The Summer Wedding and Signature Cocktails

For backyard tent or garden-style weddings, the cool new trend is to offer a signature cocktail. While offering a full bar is the “norm,” it can also be pricey — what with all the required mixers, bar fruit and glassware involved. A limited bar of beer, wine and soft drinks, is an affordable way to offer guests drinks without breaking the bank. But why not go one step further?

Enter the signature cocktail. It can be something as simple as a refreshing vodka tonic served in a rocks glass with a sprig of fresh mint, or as exotic as a mixture of St. Germaine, Proseco and a single ripened raspberry.

The special concoction can be passed on silver trays to guests just after the ceremony, signaling the start of the celebration. Later, it can be available at the bar, artfully displayed in a glass beverage dispenser.

Choosing the cocktail can be lots of fun. It might be the bride and groom’s favorite, or something they “invented” and named. Perhaps an old family recipe (think Manhattans) or the hottest, newest, trendiest martini. Given the season, it could easily showcase summer’s finest fruits — mangos, peaches, pomegranates. The possibilities are endless.

Whatever the drink, guests will surely appreciate (and remember) the cool and thirst-quenching signature cocktail offered them on a sultry summer night.

Cheers!

*Be sure to have an alcohol-free version available as well.

St-Germain Cocktail

2 parts Riondo Prosecco
1 ½ parts St-Germain
2 parts club soda. Stir lightly to mix completely.
Serve over ice in a Collins glass with a ripened raspberry.

Pomegranate and Blueberry Martini

1 oz Vodka
2 oz fresh pomegranate juice (such as POM)

The juice of one fresh lime

Handful of blueberries

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker 1/4 filled with chopped ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Either skewer the blueberries onto a martini pick, or put a handful into each martini glass. If possible, chill the glasses ahead of time.