A specialty drink or cocktail adds a personal element to your wedding day. But don’t be fooled into thinking signature drinks are reserved for hot summer affairs. Fabulous and festive, winter cocktails warm hearts and hands at winter weddings.
Full of seasonal colors and flavors, these winter cocktails will offer everything from a warm welcome to a sweet farewell.
Say ‘Hello’ with Seasonal Sangria
Welcome guests to your cocktail reception with seasonal sangria. Pair white wine with sparkling cider, apples and pomegranate seeds for a bright, beautiful and refreshing drink your guests will love. Or, savor the warm hues of the season by starting with a red wine and infusing fruit flavors such as clementine, blood orange and cranberry. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove are all great earthy additions to your winter sangria recipe, and honey is a perfect seasonal sweetener. Top the glasses with a rim of cinnamon sugar for an upscale twist. Garnishes of skewered cranberries, cinnamon sticks and rosemary sprigs are all elegant finishes for the season.
Hot Toddies for Chilled Bodies
For a classic hot toddy, mix warm brandy, lemon and honey. Another seasonal favorite is hot buttered rum, a rich blend of aged rum, demerara syrup and, of course, butter. Even whiskey can be mixed into a warm beverage on a cool evening. Serve a simmered concoction of Nocello (a walnut-flavored liqueur), whiskey, simple syrup and lemon juice, and garnish with cinnamon sticks for seasonal flare and flavor.
There’s No Mulling Over These Celebratory Cocktails
Made from red wine (or cider for a non-alcoholic option) infused with spices and served warm, mulled wine is a classic winter drink. Festive garnishes and fancy glasses or mugs will elevate this century-old cocktail.
We’re loving the warmth and elegance of copper this season, and these mulled drinks will look oh so elegant in copper mugs! Splurge on the copper mugs by using them as your guest favor. Or, display small bottles of red wine and apple cider with personalized labels for guests to take home, along with a sachet of mulling spices. We recommend a blend of cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, cloves, cardamom and orange peel.
Wave ‘Goodbye’ with Warm Cocoa
For the kids (and kids at heart) a hot chocolate station is a fun and festive ending to your winter wedding. Ask you caterer to create a hot cocoa bar to accompany your late-night snack station. Experiment with flavors, from dark to white chocolate, and include a multitude of toppings including cinnamon and cinnamon sticks, peppermint sticks, marshmallows, shaved chocolate, whipped cream, caramel and chocolate sauce. Adults will enjoy the fruity, slightly salty flavor tequila adds for a boozy hot chocolate.
From fun to fashionable, the mugs at your hot cocoa station can be a décor element all on their own. Choose mugs that complement your color scheme or buy plain white mugs and invite guests to personalize and decorate their own mug to use and take home as a favor.
