20 Wedding Perfect Beverages for Every Imaginable Moment of Your Celebration
Drinks have been enjoyed and used to mark significant occasions or celebrations since the dawn of time. Weddings, for example, go back nearly 25,000 years according to some sources, with the tradition really picking up speed in ancient Greece and Rome about 4500 years ago, about the same time as winemaking was picking up speed. (Just saying.)
Modern weddings as we know them have a history of only about 200 years, and in those same 200 years, production and consumption of alcoholic beverages has skyrocketed. Is this in any way related? Does it matter? Either way, there are beverages in every category that just seem to have a big wedding vibe about them. Whether by name, aesthetic, or just some intangible, romantic mood, we’ve rounded up 20 wedding-themed beverages for any and every possible moment of your celebration, beginning way before the time of the actual ceremony.
For Toasting the Bride
This stunning, traditional method, blanc de blanc sparkler from Emilia-Romagna’s whimsical Luretta Winery has Princess written all over it. Literally. How better to make the bride feel showered with attention? (Well, besides the bridal shower.)
For Adding Destination Vibes to Any Wedding
Double Gold Medal Winner, 2022 New York International Spirits Competition
Sorel, (pronounced so-REL,) almost rhymes with "floral, apt, for a gorgeous, aromatic, hibiscus-based liqueur that is equally elegant in cocktails as it is sipped on its own. (Try a “Nearest and Dearest'' from the brand’s website for another wedding-themed libation.) Made from an old Barbadian recipe, Sorel brings a tropical mood to your festivities, whether they’re taking place in the Caribbean or just City Hall.
For A Bespoke Look
Weddings should be memorable for everyone involved. One such way to create a lasting memory is by customizing labels on award-winning wines from Windsor Vineyards to use as table centerpieces, where guests can take your faces home with them and think fondly of you and your celebration while they sip.
For Nipping from Hidden Flasks
Double Gold Medal Winner, 2022 New York International Spirits Competition
We could all probably use a little more courage and conviction in our life generally, and that especially rings true on momentous occasions like weddings. These award-winning American Single Malt Whiskies from Virginia are just the thing to stash in those engraved flasks your wedding party probably has in abundance.
For Euro Chic Flair
Taylor Fladgate Chip Dry & Tonic
The look is bridal, the pedigree is honeymoon, and the taste is day-at-the-spa. White port and tonic has been a sexy aperitif staple in Portugal for some time; a gentler, more floral version of a classic gin and tonic. Perfect to have on hand at the spa or in the bridal suite, Taylor Fladgate’s Port & Tonic will confirm what you want your friends to believe: you are the most sophisticated among them.
For Stocking The Bar with “Spirit”
Double Gold Medal Winner, 2022 New York International Spirits Competition
Are lifted spirits not the goal for any festive celebration? The award-winning gin Lifted Spirits Supernova puts it on the nose with a bright gin whose botanicals include orange zest, hibiscus, and chamomile alongside the juniper. Also at navy strength—that’s 57% ABV—Lifted Spirits literally has more spirit with which to do the lifting.
For Gifting the Bridal Party
The rare marriages in this case refer to marriages between whisky and oak. These cask conditioned Scotch expressions from the masterminds at The Balvenie, at 25, 30, and 40 years of age, showcase the kind of depth and complexity that the rarest of (human) marriages may hope to achieve. These super premium whiskies aren’t for a crowd but are perfect for gifting to those who stand beside you at the altar as in life.
For an Inspired Dessert Pairing
Dough Ball Cookie Dough Whiskey
Should Dough Ball, a cookie-dough flavored whiskey, be the go-to whiskey you have on hand for making mixed drinks at the bar? Perhaps not. Should it be the whiskey you have on hand when it comes time to cut the cake? Absolutely. A slightly under-proof whiskey with notes of vanilla and chocolate is perfect for matching the sweetest moments of your celebration.
For a Beer with a Good Omen
They say Virginia is for lovers, so it's no wonder a Virginia-based brewery offers up the perfect selection for serving the beer drinkers at your party. The Love is a lightly hopped, unfiltered hefeweizen that is craft enough to appeal to the beer-conscious among your guests, and easygoing enough for those who just want “beer." Feel The Love.
For Expressing #CoupleGoals
I'd say this tequila is the perfect his and hers combo if that weren't playing into outdated gender tropes. (Not to mention that many marriages now have varying combinations of his, hers, and theirs.) But a very sippable, and cocktail-friendly reposado tequila aged in rosé wine barrels certainly does have #oppositesattract and #couplegoals built into its DNA.
To Go with Your Chicken or Vegetarian Entrée
We mostly try not to judge wines by their labels, but when it comes to choosing wines to serve on your wedding day, it just doesn’t hurt if the brand has a wedding feel to it. From Ritual’s website, “the making of a good wine is immersed in rituals,” which is true of course for weddings and also for marriages. This organic sauvignon blanc from Chile’s Casablanca Valley is both style and substance: a vibrant expression of the grape with citrus, floral, and orchard fruit notes.
To Pair with Sunshine, Salads & Seafood
A Provençal rosé at its very core might be the most wedding wine of all time: fit for the season, easy drinking, but with enough pedigree that even the wine snobs in your crowd will think it an excellent choice. Here, we have a particular pink stunner that is also light on alcohol, but not on flavor, with fruits and florals in equal measure. So then the only way to really up the anté on a Provençal rosé wedding choice is with a hyper-romantic name. In this case: Romance, because, obviously.
A Serious Red for the Steak, or For Impressing Your In-Laws
Okay but if you really want to impress the wine snobs, or your in-laws, here’s a stately yet opulent red to do the trick. Baronesa P is named for Baroness Philippine de Rothschild. Rothschild, as in Bordeaux’s famed Mouton-Rothschild. The Baroness was among the first to recognize the potential in Chilean terroir, so in her namesake wine you get Bordeaux wine sensibility and prestige, with a New World price tag.
The Perfect Coffee for Before, During, or the (Morning) After
You're going to need coffee at any number of moments in your celebration: to get you going on the day of, to keep you going after the big reception dinner, and to pick you back up the next day. So make it Amor Perfecto—"Perfect Love"—whose flavorful, Colombian coffees are roasted to order at origin.
For Chilling Before it Gets Hot & Heavy
You’re obviously going to have to have ready-to-drink options on hand for a number of occasions related to your wedding, because, well, everyone’s doing it. With Flying Embers you can feel good about your choice on a lot of levels. You get a romantic name, (sparks flying, anyone?) and a brand with purpose: 1% of the revenue from their imaginative hard seltzers and hard kombuchas go toward supporting first responder organizations.
For a Sober Sipper with a Positive Attitude
For your guests that are cutting back on alcohol, (but not wine, as the brand’s website suggests,) Surely provides sauvignon blanc and rosé elixirs that are actually made from wine grapes, and then dealcoholized. So you can say “surely!” or, in other words, “I do!” to happily filling your wine glass with Surely.
For Drinking on the Dance Floor
Silver Medal Winner 2022 New York International Spirits Competition
It’s really hard to do the YMCA, the Cha Cha Slide, the Hustle, or the Chicken Dance with a drink in your hand. It isn’t, however, quite as difficult with a popsicle in one’s hand. Modeled after the nostalgic, Fla-Vor-Ice form, these boozy treats made from premium spirits include flavors such as Pineapple Daiquiri, Mango Margarita, and Whiskey Ginger. Just be sure to keep them out of the hands of the junior members of your bridal party, as the temptation will be great.
For a Vodka with Subliminal Messages
“Vestal,” from the ancient Roman priestess Vesta, refers to that which is pure, or chaste, and in this case refers to an impeccable Polish vodka whose approach to purity means allowing the spirit to boldly express flavor and terroir. Without being crass, it is the 21st Century and brides and grooms alike are mostly done pretending on the purity front come their wedding day, but wouldn’t it perhaps soothe some of the more conervative members of your family to have the word vestal floating around the proceedings?
For Quality Cocktails in the Limo
Le Coqtail was developed by mixologists with the goal of creating high quality, speakeasy-style cocktails in an RTD format. Its Manhattan and Old Fashioned offerings utilize premium spirits as well as house-made bitters and vermouth. Mason jars are available, but the real hero is the pouch, which allows for the convenience of ready-to-drink, but designed to be served with class in real glassware.
For Making Sure Everyone Sees Your Diamond Ring
Liquore Diamante Acqua di Cedro
Acqua di cedro is a more clarified version of limoncello, perfect for an aperitif or digestif offering at your celebration. If your cake leans more lemon than chocolate, it’s an excellent pairing, and since “Diamante” means “diamonds,” you know it’s a great omen for the possibility of celebrating your diamond anniversary one day.