Choosing a Signature Cocktail
After months of sorting out endless details, well, you deserve a drink; and surely you've earned an especially splendid one! So how about a cocktail tailor-made for your big day? We'll never say no to champagne for toasting, but a curated cocktail circulated on trays as guests arrive to the reception is another (tasty) way to add a layer of delight to your celebration.
Inspiration can come from something as specific as the drink you and your groom sipped on the night you met, or a vacation you took together as a couple (a jaunt to Cuba practically demands a mojito). Or perhaps your cocktail is more of an aesthetic addition, one that complements your wedding colors or nods to your venue. Is your wedding nature-inspired? Serve an ingredient-driven cocktail with botanical stirrers like our Bonny Branch swizzle sticks. A sophisticated soirée? Choose a classic Aviation served in vintage-inspired Rosy-Cheeked Coupes for a throwback feel that's as elegant at is dramatic. Your choice of glassware, ingredients, and garnishes all come into play when making a drink that's visually alluring, witty and, of course, delicious.
To help get you started, we turned to some of the top practitioners from America's burgeoning craft-cocktail scene for their take on bespoke wedding cocktails, which run the gamut from understated classics to true marvels of modern mixology. Click through for recipes and tasting notes from our favorite bartenders in New York, Chicago, New Orleans and more.