The coronavirus crisis is hard on everyone – whether you’re working in a hospital or cooped up with kids at home, struggling with bills now your job is on hold or you’ve actually got the symptoms and are feeling sick as hell, the situation is tough.  That’s certainly the case for those of who’ve already had to postpone a wedding or are now beginning to realise that the longer this goes on the more likely they’ll soon have to do the same.

Even if your wedding day is sufficiently far off to avoid postponement the preparations will largely have to go on hold – it’s much harder to try on dresses, go for cake tasting sessions and shop for your wedding rings under the current lockdown guidelines.

There are a few things you can do, however, to make good use of the time.  You can do more online research into everything from honeymoon destinations to floral arrangements, add stuff to your wedding website, think about what vows you’d like and shop around sites like Etsy for wedding favour ideas.  Plus there’s one idea that we think everyone will love - and which is perfect for long evenings in lockdown….research into what drinks to serve on your big day!  There’s no ban on drinking alcohol at home and you can have a lot of fun trying different beers, wines and home-made cocktails.

Beer and wine

You can take your pick from your local store or get a delivery.  There’s so much choice, and your decision is so much a matter of personal taste and individual budget, that we hesitate to advise you.  What we would say is that you’ll almost certainly need a mix of bitter and lager, red and white, with something sparkling as well.  Needless to say you’ll have to do a lot of tasting before coming to a final decision! 

If you want some advice about quantities to order then you’ll find our blog post on Buying the wedding drinks really helpful.

However, when it comes to the matter of ordering and serving spirits things get a little more complicated simply because some people are not going to be satisfied with a simple gin & tonic or a whiskey on the rocks.

General advice on cocktails

It’s easy to get carried away when you start thinking of all the possibilities.  Our suggestion is to keep things simple.  It’s best to offer your guests a limited selection that are relatively quick and easy to prepare.  That way everyone gets served swiftly and you make stocking the bar less complicated. 

An added benefit of this approach is you can mix and taste these at home – enjoy!

Champagne cocktail

Champagne and sparkling wine are always served at a wedding but there are countless ways to give them a twist.  Add a dash of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) and you have a refreshing glass of Kir Royale.  Half a flute of Guinness topped up with bubbly and you have a smooth and seductive Black Velvet.  Orange juice and sparkling wine makes Buck’s Fizz.  That’s just three ideas for starters…

Martini

A timeless classic that’s probably the most recognizable gin cocktail of all time.  James Bond, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway , and other fictional and historical greats have been known to enjoy the martini, and it has been associated with high society and good living for over a century.  Comes with many subtle variations – all of which really hit the spot!   The basic recipe: Mix 60ml of vodka or gin with one tablespoon of dry vermouth in a cocktail shaker with a little ice, then pour into a glass with an olive or lemon peel to garnish. 

Manhattan

Invented in New York City’s Manhattan Club around the mid-1870s and rapidly became the most famous cocktail in the world.  Mix 2 ounces bourbon or rye with 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 2 dashes Angostura bitters and 1 dash orange bitters in a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled.  Then pour into a chilled coupe glass garnished with a brandied cherry. 

Spritz

This Italian cocktail provides a refreshing start to any party, combining the bitterness of Aperol with balanced with fizzy soda and Prosecco.  It couldn’t be easier to prepare, has a wonderful orange glow and slips down as beautifully as the sun on a balmy summer evening.   Put a couple of cubes of ice in a glass, add 100ml of Aperol and 150ml prosecco then top up with soda water.

Mojito

Originating in Cuba, this fashionable, tropical cocktail was one of Ernest Hemmingway’s favourite drinks. The lime and mint are used to accent the rum, creating a sure-fire crowd pleaser. Squeeze the juice from a lime into a small jug with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar and small handful mint.  Crush the mint with the end of a rolling pin to extract the flavour.  Pour into a tall glass with ice then pour in 60ml of white rum and stir. Top up with soda water, garnish with mint and serve.

Cosmopolitan

Lipsmackingly sweet-and-sour, the Cosmopolitan cocktail is the epitome of a good time in a glass.  There are many variations of the drink with gin being substituted in a cocktail that became popular in the 1930s.  The vodka based version emerged in the 1970s and became legendary thanks to it being the drink of choice for the lead characters in the hit TV show Sex and the City.  Put 120ml of vodka in a cocktail shaker with 60 ml of Cointreau, 60ml of cranberry juice and the juice of one lime with some ice.  Give it a good shake then strain into two martini glasses.

Pina colada

Rich and creamy, but sweet, this cocktail is said to have originated in Puerto Rico and immediately conjures up images of swaying palms and sun-kissed tropical beaches.  Put 120ml of pineapple juice in a blender with 60ml of white rum, 60ml of coconut cream with some ice then whizz it all up.  Pour it into a tall glass and garnish with a wedge of pineapple.  Substitute vodka for the rum and you have a Chi chi.  Substitute amaretto for the rum and you have an amaretto colada.  It’s the kind of cocktail that invites experimentation!

Margarita

Tangy and exotic this a wonderful thirst-quencher when the weather is hot.  A popular drink in Mexico (Margarita is Spanish for “daisy”) discovered by drinkers in the US when they crossed the border during the prohibition years in search of alcohol.  It’s slightly more fiddly than the other cocktails listed here, but well worth the extra effort.  Sprinkle a little salt on a saucer, then wipe the rim of your martini glass with lime juice. Turn the glass upside down, place in the salt and twist to coat.  Stir 50ml of tequila in a cocktail shaker with 1½ tablespoons of lime juice and 1 tablespoon of triple sec with some ice, give it a good shake then strain into a chilled martini glass garnished with a slice of lime.

Last orders

Obviously we suggest you drink responsibly but lockdown does give you the perfect excuse for some enjoyable research and development work in the alcoholic beverages department.  On a slightly more serious note we realise that many of those planning a wedding will have more questions to ask than they would in the normal run of things.  Our experienced team are more than happy to help in any way they can.