Weddings took a bit of a backseat during 2020/21. Once the pandemic was announced, the number of weddings being registered dropped dramatically compared to the previous few years.
During April and June, the number of marriages decreased by up to 65.1% in Victoria and over 40% elsewhere.
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As you probably know, a huge amount of planning goes into a wedding event to make sure that it occurs without a hitch. And, these days, couples also want to have unique touches to their event. One way to do this is to have some original, and classic, cocktails available.
Whisky is a great choice for wedding cocktails because it works so well with many different mixers. Whisky is a complex drink and is seen by some younger people to be the reserve of a different generation. Perhaps surprisingly, the opposite is true.
Whisky is the essential ingredient in many classic and modern cocktails. It is also extremely popular with different generations in Australia now.
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A report by market research firm, Roy Morgan, indicates that whisky is the most popular spirit in Australia. Over a 4 week period, 9.3% of Australians drank whisky at least once, beating its nearest rival, gin into second place.
By including some fun and exciting Whisky Cocktails at your event, you may help push that statistic even higher.
Food and drink are part of the whole make-up of any wedding. Regardless of whether you plan for a buffet or a sit-down meal, there will almost always be some form of a bar at a wedding event.
To make the cocktail list successful, you might want to include a choice of some fun, modern drinks, as well as some of the more classic options.
Two modern Whisky Cocktails that were invented in the 2000s are the Gold Rush, and the Paper Plane. The latter is a simple drink that has contrasting flavours including sweet and bitter. The recipe is simple too.
Equal parts of the following:
Bourbon
Aperol
Amero
Lemon juice
Add ingredients along with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until cold, and strain into glass. Add lemon peel to garnish (optional).
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The Gold Rush is another modern-day classic that uses just three ingredients. This cocktail was invented this century, despite its name. It uses bourbon, lemon juice, and honey syrup, and can be compared to a whisky sour.
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Although both these modern Whisky Cocktails use Bourbon, there are plenty of different options for Rye, Scotch, and other types of Whisky. This is one of the reasons that Whisky cocktails would work at a wedding; there are different types of Whisky with their own unique flavours.
Knowing how to throw the perfect wedding cocktail party means knowing some classic drinks. There are literally thousands of cocktail recipes available, but it is likely that most people only know a handful.
This is why it is a good idea to include not only modern cocktails but some recognisable classics too.
The Old Fashioned, the Whisky Sour, and The Godfather are all well-known cocktails using Rye, Bourbon, and Scotch, respectively. You might want to add some more refreshing options, especially if your wedding is in the summer months.
A classic Whisky drink, combined with a mixer and ice to create a long drink that refreshes might be ideal. How about one that is truly simple, classic, and also popular today? This classic Whisky Highball recipe has only two ingredients, plus ice, and ticks all of those boxes.
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A Whisky Highball is a good choice on a hot day, and you can alter the classic by switching soda water for ginger ale or adding lemon zest and mint leaves.
For a different twist on the Highball, but sticking with the theme of refreshing and classic, you could try this recipe:
40ml of your favourite whisky
15ml elderflower cordial
140ml soda water
Lemon zest to garnish (optional)
To make the drink, simply pour the Whisky and cordial into a highball glass, and fill it with ice. Pour the soda over, and then add the lemon zest, and enjoy.
To get complete guest satisfaction you will need to style your venue appropriately. This means making sure that food and drinks are accessible, and not halfway across the venue.
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However, having a smoothly running bar is only part of your concern. Putting the right cocktail list on for your guests will help to ensure everyone has an enjoyable time. Including classics such as the Manhattan, alongside new drinks incorporating Apple Whisky and Cranberry, might delight all the different generations at your big day.