Find your signature cocktail – Times of India

From cocktail popsicles and Insta-famous candy floss champagne to cocktails customised as per the theme of the wedding – drinks at weddings are becoming as exquisite and appealing to the eyes as to the palate. Quirky concepts like champagne walls, drinks served in customised bottles and in the form of candies and ice creams are now a regular part of luxury weddings and there are curated cocktail menus with at least two-three signature drinks that reflect the bride and groom’s personality and taste. Sommeliers says they are constantly looking for and researching about the best wines and spirits from across the globe, so that they have something exotic to offer in the cocktail menu at weddings they do.

Rare spirits, exotic garnish

Singh shares that there’s an increasing demand to come up with new ideas for cocktail bars and for curating a drinks menu with rare and exotic wine and spirits. The cocktails should make it to the Insta page of every guest attending the wedding. He says, “I have used some very expensive wines, that start from the range of Rs 10,000-15,000 per bottle, to create sangrias. I have sourced some rare spirits and tequila that cost around Rs 1 lakh per bottle. The cost of acquisition of such wines and spirits is usually very high, but they are in demand for complex cocktails at weddings and other functions. I have also sourced a rum that was made a 100 years ago. People have guests coming from all across the globe and they want the drinks to be one of the talking points of the wedding. I have also used varq and black truffles for garnish and used it to create aromatic wines.

Share with your guests what makes your customised cocktail special (pic: Caroline Lima Photography)

Tips to create signature cocktails for weddings

Sommelier Magandeep Singh says that customisation is in demand. “People want customised wine bottles with the wedding hashtag or some message engraved on the bottles,” he says. There are also requests to create cocktails that reflect the personality traits of the bride and groom. Magandeep shares some tips for customised cocktails:

• The wines or spirits used to create the drink should be available year round, even if there is a higher cost of acquisition
• The drink should be pleasing for every type of palate. Do not make it so quirky and eccentric that only a few people like it. It should appeal to every guest at the wedding
• Explain the exclusivity of the drink, do not assume it will be obvious. Use the right words to describe the drink and highlight it at the bar for guests
• Take inspiration from other cultures and blend it with something close to you, that might give you something interesting