If you’re having a fall wedding, signature drinks can add personality and flavor to your event.
When we think about fall, so many images come to mind. It’s cooler weather. It’s warmer flavors. Fall means a variety of colors, and changes everywhere. It also makes us think of the holidays and fun events to come with family and friends. It’s truly a magical time of year.
If you’re having a fall wedding, you have a lot of options when it comes to your food and drinks. Seasonal foods such as pumpkins, cranberries, and pears are all crowd pleasers. And, there is a vast color palette to work with. Deep and dramatic reds, purples, browns, and bright yellows and oranges are available for you to play with. This opens up the door for tons of creative options, especially when it comes to your signature drinks.
Fall Wedding Signature Drinks T(Including Recipes!)
Now, even though signature drinks are totally optional, and you may skip them altogether, it’s still fun to see if there’s some inspiration out there. And that’s what this post is going to try and do for you. From why a fall wedding is so fun, and the point of signature drinks, to easy recipes for you to use, it’s all laid out for you.
So let’s get into it!
A FALL WEDDING THEME
Before we go into signature drinks, let’s talk about fall weddings.
Fall weddings are just so charming. And, if you’re lucky enough to have a fall wedding, it makes a lot of sense to use the season as inspiration for your wedding theme. The great thing about a wedding theme is that it helps provide some guidance for your wedding planning. A theme can help you pick out a wedding’s main colors, and give you ideas for personal touches.
For a fall wedding, it’s all about using a variety of colors, creating a cozy and romantic space, and making your wedding feel warm and inviting. All of this relates to signature drinks because unlike a summer wedding, where the drinks are refreshing and light, fall wedding signature drinks can be darker and more dramatic. You could serve deep red and purple drinks, add spices, and have flavors that you’ll commonly see in the fall.
WHY SIGNATURE DRINKS ARE FUN
As I’ve mentioned in this post about signature drinks, they are fun because they get to showcase both your personality and theme.
In case you need a refresher, a signature drink is a drink that you serve at your wedding that stands out to your guests. You may have a sign that suggests they order it, or this drink may be your only alcoholic option.
Signature drinks can be all about the taste of the drink itself, and they may also have a creative name to go along with them. They can be drinks that you and your partner enjoy, or they can be related solely to your theme. Signature drinks can be as personal as you’d like, and you have tons of freedom to customize them to match your style.
The awesome thing about signature drinks is that you can have them no matter the types of drinks you’re serving at your wedding. So, if you’re having a wine and beer only wedding, or no alcohol at all, you can still have signature drinks. In fact, this post has recipes for each of those scenarios.
SIGNATURE DRINK NAMES
When it comes to naming your signature drinks, you can do whatever you’d like.
Stick with the traditional name for the drink. Or, change it to match your theme. You can even add your own name in there. For example, one signature drink may be a Cosmopolitan, which is a red, sweet, vodka-based co*cktail. You can keep the name “Cosmopolitan”, or you can change it to “Blushing Bride”, or “Coco’s Cosmo”, etc. It’s all about how clever you’d like to be, and what appeals to you.
In this post, I’ve provided the “traditional” name for each co*cktail recipe, but you can change them to whatever you’d like. There are no rules. Stay with the original name, or make it personal, should you choose to serve one of these drinks at your wedding.
FALL WEDDING SIGNATURE DRINK RECIPES
Let’s get into the actual fall wedding signature drinks and recipes!
These drinks are traditional, and can be modified to fit your taste. Before you serve them at your wedding, try them at home. If you like them, have your venue, caterer, or bartender (depends on the wedding) confirm that they can serve them.
Remember, for a fall wedding, the drinks are all inspired by seasonal flavors and colors. They should be visually appealing, and give you a warm and cozy feeling when you drink them.
Enjoy!
WINE AND BEER SIGNATURE DRINK OPTIONS
Even if you’re serving just wine and beer as alcoholic options at your wedding, you can have signature drinks.
The good news is that the drinks below are simple, with just two ingredients, and they fit with the fall wedding theme. The bad news is that you will have to procure a little additional alcohol in order to create these drinks. So, if your venue is strict on the wine and beer only rule, these may not be the best recipes for you.
GINGER BEER
Ginger beer can be bought on its own, in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic forms. It is served cold, but it can still be a very cozy and warming drink. The ginger in it comes through very well, and you can absolutely taste the spice in it, which is perfect for fall.
- 1 cup beer
- 2 shots ginger brandy
Pour beer into a chilled glass, add the ginger brandy.
KIR ROYALE
Kir Royales are great almost anytime of year, but the pretty color is fantastic for fall wedding signature drinks. It allows the deep red crème de cassis to layer with pale champagne, so the drink represents the changing colors of leaves. This drink also tastes great, and is very popular among people who enjoy sweet champagne.
- Champagne
- Splash of crème de cassis
- 1 tsp brandy (optional)
Pour crème de cassis and brandy into a champagne flute. Top with champagne.
HARD ALCOHOL SIGNATURE DRINK OPTIONS
Now for the fun stuff!
Hard alcohol isn’t right for every wedding, but it is still a very common wedding bar option. If you are able to procure the right ingredients, and garnishes, these are some awesome signature drinks for you.
CRANBERRY COLLINS
As you can tell, this drink is a spin on a traditional Tom Collins. The obvious nod to autumn is with the cranberries. The drink is a little sweeter than the original due to the elderberry cordial, but it’s still very balanced from the club soda. Plus, it’s really pretty and festive with the use of cranberries as garnishes.
- 2 shots vodka
- ½ shot elderberry cordial
- 3 shots white cranberry juice
- Ice cubes
- Club soda
- Garnish with cranberry and lime
Shake vodka, cordial, juice, and ice.
Strain into a Collins glass, add ice, and top off with club soda. Garnish.
PEARTINI
Clearly, this signature drink is festive for a fall wedding because of the use of pear. The cinnamon rim adds a warming aspect to the drink, and mixes well with the beverage. It’s a very pretty drink as well.
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Lemon wedge
- Cracked ice cubes
- 1 shot vodka
- 1 shot pear brandy
Mix sugar and cinnamon. Use the lemon to rub around the rim of the glass, and then dip into the mixture. Stir and strain ice, vodka, and brandy into a Martini glass.
WEDDING BELLS
The original name of this drink shows that it’s clearly meant for a wedding. What’s fitting about it for a fall wedding is the use of rye whiskey and orange. The rye is very cozy and a little heavy, while the orange provides a lightness and nod to fall colors.
- Cracked ice cubes
- Dash orange bitters
- 2 shot rye whiskey
- 1 shot triple sec
- 2 shot Lillete (a French wine-based aperitif with a fruity taste)
- Orange zest to decorate
Add orange bitters to a lot of ice, and pour in the whiskey, triple sec, and Lillete. Stir well, and strain into a co*cktail glass. Add the orange zest.
ANOUCHKA SHOOTER
If your wedding is the kind to involve signature shots, this is a fun shooter to try out. It fits the fall theme because of it’s dramatic color; the sambuca turns the shot quite dark. Plus, the use of blackberries adds to the drama. If you’re able to procure some late-season berries, they are very fun to taste after the shot is taken.
- 1 shot vodka
- Dash black sambuca
- Dash crème de murre
- Blackberries, for a chaser
Pour vodka into a shot class, add sambuca and crème de murre. Have a blackberry handy for after the shot.
NON-ALCOHOLIC SIGNATURE DRINK OPTIONS
If you’re skipping alcohol at your wedding, or just want something for the non-drinkers or kids, you can still make awesome signature drinks. These are festive, they are easy, and they will be crowd-pleasers for sure.
FAUX KIR ROYALE
Just like the original recipe above, this drink is a super pretty and tasty nod to fall. The colors sit on each other, just like fall leaves, and the cider is a fall staple for many people.
- Ice cubes
- 1.5 shots raspberry syrup
- Sparkling cider, chilled
- Raspberries, for garnish
Mix ice and raspberry syrup. Stir and pour into a wine glass. Top off with sparkling cider and drop in a couple raspberries.
CHERRY KISS
This signature drink is also perfect for a fall wedding due to it’s color. While cherries aren’t exactly a fall fruit, you can easily decorate this with frozen cherries, and the dramatic colors will match your theme. Plus, this drink is very pretty and isn’t too sweet, thanks to the sparkling water.
- Ice cubes
- 2 tbsp cherry syrup
- Sparkling water
- Fresh cherries
Fill a glass with ice and pour cherry syrup over it. Top with sparkling water and garnish with fresh cherries.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Fall weddings are awesome. Signature drinks are awesome. Mixing the two of them together will make your wedding even better. The key is to have some fun with colors, flavors, and provide something that you and your partner enjoy. Happy Autumn!
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DIY co*cktail Hours: A How-To Guide
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