Weddingbee

Images courtesy of Epicurious and Cookie Magazine

You know those weddings where the wine is plentiful, champagne flutes are generously topped off, and you have a martini in each hand? Those weddings where by the end of the night everyone is busting a move a la Jennifer Lopez in “In Living Color” because of one too many margaritas?

Yeah, our wedding is not going to be like that For religious reasons, we’re having a dry wedding. Although we won’t be serving any alcoholic options, I still want a delicious and varied drink menu. Below are recipes for some fabulous non-alcoholic drinks. You may want to consider serving some of these even if you’re not having a dry wedding — it’s always nice to have some fun options for teetotalers.

Mango Lassi (pronounced luss-ee): .
3/4 cup peeled and chopped mango
3/4 cup low-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup mango sorbet
9 to 10 ice cubes

Purée the mango with the yogurt and sugar in a blender. Add the milk, lemon juice, and sorbet and blend until smooth. Add 1/3 cup cold water and the ice and blend to the desired consistency. Pour into a tall glass or two small glasses. Serve with a straw. This can also be made without the mango for a “plain” lassi– it’s just as delicious! These would also be adorable served in martini glasses with a coconut shaving garnish.
Recipe courtesy of Cookie Magazine

Wedding Punch
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 cups water
1 cup culinary organic rose petals
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4-1/4 cups sparkling apple cider, chilled
2 cups rosewater, chilled

Combine 6 tbs. of the confectioner’s sugar with the water. Pour the sugar water into small plastic containers. Add the rose petals and freeze. Mix the granulated sugar and the lemon juice in a punch bowl. Pour the sparkling cider and rose water over the lemon and sugar mixture. Stir well. Add the frozen sugared rose petals just before serving. Dust the rim of the punch bowl with the remaining confectioner’s sugar. This could also be really lovely served in champagne flutes with one sugared rose petal for garnish.
Recipe courtesy of Chefs.com

Sweet Peach Tea
1 ounce tea leaves (Earl Grey or Darjeeling, about 1/3 cup loose tea or 7 bags)
1 lemon, sliced
1 piece ginger (about 2 inches), peeled and smashed
1 quart boiling water
8 cups ice cubes
2 peaches, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 cup sugar
8 sprigs mint
1 peach, pitted and sliced

Place tea, lemon and ginger in a heatproof container and add boiling water. Let tea steep 7 to 8 minutes. Place 4 cups of the ice in a pitcher, then pour in tea. Blend diced peaches and sugar in a blender until smooth; mix into tea. Serve in glasses over remaining ice and garnish with mint and peach slices.
Recipe courtesy of Self Magazine

Watermelon-Ginger Agua Fresca
10 cups 1-inch pieces peeled watermelon (from about 8-pound watermelon), seeded, divided
3 cups cold water, divided
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup (or more) sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger juice* (from one 3-ounce piece of ginger) Ice cubes
Lime wedges

*To make ginger juice, peel a 3-ounce piece of ginger and grate it over a plate. Wrap in cheesecloth; twist at both ends to squeeze out the juice. Or put the grated ginger in a finemesh sieve and press to release the juices. In a pinch, bottled ginger juice is available at natural foods stores.

Place 2 1/2 cups watermelon and 3/4 cup cold water in blender. Puree until smooth. Pour agua fresca into large pitcher. Repeat 3 more times with remaining watermelon and cold water. Add lime juice, 1/4 cup sugar, and ginger juice to pitcher and stir to blend. Add more sugar by tablespoonfuls, if desired. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. Can be made 8 hours ahead. Keep chilled. Stir before serving.Fill glasses with ice cubes; pour agua fresca over. Garnish each glass with lime wedge and serve.

This recipe might seem complicated, but it can be made ahead of time. I love the idea of setting out large pitchers as refreshments before an outdoor summer ceremony.
Recipe courtesy of Epicurious

Strawberry-Kiwi Sangria
8 cups water
8 wild-berry tea bags
2 cups sugar
4 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled
2 25.4-ounce (750-ml) bottles chilled sparkling apple cider
6 kiwis, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
16 fresh rose geranium leaves, crushed slightly, or 3/4 teaspoon rose water*
4 cups ice cubes

Bring 4 cups water to boil in large saucepan. Add tea bags; cover and let steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add sugar to hot tea; stir until dissolved. Stir in remaining 4 cups water. Chill tea until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)

Puree 2 baskets strawberries in processor. Slice remaining 2 baskets strawberries. Place pureed and sliced berries in large pitcher (or divide between 2 pitchers). Add tea and all remaining ingredients. Stir and serve. Rose water is available at Middle Eastern markets and specialty foods stores. Like the agua fresca, this fabulous drink can also be prepared ahead of time.
Recipe courtesy of Epicurious

Ice Cream Soda with Lime, Mint, and Ginger
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
6 cups (about) chilled sparkling water
1 1/2 pints (about) vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
Lime slices (optional)
Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Combine sugar, lime juice, chopped mint and ginger in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to simmer. Simmer syrup 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Strain syrup into small bowl, pressing lightly on solids; discard solids. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Pour 3 tablespoons syrup, then 3/4 cup sparkling water into each of 6 tall glasses. Stir to blend. Mix in additional syrup or sparkling water to taste. Top each with 1 scoop vanilla ice cream. Garnish sodas with lime slices and mint sprigs, if desired, and serve.

I imagine serving these as a late night treat; maybe in old-fashioned ice cream soda glasses with gingerbread on the side.
Recipe courtesy of Epicurious

Baby Bellini
1 1/2 cups peach concentrate, chilled*
4 bottles (750 ml bottle) sparkling cider such as Martinelli’s, chilled
48 raspberries**

*If you cannot find peach concentrate or purée, buy frozen peaches and purée.
**Raspberries are generally sold in either 1/2-pint or 6-ounce packages; you’ll need more than one 1/2 pint or one package for this recipe.

Pour 1 tablespoon peach concentrate into each glass. Fill each Champagne glass two-thirds full with sparkling cider. Drop 2 raspberries into each Champagne flute and serve. Such a sophisticated option for a formal, evening wedding!
Recipe courtesy of The Art and Craft of Entertaining by Kimberly Kennedy

Mulled Apple Cider with Orange and Ginger
8 cups unpasteurized apple cider
A 3-inch cinnamon stick
10 whole cloves
1 navel orange, peeled and sliced crosswise
A 2-inch piece of peeled fresh ginger, cut into 6 slices

In a large saucepan combine the cider, the cinnamon stick, the cloves, the orange and the ginger and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a heat-proof pitcher and serve the mulled cider warm. This would be so lovely and comforting for a fall/winter wedding– maybe served in antique, mismatched mugs with cinnamon stick stirrers.
Recipe courtesy of Epicurious

Spiced Hot Chocolate
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 oz chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Garnish: whipped cream, cinnamon sticks

Whisk milk, brown sugar, and whipping cream in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; add cocoa powder, chocolate, and cinnamon; whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour hot chocolate into 6 demitasse cups. Garnish each with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick. A comforting, decadent treat for a cozy winter wedding.
Recipe courtesy of Bon Apetit

What are some of your favorite non-alcoholic drinks? Share the recipes!

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