Want ideas for what to serve as your signature cocktails for your winter wedding? You’re in the right place!
As I’ve gone over before in this post, signature cocktails are specialty drinks that you feature at your wedding or event. They are meant to go with the theme or vibe of your wedding. In many cases, other cocktails can be served alongside the signature drinks, but the signature drinks are the star. They tend to be the ones that you or your partner prefer and want others to enjoy, too.
The great thing about signature cocktails for your winter wedding is that you can feature different flavors than you would at a typical wedding another time of year. Winter weddings are meant to be cozy. It’s okay to play up warming spices like cinnamon and ginger in your drinks. It’s also okay to garnish with cranberries and use unconventional around with liqueurs. Anything goes with winter wedding drinks.
Delicious Signature Cocktails For Your Winter Wedding
This post is filled with delicious recipes for signature cocktails for your winter wedding. These recipes are old-school, and well established. If you look at any old-timey cocktail recipe book, you’re bound to come across similar variations of the drinks in this post. Because of this, some of the ingredients may seem a bit unusual. If you are able to use them, great. If not, substitute or omit as you see fit. Either way, your wedding guests will be totally into the signature cocktails you serve them!
Let’s get into it!
MANHATTAN
Is there anything more classic than a Manhattan? For me, it makes me think of sitting in a dark, romantic, candle-lit restaurant, chatting with my partner at a two-person high top table. For a wedding, a Manhattan is fancy, especially if it’s served in the right glass, with good whiskey. We served a variation of a Manhattan at our fall wedding, and named it the “Music Man”.
Recipe:
- Dash Angostura bitters
- 3 shots rye whiskey
- 1 shot sweet vermouth
- Ice cubes
- Cherry for garnish
Shake bitters, whiskey, and vermouth together with ice, and mix well. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the cherry.
MOSCOW MULE
Honestly, Moscow Mules are great any time of year, but they can make fantastic signature cocktails for your winter wedding. The ginger in them is warming, and the copper mug they are served in can make them seem cozy and festive. By the way, don’t skip the copper mug. It’s part of the overall drink.
Recipe:
- 2 shots vodka
- 1 shot lime juice
- Ice cubes
- Ginger beer
- Lime slice
Shake vodka and lime juice with ice. Fill a chilled copper mug halfway with ice, and pour in the cocktail. Top with ginger beer and garnish with the lime slice.
SIDECAR
Have you ever had a Sidecar? They are a super classic drink. Sidecars are flavorful, sweet, and really pretty when garnished with a strip of orange zest. I’m recommending a Sidecar to be one of your signature cocktails for your winter wedding because it’s unexpected and really yummy.
- 2 shots brandy
- 1 shot Triple Sec
- 1 shot lemon juice
- Ice cubes
- Orange zest strip
Shake brandy, triple sec, and lemon with ice cubes. Strain into a lowball glass and garnish with the orange zest strip.
CRANBERRY COLLINS
Ah, cranberries. One of the most seasonal berries of winter. Are they even a berry? Honestly, I’m not sure. Either way, they are pretty and add some festivity and flair to this yummy vodka drink. If you can’t find the elderflower cordial, substitute with crème de cassis or skip the cordial altogether. The Cranberry Collins will still taste good.
Recipe:
- 2 shots vodka
- ½ shot elderflower cordial
- 3 shots white cranberry juice
- Ice cubes
- Club soda
- Cranberries and lime slices
Shake vodka, cordial, and cranberry juice with ice. Strain into a collins glass with more ice and top with club soda. Garnish with cranberries and lime slices.
FLYING GRASSHOPPER
What a fun drink! Mixing mint and chocolate flavors, the Flying Grasshopper will be a signature cocktail your guests will remember. It does contain a lot of sugar, with the crème de menthe and crème de cacao, so consider serving it as a shot instead of a drink. Your guests will love that, too.
Recipe:
- Ice cubes
- 1 shot vodka
- 1 shot crème de menthe
- 1 shot crème de cacao
Put ice into a mixing glass and pour in the vodka, crème de menthe and crème de cacao. Stir well and strain into a cocktail glass.
PEARTINI
Pears are definitely a seasonal favorite in the winter. Why not create a drink around them? With pear brandy you can do a lot, and the sugar cinnamon rim will make your drink fun and delicious. Be sure to serve this one in a martini glass.
Recipe:
- 1 tsp sugar
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- Lemon wedge
- Ice cubes
- 1 shot vodka
- 1 shot pear brandy
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a saucer. Rim a chilled cocktail glass with the lemon and dip into the sugar and cinnamon. Put ice into a shaker and pour in vodka and brandy. Shake and strain to your cocktail glass.
CHOCOLATE MARTINI
I know that espresso martinis are all the rage right now, but let’s keep it classic with a chocolate martini. Again, guests will love to indulge in this sweet drink at any wedding. If you don’t have orange flower water handy, don’t worry. A little spritz of lemon juice can also help bring out the chocolate flavor without overpowering the drink.
Recipe:
- Lemon wedge
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 shots vodka
- ½ shot crème de cocoa
- 2 dashes orange flower water
- Ice cubes
Rim a cocktail glass with the lemon wedge and dip into the cocoa powder. Shake vodka, crème de cocoa, and orange flower water over ice. Strain into the cocktail glass.
WEDDING BELLE
In a post about signature cocktails for your winter wedding, a drink with the word “wedding” in it was bound to show up, right? This is a lesser-known drink, but it’s delicious if you’re into gin and want to mix things up a little. By the way, Dubonnet is a wine-based drink. It is spicy and fruity, and kind of like Campari mixed with vermouth. It should be used in this recipe, but is okay to omit if you don’t have it handy.
Recipe:
- 2 shots gin
- 2 shots Dubonnet
- 1 shot cherry brandy
- 1 shot orange juice
- Ice cubes
- Orange zest strip
Shake the gin, Dubonnet, brandy, and orange juice with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the orange zest strip.
MULLED WINE
If you can pull it off, mulled wine will be popular at your winter wedding. It does take a bit of heat and warmth, and needs to be kept warm until served. With all the spices, guests will want to try out the flavors and enjoy a glass. Be sure to use wine that you enjoy, by the way. It doesn’t have to be the “best”, but it should be something you’d drink without all the added flavor.
Recipe:
- 2 cups red wine
- 2 shots sherry
- 8 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 orange, cut into wedges
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Place wine, sherry, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and honey into a pan. Warm over low heat, stirring, until simmering, but not boiling. Remove from heat and strain. Discard cloves and cinnamon. Return the pan to the heat and place the orange and lemon wedges into the pan until warmed. Pour into heatproof glasses.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Friends, I seriously hope you consider one of these delicious signature cocktails for your winter wedding. Remember, it’s totally okay to change the name of the drinks to match your wedding. And, you can modify the recipes as you see fit. These are just classic recipes and are meant to be changed around. Don’t be afraid to go bold with flavors, and try something new. Happy wedding planning!
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