Signature Drinks: Make It Your Own

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Your reception is your chance to show your style. It’s your opportunity to put your name all over something that you should be proud of. And I can’t think of too many other things that are more fun than creating your own drink?

Photo by With Love & Embers from Kristen and George’s Wedding at Battlefield Bed & Breakfast in Gettysburg, PA

Ok, so you want to serve alcohol at your reception, but the cost of “open bar” is a bit overwhelming. What do you do? Offer champagne for your toast (or not), serve wine and beer at the bar, and create your own special mixed drink cocktail (or two). Your “signature drink” can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and there are no rules.  It can be classic, crazy, fruity, colorful, sophisticated, powerful – whatever you want!

Here are some recipes I found… perhaps I will do some taste testing soon.

Blackberry-Mint Julep (MarthaStewart.com)

• 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves

• 1 pint blackberries

• 6 tablespoons sugar

• 1/2 cup bourbon

• 4 cups small ice cubes

• 4 sprigs mint, for garnishing

Frozen Ginger Lemon Drop (MarthaStewart.com)

• Lemon juice (about 1/4 cup), for coating glass rims

• Superfine sugar, for coating glass rims

• Frozen Ginger Lemonade

• 2 to 4 cups vodka

• Lemon zest curls, for garnish

Pear-Lemon Fizz (MarthaStewart.com)

• Ice cubes

• 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) pear vodka

• 3/4 ounce Lemon Verbena Simple Syrup

• 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice

• Champagne, for topping off (about 1/2 cup)

• 1 fresh lemon verbena leaf, for garnish

Watermelon Bloody Marys (MarthaStewart.com)

• 12 cups watermelon chunks (from one 4-pound watermelon, rind removed), plus pieces, for serving

• 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

• Ice, for serving

• 1 1/2 cups tomato juice

• 13 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco, or to taste

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds, ground with a mortar and pestle, or celery salt

• Freshly ground pepper

• 1 to 1 1/4 cups vodka

• Celery stalks, for serving

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Once you’ve picked your drink — or drinks if you can’t pick just one — make sure to make a sign that sticks with your theme. If your guests don’t know about your drink, they won’t order it. If you picked it for a special reason, include that on the sign. Keep it short and sweet, but it means more if the guests know WHY it’s your signature.

Happy Drinking! …. errr, I mean planning!