Creating Your Signature Drink

Signature drinks are all the rage at the moment and why not? They're a great way to infuse a little of your personality and theme into your reception drink options. Make sure you meet with your planner and your bartender to get their creative expertise, but use the information below to prep yourself for the discussion.

1.What is the theme of my day? Beach parties often lean toward margaritas, but there are so many other options!

2.The season of your wedding should have an impact on your signature drink decision. In general, drinks provided during summer should be chilled and have a cooling effect. The opposite can be true for a winter wedding.

3.Even if you choose to provide a margarita, have it created in one of your wedding colors or use colored salt around the rim to coordinate. Some drinks can be tinted to match your colors, others may capture your color by the liquids used such as cranberry or tomato juice for a red scheme.

4.Consider what your favorite drinks are, alcoholic or non.

5.Garnishes are not just for looks, pretty as they may be. Berries, edible flowers, and candy sticks among others will add flavor to your drink.

6.Always have a non-alcoholic option for your non-drinking guests. And, don't assume that your signature drink has to be alcoholic. Providing a fun, complimentary, non-alcohol signature drink encourages guests to partake of it and thus reduces your open bar tab. Please also note that if you're offering a signature drink, it should be complimentary to your guests.

7.Then, be sure to give it a special day for your special day!







Seasonal:

Winter – pears, apples, cranberries, kiwi, lemon, spices, maple syrup

Spring – green grapes, apricots, honeydew, limes, mango, oranges, pineapple

Summer – watermelon, blackberries, cherries, raspberries, coconut, strawberries, blueberries

Fall – pomegranates, pumpkins, pears, chestnuts, grapefruit, lemons, oranges

A little gift for fall...

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Makes half a gallon of cocoa

Ingredients:
4 cups 2% milk
3/4 cup half and half
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2/3 cup of creamy peanut butter
Salt to taste
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
1.In a small medium saucepan, heat milk and half and half to 165°F, or until you see foamy bubbles begin to form around the edges. Do not bring it to a full, rolling boil.

2.Pour in chocolate chips and stir constantly until all of the chocolate is melted.

3.Add peanut butter and brown sugar, again stirring until completely melted and combined.

4.If your cocoa is not smooth or has chunks of peanut butter floating around that simply will not melt, run the cocoa through the blender and reheat again before serving.

5.Salt to taste and serve with an optional dollop on whipped cream.