Wedding cocktail menu: what to choose
Updated
A good wedding cocktail menu holds three things together: the great classics everyone knows, such as gin and tonic, Spritz, Americano and Negroni; one or two signature drinks born from the couple’s tastes; something good for those who do not drink alcohol. The rest is decided by the moments of the party and by the level of the open bar.
Below you will find how to build it item by item, and what changes between our three levels.
| Level | The cocktail menu |
|---|---|
| Standard | The great classics: gin and tonic, Americano, Spritz, Negroni |
| Premium | The classics and signature drinks |
| Luxury | A menu created for the event |
For events in Campania, the open bar usually runs from €20 to €30 per person for the Standard level, from €25 to €35 for Premium and from €30 to €45 for Luxury. These are indicative values, not fixed rates: the quote depends on the venue, number of guests, hours of service and spirits chosen. For events elsewhere in Italy, travel and logistics are also taken into account. How each factor weighs is in our guide to how much a wedding bar costs in Italy.
How many cocktails to put on the menu
There is no right number, but a short menu works better than a long one. Guests choose quickly and the counter serves faster. Better a few drinks everyone recognises, plus one or two signature drinks, than a long list where nobody knows what to pick.
There is a practical reason too. A cocktail with more steps takes longer than a simple drink: if the menu leans entirely on elaborate cocktails, or if the couple want the signature served to everyone at the aperitivo, an extra bartender can be needed. How the team is put together is in our guide to how many bartenders you need for a wedding.
One piece of advice before you choose: think about what your guests order at parties. If everybody’s drink is the gin and tonic, that is where to start.
The classics, the base of the menu
The classics are the base of every menu, because guests know them and order them without thinking. In our Standard level the menu is made of exactly these: gin and tonic, Americano, Spritz and Negroni, served in glass. For the aperitivo there are also Aperol, Martini Rosso and Bitter, and Prosecco.
At the counter there are the spirits too, for anyone who wants a simple drink: vodka, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey. The labels change with the level. Gin, for example, is Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray in Standard; in Premium there are Hendrick’s, Gin Mare and Tanqueray; in Luxury Monkey 47 and Ki No Bi. The same goes for the tonics and the mixers, which change along with the spirits.
The couple’s signature drink
The signature drink is the cocktail of the wedding: it is created in our lab, from the couple’s tastes or the theme of the party. It can be a classic the couple love, reworked, or a new recipe. In the Premium level the menu brings together classics and signature drinks; in Luxury it is written from scratch for the event.
To create it we start from what you tell us: what you usually drink, which flavours you like, whether the wedding has a theme. The recipes are built with preparations we make ourselves and fresh ingredients, with no industrial mixes. One idea: two signature drinks, one for each of you. Everything else about them is on the wedding signature cocktails page.
The names and the printed menu
The name is the easiest part to make your own. A signature drink can carry the couple’s names, the name of a place that matters to you or of a memory, and even a reworked classic can change its name for one night. Choose names that are short and easy to say: at the counter, guests order out loud.
We design the cocktail menu and print it ourselves, on fine paper, with graphics and typefaces that match the wedding. If you want your mark in the glass as well, the couple’s monogram can be printed on the drink, with a machine of ours, or pressed into the ice. In the Luxury level the ice with your logo is already included.
The alcohol-free cocktails
Put at least one drink without alcohol on the menu, thought through with the same care as the others. At a wedding there is always someone driving, someone who does not drink and someone who wants a break between one toast and the next. Soft drinks are part of our service just like the alcoholic ones: at the counter there is something for everyone.
The mixers change with the level: in Standard there are Schweppes, Coca-Cola, Lemonsoda, Red Bull and Yoga juices; in Premium Fever-Tree and Schweppes in glass bottles, organic juices and syrups made in our lab; in Luxury botanical tonics and craft sodas. If you want an alcohol-free cocktail on the menu, say so in your quote request.
The menu, moment by moment
The menu changes with the moments of the party. At the aperitivo, fresh and light drinks work, such as the Spritz and the Americano. At dinner the bar can move between the tables. At the end of dinner the espresso martini arrives, and with the dancing come back the gin and tonic, the shots and the tequila.
- Aperitivo. Spritz, Americano, Prosecco. With the spritz fountain the spritz pours from a fountain, and guests help themselves as they arrive.
- Dinner. The bar cart moves between the tables and mixes the cocktails in front of the guest.
- End of dinner. The espresso martini, even a great many at once on a tower: guests travelling from abroad ask for it often.
- The party. The gin and tonic of always, the tequila shots of the shot corner, a round from the tequila tower.
The extras are chosen together when we prepare the quote: you will find them all on the extras page.
Where to start
Start from three questions: what your guests usually drink, which moments the bar should cover, and which level you are interested in. With the answers, plus the date, the place and the number of guests, we prepare the quote. We reply to every request within 24 hours.
You can write to us from the quote page. Everything else about the wedding bar is on our wedding bar service page.
Frequently asked questions
How many cocktails should be on a wedding menu?
There is no fixed number. A short menu, with the classics and one or two signature drinks, lets guests choose quickly and keeps the counter fast.
Who creates the signature drink?
We do, in our lab, starting from the couple’s tastes or the theme of the party. In the Premium level the menu brings together classics and signature drinks.
Can the cocktail menu be printed?
Yes. We design it and print it ourselves, with the graphics of the wedding.
Are there alcohol-free cocktails?
Soft drinks are included, just like the alcoholic ones. If you want an alcohol-free cocktail on the menu, say so in your request.
Are the cocktails mixed to order?
Yes, at the counter, in front of the guests. Glass is the rule; if the venue asks for something else for part of the party, we make the technical choice.
Can we have the couple’s monogram on the drink?
Yes. We print it on the drink with a machine of ours, or we press it into the ice. In the Luxury level the ice with your logo is already included.