I pride myself on having a keen eye for value. Value meaning specifically what expenses are 'worth it' to the bride and groom. While that list is different for every couple, a recent article in
Refinery 29 highlighting some of the best signature cocktails in NYC caused me to think about the positive reasons to have a signature cocktail at your reception, and why it's value is pretty ubiquitous.
It says you in a much more interesting (and less in your face) way than your pictures screen printed on to your cake. While the good stuff goes beyond the cool factor, the cool factor definitely has appeal. You can be as trendy or as traditional as you want, and you don't need a mixologist to do it. The important thing is that your signature cocktail makes your guests think of you. If you only want beer and wine at your wedding, or a mixed drink just isn't you, there are options for that as well. A friend of mine surprised her husband (who brews his own beer - delicious!) with custom made labels for the bottles of homemade brew they provided their guests with. A client of mine picked out two different wines, one with her name on the label and one with her husbands. You can choose a beer or a wine from a region that represents you as well! The important thing is that you get to do you - and nothing beats that cool factor.
You can create lasting memories. You can turn your signature cocktail into an interesting gift for your bridal party. You can gift a bottle of that specific wine, or you can make small print outs of the recipe for the cocktail and gift it with a bottle of the main ingredient. Beyond that, this signature drink is yours and yours alone. You can celebrate with it on anniversaries, or it can just be a fond memory that you recall whenever you join your girls out for drinks. Either way, it's a nice way to add a little more touch of special to your big day.
It can be a way to control costs, although; as a caveat, some venues will tack on a hefty increase in price depending on the base ingredients. I've created cocktails with everything from
Veuve Cliquot and Grand Marnier as a base to Smirnoff Blueberry, and each time the result is the same - guests couldn't get enough of the signature cocktail. It can be a great way to control an on consumption bar tab, a nice compromise between only beer and wine or the whole nine yards, and if you are designing your own reception, it's an incredible way to control how much product you order and avoid having a ton of leftovers.
You can find recipes and ideas for signature cocktails on websites like
The Knot and
Delish, or you can come up with your own. For those of you out there who have tastes like me (whiskey, neat or on the rocks), I would caution you to maybe cut the 'you' a tiny bit - not everyone can handle such a strong dose of awesomeness, which bring me to my final point. Signature cocktails are a great way to steer the Great Uncle Joe's away from his traditional vodka soda, hold the soda, and towards a libation will be more conducive to his making it through the reception without any extra special toasts. Over consumption is a valid concern that has been brought up to me by many a bride and groom. Signature cocktails are as a rule a little weaker than your boring old mixed drinks, because the addition of lower proof liquors or sparkling wine take the place of usually one third of the higher proof base of vodka, rum or whiskey.
So, to sum it all up, signature cocktails are an elegant and simple way to personalize your reception while adding some fun and giving you the option to control both your price point and, to a lesser extent, your guests consumption. Sounds like a win win to me!
