FOCUS ON... STYLES AND TRENDS
Elyse Glickman - October 27, 2009
I Now Pronounce You… Delicious!
A great wedding reception cocktail need not be heavy on spirits to be big on flavor and impact. Top mixologists show you how to put your great taste on display.
No matter when a wedding is staged, it is not complete without a toast to the bride and groom. As mixology (the culinary art of cocktail-making) is now all the rage, traditional champagne is being replaced with special wedding cocktails. The addition of a signature cocktail further customizes the reception experience, especially as it can be developed to suit the bride and groom’s personality as well as season, time of day and décor.
Toasting the couple should be as extraordinary as other parts of the wedding, including the dress, flower arrangements and (especially) the food. That said, the signature cocktail, like the mood, should be kept light and even be adaptable to a non-alcoholic format (i.e. replacing the sparkling wine with a sparkling cider or soda) so all members of the family can partake. In some cases, and in some of the recipes below, non-alcoholic cocktails may be the best option.
A surprisingly high demand for non-alcoholic cocktails and light-on-liquor cocktails is something that captured the imagination of Natalie Bovis-Nelsen, also known as The Liquid Muse (www.theliquid muse.com). In response, she authored Preggatinis™: Mixology for the Mom-To-Be, featuring 75+ nonalcoholic cocktail recipes, and the forthcoming The Bubbly Bride: Your Ultimate Wedding Cocktail Guide and recently spoke on these topics at Tales of The Cocktail, an annual celebration of cocktail crafting held in New Orleans every July.
“Offering a non-alcoholic alternative ensures that each person—teens under legal drinking age, elderly guests on medication, pregnant women and designated drivers—get to be included in the fun,” advises Bovis-Nelsen. “Being thoughtful enough to have a special drink that can be enjoyed both ways is the perfect opportunity for you to show that all of your guests are honored on your special day.”
Bovis-Nelsen also advises couples to pay attention to all the special details about their wedding when deciding on or developing a custom cocktail for the special day. This is such an important consideration that she’s even dedicated a whole chapter in The Bubbly Bride to creating a signature cocktail that represents the couple.
“I suggest couples think about ways the cocktail can reflect both the food menu and the theme of the event,” continues Bovis-Nelsen. “If they are doing an outdoor, country style wedding in the Southeastern United States, a mint julep could be the perfect drink. If they are doing something echoing a Napa wine country experience, a wine-based drink could be ideal. It’s a case-by-case situation, but couples should keep an eye out for possibilities that are adaptable based on the guests attending.”
Finally, nothing personalizes a drink more than a garnish. However, you do not have to be a mixologist or “bar chef” to get that creative edge that will set your toasts apart from all others. The Dress The Drink garnishing kit (MSRP $49, available at www.dressthedrink.com) comes with everything a bride needs to make a fashion statement with her cocktails, both on the big day and for events before and after, such as showers and first anniversary parties. The kit comes complete with a variety of festive colored sugars to rim your flutes and glasses. The web site also sells SweetGlaze flowers and petals as well as silver flakes and edible diamonds that elevate cocktails to ultimate luxuries everybody at your wedding can enjoy.
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