of the couple, interact with each of their family and friends and generally have a relaxed time and conversation before or immediately after the moment of marriage. This calls for a stunning cocktail menu, full of lip smacking dishes and thoroughly inventive cocktails and liquors that pair well with the overall theme, venue and preferences of the two people tying the knot.
Read on below for some handy tips and hacks for the next time you decide to take on the mammoth task of planning a wedding and need some notes on how to design a cocktail menu:
Signature Couple Drinks
One of the trendiest drinking styles today is to design cocktails based on the couples’ personalities. This can either be individual drinks crafted according to each one or a single drink celebrating them together. For a couple that is adventurous, the cocktail choices consist of intense, bold and robust flavours including a complex whisky and some citrusy notes or sharp gingery notes paired with vodka. A couple that enjoys finesse and elegance would perhaps be symbolised by a cocktail with a wine or chambord base that celebrates their sophistication.
Strike A Balance Between Liquors
Along with signature cocktails, if you are also offering some other spirits, have a healthy mix of light and dark liquors. This goes for your wines and whiskies too, so make sure you have a good selection of white wines and champagnes as well as brilliant reds and rich Scotch whisky. You can always serve martinis and negronis but also go for mai tais and manhattans which are more colourful alternatives. Keep some low-calorie and sugar free options at hand too, just in case there are some calorie conscious people among the guests.
Cocktails And Food Pairings
One of the most obvious tips is to serve food and drink that is functioning in synchronised harmony. If you are going for intensely flavoured foods like kebabs and biryanis, make sure you have robust spirits like whiskies and highball cocktails. Also have a selection of mocktails ready for those who like to enjoy buttermilk or a virgin mojito with spicy foods.
DIY Bars
If you don’t mind putting your guests to work at wedding cocktails, you can create a DIY station where they can concoct their own mixes. However, do have a bartender at the ready just in case guests need some expert advice. A mojito station complete with spirits, herbs, fruits and a recipe card might add just a bit of fun element to the whole setting.
Presentation Matters
Spend some time on deciding how you would garnish and decorate signature drinks. A wedding cocktail party is about revelling in the couple so you can make everything about celebrating the two people. This includes garnishes and themed glassware or thoughtful ingredients that immediately reflect the couple’s distinct style.
Consider Theme And Venue
Last but never the least, everything including food, decor and drink must cater to the overall theme and the venue at which the wedding is scheduled to happen. Keep in mind the season while crafting a cocktail menu and go for fresh produce which is easily found in a particular month. Pair the drinks with the food in a way that resonates with this seasonal fervour.
