Spring Weddings: Cocktail Inspirations

Spring Weddings: Cocktail Inspirations

For your spring wedding, the perfect signature cocktail can help pull together a seasonal theme. Before you decide your drink menu, review this guide to delicious spring cocktail ideas.

Flavor of the Moment
Many of your favorite fruits are synonymous with spring -- combine those flavors with spirits and you can set a light, festive mood for your wedding. Consider these tasty cocktails for your reception, rehearsal dinner, or, of course, your cocktail hour:

Mango Martini

* 2 parts Grey Goose vodka
* 1/2 part mango puree
* 1/2 part pineapple juice
* Splash of sour mix

Mix ingredients in shaker. Shake well over ice and strain into a martini glass.

Citrus Kiss

* 2 oz. Ketel One Citron vodka
* 2 oz. Grand Marnier
* 2 oz. Rose's lime juice
* Lemon, lime, and orange slices (for garnish)

Combine first three ingredients into a shaker over ice. Lightly shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with intertwined lemon, lime, and orange slices.

Watermelon Martini

* 3 parts Kettle One vodka
* 1 1/2 parts sour watermelon Schnapps
* 1/2 part sour mix
* Watermelon ball or wedge (for garnish)

Shake first three ingredients well with ice; then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a watermelon ball or wedge of watermelon.

Attractive Libations
Your signature cocktail should look as good as it tastes. Garnish the rim of the glass with fruit slices, serve the cocktail blended instead of over ice, or add a hibiscus flower to each glass for a spring feel. These recipes are both attractive and tasty:

Champagne Mojito

* Rose's lime juice
* 1/2 lime wheel
* 3 mint leaves
* Champagne
* Fresh mint sprig (for garnish)

Fill 1/8th of a champagne flute with Rose's lime juice. Add lime wheel and mint leaves. Fill the rest of the glass with champagne, then garnish with fresh mint sprig.

Pimms Cup

* Ginger ale (or 7-Up)
* 1/2 part Pimms liquor
* 1/2 part fresh lime juice
* Cucumber slice (for garnish)
* Twist of lemon (for garnish)
* Sprig of fresh mint (for garnish)

Fill a Collins glass with ginger ale. Stir the liquor and lime juice together and add to glass. Garnish drink with cucumber slice, twist of lemon, and a sprig of fresh mint.

Drink on Location
Do thoughts of springtime bring pleasant memories to mind? Share those moments with your guests by selecting a signature cocktail that creates a sense of nostalgia. Try these mixes for a beach or destination wedding.

Sandi-Tini

* 2/3 cup white cranberry juice
* 1 1/2 oz. Alize Blue
* 1/2 oz. citrus-flavored vodka
* Swedish Fish (one to float in each glass)

Mix together first three ingredients, add one Swedish Fish, and rim glass with Tang.

A Taste of Romance

* 1 oz. rose water mix (2 oz. rose water + 1 liter creme de cassis)
* 5 oz. Veuve Clicquot

Pour rose water mix into a champagne flute. Fill flute with champagne.
Knot Tip: If served at the bar, garnish with black currant, and if passed on a tray, sprinkle the tray with rose petals.

Springtime in Paris

* 2 oz. Grey Goose vodka
* 1 oz. Chambord
* 1 oz. Cointreau
* 1 oz. pineapple juice
* Raspberries (for garnish)

Combine first four ingredients into a shaker over ice. Shake well. Strain contents into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with raspberries.

Cherry Blossom

* 1 1/2 oz. Three Olives Cherry vodka
* 1/2 oz. orange juice
* 1/4 oz. grenadine
* 1/4 oz. Red Bull
* Maraschino cherry (for garnish)

Pour first four ingredients over ice, shake, and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Knot Note: This cocktail was created by Mie N Yu Restaurant in Washington, DC for the National Cherry Blossom Festival.