Picking Wedding Reception Beverages

Ideas & Inspiration

Picking Wedding Reception Beverages

The question of what to do for your reception dinner once revolved around limited choices like sit-down or buffet, chicken or beef, open or cash bar. Today, a plethora of choices are available, from interactive food stations to waiter-passed signature cocktails.

“Now more than ever, it’s about the experience of the food, active food stations, getting all of one’s senses involved, the presentation, how the food is cooked,” says Cicely Rocha-Miller, owner of Life Design Event Planning in Phoenix. Finding the right wine, beer and spirits to accompany your menu is a natural extension of your desire to create a unique experience for your wedding guests.

Beer vs. wine
At one time the tenets of red or white wine were dictated by red meats versus fish and chicken; however, as with so many food traditions, this hard-and-fast rule is out of date. “Today, there are so many varietals and people’s palates are so much more sophisticated, you can find lighter-bodied red wines that pair up with fish, and whites that can be served with pork and protein-based dishes,” says Thomas Bruge, interim wine consultant for Maizie’s Café & Bistro in central Phoenix.

Until recently, beer might have been a mere afterthought at the bar. Now, beers complement a variety of food choices. Andy Ingram, brewmaster and one of four principal owners at Arizona’s largest micro-brewery, Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe, recommends pairing beers with wild game, smoked meats, or spicy foods. The brewery’s peach beer pairs nicely with a fruit tart, and its oatmeal stout ale complements a dark chocolate cake.

Chad Carnahan, chef at Murphy’s Law Irish Pub & Restaurant in Chandler, has taken to pairing beer with the restaurant’s weekly special. He tastes the beer, then designs a meal around it, like the Old World Blonde that inspired a watermelon chicken salad.

Finding the right flavor
A number of factors influence how a wine or beer tastes: variations in the ingredients, fermentation time, harvesting practices and production, not to mention the region, rainfall, sunlight and temperature for the varietals (grapes) and the choices governing the malted barley, hops and yeast used in beer.
 
“You can give 20 winemakers the same grapes,” says Cory Whalin, owner of Su Vino Winery in Scottsdale, “and get 20 different wines.”

In addition to the vast number of choices for your bar, personal tastes will inevitably vary among the guests. “Wine and spirits are subjective,” says Victoria Canada, owner of Victoria Canada Weddings & Events. “Someone thinks [a certain] bottle of wine is amazing, but another person might not.”

With all the choices around food and wine, it comes down to one thing: What do you and your fiancé want for your wedding reception? “The biggest thing to remember when pairing wine or spirits is to make yourself happy,” says Whalin.

Personal preferences
“When it comes to food and beverages you should do what you like,” echoes Amy Mancuso, wedding and event planner, and owner of Distinctive Weddings. For some this means choosing your menu, then picking beverages. Others start with drinks and work toward the meal. Your creativity is limited only by your imagination and personal tastes. Creative combinations are possible across the board: Your beverage choices aren’t relegated to wine and beer alone, for example. Some couples are introducing specialty cocktails, culturally influenced beverages, and drinks that reflect a style, location, or season.

“I’m a cosmo girl and Andy’s a dirty martini guy,” says Yael Rosen, who married Andy in May at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix. “We wanted high-end cocktails and food and drinks that were fun.” Working with Victoria Canada and the resort, the Rosens designed a series of mini-meals accompanied by fun and favorite drinks like cosmopolitans and dry martinis.

One of Rocha-Miller’s couples decided to serve brunch at their reception. To spice up their mid-morning beverage options, they offered a mimosa and Bloody Mary bar where guests could choose from mixers like fruit-flavored juices or Tabasco sauce.

Kathleen Doeller of Fabulous Food in Phoenix worked with a couple who hosted a cocktail reception combining the Spanish flair of the bride’s heritage with the Cuban flavor of the groom’s family. The couple served Cuban and Spanish tapas along with made-to-order Cuban-inspired mojitos and Brazilian caipirinhas, and enhanced the interactive vibe of the event with a rum and tequila tasting.

Experts agree that when it comes to your wedding menu and bar, make the choices that reflect your tastes and style as a couple. “Yes, it’s nice to be a gracious host and hostess,” said Canada, “but there are too many palates to please, and it’s most important to please the bride and groom.”

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