Creative Craft Cocktails

Making the drinks at the reception should be a fairly quick, easy task. “It is always smart to avoid anything that requires muddling or several steps,” Pounders says. “Guests at a wedding want to get drinks as quickly as they can, and several-step cocktails or muddling can slow the bar down.”

Corey Jernigan, bartender at The Pearl Havana Beach Bar & Grill in Rosemary Beach agrees about keeping it simple.

“Some of the best cocktails I have created for weddings were three to four ingredients,” said Jernigan. “Use seasonal ingredients and be mindful of your location. Keep it fresh, keep it simple, and yet be creative.”

An easy, fun fix for drinks is to “batch” your cocktails. Have your cocktails prepped beforehand, pour them into eye-catching serving containers with glassware nearby, and you’re bartender-free. Logue recommends batching your cocktails to save money and time, especially for larger weddings. Have more on standby, though: Serve-your-owns will pour out and pass around, fast.

Presentation can be just as valuable as the stuff you’re sipping on. Cut-glass crystal goblets, gold adorned champagne flutes or colored highball glasses make the drink all the more fun to carry around. Your ingredients can also serve as décor: an edible orchid for spring, bright citrus for summer, a sprig of rosemary in the fall and cranberries for your winter wedding.

A creative cocktail theme that many couples are embracing is individualized libation options. The bride may be a lover of gin, while the groom is loyal to whiskey. Each concocts a beverage option that is served, and then the guests choose which drink they like best.

Glasses will clink in a toast to the newlywed couple, so make sure your libation is something that goes down easy and welcomes further toasting!