Craft Cocktails for Your Country Wedding

Sure, a champagne toast is traditional and something you may decide you can’t forgo, but the newer trend of signature cocktails is just too much fun not to explore.  In addition to showcasing a couple’s personality with the bride’s go-to sipper and the groom’s favorite beverage, a signature cocktail can be a fun way to add a themed detail to a standard wedding bar.

So pull up a bar stool. Here are our favorite down-home, grab-the-closest-mason-jar and sit-a-spell craft cocktails that match perfectly with any country fete.

Spiked Sweet Tea

The ultimate southern sipper, a spiked sweet tea is a great way to bring the southern charm as well as amping up the flavor. You can either make this craft cocktail simple by just adding vodka or spiced rum, or transform it into a more complex cocktail, like this Peach Mint Bourbon Sweet Tea by Nutmeg Nanny. A word of caution: make sure this drink is clearly labelled so you don’t have too many sloshed sweet tea addicts running around your reception!

Twisted Lemonade

Another drink that you’ll want to make sure to label clearly, twisted lemonade is a fun way to refresh your guests with an added kick. Lemonade is pretty versatile with alcohol, so adding vodka, bourbon, champagne, or gin are all tasty options. But for clarity’s sake, we’re only suggesting one mix-in here! Add too much variety and you’ll ruin the classic lemonade feel you’re going for.

Also, for sweet tea and lemonade lovers, add a splash of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka to lemonade and you’ve got yourself a grown up Arnold Palmer!

Spiced Rum Cider

Ideal for fall weddings when the weather is starting to get crisp and your guests want a beverage to stay warm and toasty, spiced rum cider is a no-brainer. Although a little more time-intensive to make, this cocktail can be prepped by the catering staff before your ceremony so that it’s ready to go by the time of the newlyweds toast. One tip we have for making this seasonal drink even better is adding cinnamon sticks or star anise for added flavor and garnish.

Check out this blog post by Honey & Birch for an easy and delicious spiced rum cider recipe.

Mint Julep

While our other cocktail suggestions are twists on classics, the mint julep doesn’t require any changes. This southern staple is one we couldn’t leave off the list.

And don’t think this drink is only for the derby! Mint juleps are refreshing and ideal for a wedding on a warm spring or summer day.

Consider ordering customized silver mint julep cups and making that your wedding favor.

Virginia is for Lovers Sangria

Alright, we made up the name for this craft country cocktail, but we love the idea of using sangria as a way to highlight some local wine and fruit!

Whether you use chopped apples picked from a nearby orchard in Loudoun County or use a local variety of wine (we recommend Philip Carter Winery’s selection), we love how customized you can get with the flavors of sangria.

To get your creative boozy juice flowing, some of our favorite fruits to include in sangria are: strawberries, oranges, apples, peaches, and limes. And some of our favorite alcohols are: brandy, triple sec, rum, chardonnay, pinot grigio, tempranillo, and zinfandel.

So there you have it, our five favorite country cocktails! Do you have any other fabulous drinks to add to our list? Let us know in the comments!