The reception hall where I want my wedding banquet does not allow hard licquor...only beer, wine, and champagne :( I would really like to have a signature drink but what are my options?? Do I have to settle for a nonalcoholic signature drink??? Please help!
You could do a chapagne punch as your signature drink, and just name it for the wedding. You could present it as you would a regular signature drink, and just have the punch made up in pitchers rather than in a punch bowl.
The only problem with a lot of wine/champagne cocktails (including sangria), is that they include hard alcohol. There's also the cost issue. A bellini would be delicious and very elegant, but a little bit costly because of the champagne and fresh peach puree (you could sub in peach nectar). But larnaye and soontobeathurnher are on to something--the best way to make a signature cocktail that doesn't include any hard alcohol is to add fruit juice.
It's not worth mixing nice champagne with fruit juice, but get a decent sparkling wine, and then add a dash of cranberry, pomegranate, blueberry, raspberry, cherry, pineapple or other juices to make a champagne cocktail of desired color. You can even add a piece of fruit (a lemon peel curl, a single raspberry, a single blueberry) as garnish to dress it up.
Another option would be a wine spritzer. Mix half and half white wine and either club soda or lemon or lime sparkling water. Garnish with whatever pretty fruit you'd like.
For the cocktail hour, we're having a prosecco bar with all different mix-ins (peach nectar, fresh squeezed orange juice, pomegranate juice, blueberry juice, etc.). I think prosecco is trendy right now though, so prices have gone up!
We have the same issue with our venue. They suggested some sort of rice "vodka." It is Japanese, doesn't count as liquor (I guess they count it as wine?) - but he says it mixes just like vodka and we would have signature drinks that way. If you ever go to a bar without a full liquor license (we have one down the street) they use this stuff too for anything that would include vodka. It does have alcohol in it, just a smaller amount than regular vodka (I think). If no one chimes in with the name of this, I can go down the street and find out. Our caterer said we could do cosmos with this, etc. - but in the end we decided just to have beer and lots of wine and champagne (getting married on a vineyard).
enmorre66, are you thinking of Saki? It's a Japanese rice wine, and yes it does have a much stronger taste than any wine I've ever had. I always get hot saki when I get sushi! Mmm... now I'm hungry!
I agree with everyone else, a sparkling wine with a fruit mix in would be awesome. I love me some momosas! You could also have a fancy flavored lemonade as well. Served in nice glasses with some fruit in it would make for a wonderful presentation.
The reception hall where I want my wedding banquet does not allow hard licquor...only beer, wine, and champagne :( I would really like to have a signature drink but what are my options?? Do I have to settle for a nonalcoholic signature drink??? Please help!
posted by girlrobot 1 posts 6 months agoi should preface this by saying i have never had an alcoholic drink in my entire life and i'm terribly uninformed...but what about a bellini?
posted by larnaye 11 posts 6 months agoor you could make a nice sangria - red or white
posted by ncmountainbride 40 posts 6 months agoMrs. Lovebug had a non-alcoholic drink on her cocktail list.
http://www.weddingbee.com/2008/04/03/drink-trials/
"Sweetest Sparkler"
posted by Angel 629 posts 6 months agoYou could do a chapagne punch as your signature drink, and just name it for the wedding. You could present it as you would a regular signature drink, and just have the punch made up in pitchers rather than in a punch bowl.
posted by soontobeathurnher 14 posts 6 months agoThe only problem with a lot of wine/champagne cocktails (including sangria), is that they include hard alcohol. There's also the cost issue. A bellini would be delicious and very elegant, but a little bit costly because of the champagne and fresh peach puree (you could sub in peach nectar). But larnaye and soontobeathurnher are on to something--the best way to make a signature cocktail that doesn't include any hard alcohol is to add fruit juice.
It's not worth mixing nice champagne with fruit juice, but get a decent sparkling wine, and then add a dash of cranberry, pomegranate, blueberry, raspberry, cherry, pineapple or other juices to make a champagne cocktail of desired color. You can even add a piece of fruit (a lemon peel curl, a single raspberry, a single blueberry) as garnish to dress it up.
Another option would be a wine spritzer. Mix half and half white wine and either club soda or lemon or lime sparkling water. Garnish with whatever pretty fruit you'd like.
posted by lotusmoss 99 posts 6 months agoIn lieu of champagne you could also use Prosecco, which is often less expensive and sometimes tastier than champagne. Its the base of a bellini.
Lotusmoss has the right idea with mixing it up to make a signature sparkling wine drink.
posted by beesknees 274 posts 6 months agoFor the cocktail hour, we're having a prosecco bar with all different mix-ins (peach nectar, fresh squeezed orange juice, pomegranate juice, blueberry juice, etc.). I think prosecco is trendy right now though, so prices have gone up!
posted by rebecca 989 posts 6 months agoWe have the same issue with our venue. They suggested some sort of rice "vodka." It is Japanese, doesn't count as liquor (I guess they count it as wine?) - but he says it mixes just like vodka and we would have signature drinks that way. If you ever go to a bar without a full liquor license (we have one down the street) they use this stuff too for anything that would include vodka. It does have alcohol in it, just a smaller amount than regular vodka (I think). If no one chimes in with the name of this, I can go down the street and find out. Our caterer said we could do cosmos with this, etc. - but in the end we decided just to have beer and lots of wine and champagne (getting married on a vineyard).
posted by enmoore66 217 posts 6 months agoenmorre66, are you thinking of Saki? It's a Japanese rice wine, and yes it does have a much stronger taste than any wine I've ever had. I always get hot saki when I get sushi! Mmm... now I'm hungry!
I agree with everyone else, a sparkling wine with a fruit mix in would be awesome. I love me some momosas! You could also have a fancy flavored lemonade as well. Served in nice glasses with some fruit in it would make for a wonderful presentation.
Good luck!
posted by bonniebelle101 291 posts 6 months ago