Signature drinks are extremely popular these days, and for good reason! Not only are they a fun and easy way to incorporate your personalities and tastes into yet another aspect of your reception, but they help to cut alcohol costs, too, and make the post-ceremony bar rush a little less hectic because they can be prepared and displayed en masse ahead of time.
Yet, with so many different drinks to choose from, how does one go about narrowing it down? Here are some tips on how to pick the perfect signature drink for your Baltimore wedding.
- Make it personal. Why not choose a drink that reflects you as a couple or has meaning to you? Maybe it’s a drink you discovered on your first vacation together. Maybe you have the same favorite drink (or, each of you could just choose your favorite, if you plan to have “his” and “hers” drink options). If you met in New York, how about a Manhattan? If you both love the beach, how about something tropical? And, of course, the drink choice, itself, isn’t the only way to personalize your cocktail: you can do it by choosing what to call your drink, too, whether it’s a play on your last name or a reference to your hometown.
- Pick a color. One of the easiest ways to pick your signature drink is to use your wedding’s color palette for inspiration. With the variety of mixers available today, it’s possible to create a cocktail in nearly any color. Whether it’s a Tiffany blue Cosmopolitan, a green appletini, or pink sangria, there are so many options and a great deal of room for experimentation. Just remember that when it comes to a cocktail, brighter colors tend to be more appealing than darker ones.
- Keep it simple. A signature drink should be one that can be prepared easily and in only a few steps, without an overabundance of ingredients. Preferably it should be something that can be made in largish batches so that your bartenders don’t have to spend precious minutes mixing each individual drink for each individual guest, clogging up the bar and making your guests antsy.
- Go local and seasonal. If you have access to a local brewery, distillery or farm, why not give them business when planning out your signature drink? Guests will love the local touch and it will be a great way to narrow down your options. You may even get a discount out of it! By focusing on seasonal ingredients, you will also be able to save money.
- Tie in the location. Why not use the location of your wedding to help you make your decision? If you’re getting married in the spring, why not choose one of Baltimore’s favorite regional drinks, the Southside? Or how about an Old Bay cocktail for your waterfront reception? They even make Old Bay-flavored vodka, if you are so inclined. How cool is that?