Romantic Wedding Cocktails

Whenever the days get longer and the nights warmer here at the ranch, we naturally start to daydream about our favorite cool, refreshing drinks. And with wedding season ramping up, we get to thinking in particular about about the tastiest, most romantic wedding cocktails we’ve sampled over the last few months.

So we thought we’d take a bit of time to explore some wedding cocktail trends for 2018, along with a couple of our own favorite wedding cocktail recipes.

 
 

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Farm to Cocktail Trends for 2018 Weddings

The signature cocktail is back – One of the big wedding cocktail trends of the early 2000s was the signature cocktail, often with a silly name like ‘Drunk in Love,’ or ‘Berry Happy Together,’ or the ‘Honey, I Do’ to name and shame just a few of the more ridiculous (but delicious) cocktails we’ve quaffed.

In 2018, the trend is a little less over the top as far as silly names go, with the cocktails more personalized toward the actual couple, and often named by their contents or the classic drink upon which they’re based. The trend is puts a little more modern spin on the romance, with couples cocktails trending over his n hers drinks.

To craft a truly fun signature drink, a great mixologist or bartender will work with the couple to create a flavor profile, or to find out the color scheme or decor theme of the wedding and craft a signature drink based on the profile, such as a Peach Mojito to celebrate the wedding of a Southern Gal with her Cuban hottie.

Peach Mojito

1 Part Rum
1 Part Peach Schnapps
1 Part Soda Water
½ lime, wedged
Handful of Mint
2 TSP Sugar
Muddle the mint, limes, and sugar in your metal cocktail shaker. Add rum, Schnapps and ice and shake. Pour into a rocks glass, top with soca water, and garnish with a sprig of mint.
 
 
Classics and artisanal cocktails are hot – When you’re throwing a traditional wedding, sometimes what you really want for your guests is just a tasty, laid back classic. For slightly classier summer cocktails, it’s tough to beat an old fashioned or a manhattan.

For a late spring wedding, a basic gin and tonic, a rum punch or a fortified lemonade are time-honored classics.

But for the classic summer wedding cocktail, we reach for the French 75 – a fresh, fizzy, and festive combination of champagne and gin.

 
 

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French 75

1 lemon
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) simple syrup or agave nectar
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) gin
1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) fresh lemon juice
1 part fresh lemon juice
1 cup ice cubes
1/4 cup (2 ounces) dry sparkling wine or Champagne – chilled
Maraschino Cherry for garnish
Take a paring knife and carefully slice a long, thin spiral peel from your lemon. Set the peel aside for garnish. Juice your lemon (you need about 1 ½ TBSP or half the amount of gin you’ll be using). In your cocktail shaker, combine gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Add ice and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds. Strain into a Champagne flute and top with sparkling wine. Curl the lemon peel around your finger to create a nice long twist. Garnish and serve.
 
 

Include a wedding mocktail for kids & non-drinkers – One of the best parts of a barn or country wedding is how kid-friendly they are. There are plenty of animals to check out, lots of room to roam, and no need to keep the kiddos cooped up (except during the ceremony).

So it’s great to have a non-alcoholic choice for the youngsters, and for any of your guests who aren’t drinking. One of our classic go-tos is a self-serve lemonade stand. If you want to get fancy with it, make it a lavender lemonade for a gourmet twist. The kids love to enjoy a drink with the grown ups and participate in toasts, and this one is just as refreshing for adults as well.

 
 

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Lemon Berry Faux-jito

4 lemon wedges
4 strawberries sliced
12 mint leaves
Ice cubes and crushed ice
1 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup (or agave nectar)
Add lemon wedges, strawberries and mint leaves to a cocktail shaker. Then add ice, lemon juice and the sugar cane syrup and shake thoroughly. Fill highball glasses with crushed ice and strain in your mocktail mixture. Garnish with berry halves and mint sprigs for a big finish.
 
 
Probably the most important aspect of wedding cocktails is to make sure your wedding planner or maid of honor knows to bring you one of them every now and then. While you’re mingling and hosting, it’s too easy not to make it to the bar.

 
 
This year, we’re partnering again with Peak Beverages to provide bartending services and drinks and we’re happy to work with you and with them to make any of these refreshing farm to cocktail concoctions a reality.
 
 

Call Lindsay At 303-618-6647 For Information!