I love a lazy summer afternoon sitting on a patio with a fruity drink in hand, my #1 fan at my side, Conan at my feet, good conversation, laughter, and the warmth of friendship. Your wedding is an accumulation of all your favorite things in life; from the food served, to the cake eaten, to the music played, to the colors displayed, to the people that surround you. For me picking out all these elements to come together in the most memorable of days was a fun process, and there was nothing more fun than picking out signature cocktails with my #1 fan. Of course, each one needed a taste test, and that’s not a bad way to pass an afternoon.
I lean toward the fresh and fruity, and here I’ve put together 10 signature cocktails for your summer wedding that you might want to try. So sit back, relax, and let the mixing begin. It's for a good cause, so what are you waiting for?! Cheers!
Pink Grapefruit Mojito Mimosa
Ingredients
2 cups pink grapefruit juice
1 lime, juice
1 cup white rum
1 cup champagne
½ cup of brown sugar
1 cup fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
1 large grapefruit, peeled sliced
Directions
In a jug or pitcher, add brown sugar, mint leaves, and lime juice. Muddle ingredients until sugar is slightly creamy. Next, add grapefruit juice, rum, and champagne. Stir lightly with a spoon. Pour cocktail into a champagne flute or regular glass, garnish with mint and grapefruit slices. Top with sparkling water if less alcohol is desired.
Peach Sangria
Ingredients
1 bottle of white wine of your choice
1 cup peach schnapps
½ cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 nectarines, sliced
1 cup green or red grapes, whole or sliced
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Stir before serving.
Strawberry Lemonade Champagne Spritzer
Ingredients
Champagne
1 lb Fresh strawberries
2T sugar
Lemonade
Directions
Remove the stems andleaves from the strawberries and give them a rough chop. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the chopped strawberries and set aside for about 20 minutes. Pour lemonade into your champagne flute; fill about 1/3 of the way. Add a spoonful (or two!) of strawberries (don’t forget some of the juices) to the glass. Top off with the champagne to add the perfect refreshing fizz!
Blue Raspberry Spiked Lemonade
Ingredients
Ice
Lemonade
Vodka
Blue Raspberry Vodka
Lemon slices
Mint sprigs
Directions
Fill a glass with ice, pour lemonade 3/4 of the way full, add 1 ounce vodka, stir. Then pour 3/4 of an ounce blue raspberry vodka on top and add a lemon slice. Garnish with a mint sprig and enjoy.
The Molly Jane
Ingredients
1 oz Victoria Gin
1 oz Gifford's Grapefruit
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 oz lavender simple syrup
Directions
Shake all ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Pour into glass. Garnish with lavender sprig and sage leaf.
Lavender Simple Syrup:
Boil equal parts sugar and water (adjust the sugar to taste). When boiling, add 2 teaspoons lavender buds. Reduce for 30-40 minutes. Pour through fine strainer to remove lavender buds. Refrigerate to store in a sealed container for up to three weeks.
Blueberry French 75
Ingredients
12-15 blueberries
0.5 oz lemon juice (or juice from half a lemon)
1 oz gin
3 oz sparkling wine
ice
Directions
In a large wide mouth glass (like a pint glass or a shaker), muddle the blueberries just enough to make them juicy without turning them to mush. Add lemon juice, gin and a handful of ice. Stir or shake gently. Add the sparkling wine, and then pour the whole thing into a champagne glass.
Blue Bayou
Ingredients
1 cup of ice
30ml (6 parts) vodka
15ml (3 parts) blue curaçao
30ml (6 parts) pineapple juice
30ml (6 parts) grapefruit juice
Directions
Pour the ingredients into a blender, blend until smooth. Serve in a chilled Highball glass. If the drink is too sweet/bitter, experiment with the pineapple/grapefruit ratio.
Indian Summer Cocktail
Read the story behind this cocktail here and hug a loved one.
Ingredients
2 oz. good bourbon
1/4 oz. limoncello
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 heaping Tb. Apricot jam
8-12 fresh sage leaves
Directions
Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill the shaker with ice. Cover and shake vigorously 12-15 times. Fill a small tumbler with ice and double-strain into the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with a fresh sage leaf.
Boozy Blackberry Crush Popsicals
Who says your signature cocktail can't be eaten!?
Ingredients
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
7-8 sage leaves
1½ cups fresh or frozen blackberries
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup vodka
½ cup sparkling water
Directions
Make the simple syrup: In a small saucepan combine the sugar, water and sage leaves. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
If using frozen blackberries let them sit at room temperature until they have thawed. Combine the blackberries, lemon juice, vodka, sparkling water and ½ cup of the sage simple syrup in a blender. Process until the mixture is smooth. If desired strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Taste the mixture for sweetness and add more simple syrup if desired. (The mixture will be slightly less sweet once it is frozen so keep that in mind.) Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze for 30 minutes. Insert sticks into the molds and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. To unmold place the mold in warm water for 20-30 seconds to help release the pops.
Beach House Cosmos
Ingredients
4 cups prepared limeade
2 cups vodka
1 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup triple sec
12 lime slices
Directions
Mix all ingredients in a pitcher. Place in the refrigerator and let chill for 2 to 3 hours. Serve in martini glasses and garnish with a lime slice.
*Bonus*
