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One of the major selling points on our venue, the Children’s Museum, was that they do not have a liquor license. That means that we can purchase and provide our own alcohol, saving many, many dollars! Woohoo!
It also means that it’s about time to start planning our bar menu, which I think is serious business. Our guest list, as a whole, is a pretty celebratory crowd, and I want to get the alcohol options right. The plan is to provide a limited open bar, including a few types of beer and wine, as well as some liquor options. Wanna see what we’ve come up with so far?
One of the beers we serve will definitely be Yuengling. It’s Mr. O’s favorite, it’s brewed in Pennsylvania, and it’s tasty and fairly light, without being watery. After the Yuengling, though, we’re a little stuck, because Mr. O and I are big-time beer drinkers, and we are kind of paralyzed by all the choices!
How do I chooooooooooose?!?! I love you all so much! (Top row: 1, 2, 3, Bottom row: 1, 2, 3)
My old standby is Newcastle, which is a yummy brown ale. MOH/Sister Lauren, on the other hand, has been pushing for a more crowd-pleasing beer like Budweiser or Miller Lite, because, quote, “not everyone is a beer snob like the two of you.” (Thanks. Love ya.) Or we could stick to the “local” thing and go with something brewed in our current hometown—Sam Adams or Harpoon. OR!!!! We could go seasonal and pick out one of my all-time favorite things in the universe—pumpkin ale—or a hard apple cider.
This is my favorite winery at Keuka Lake, Rooster Hill. Their riesling is ridonkulous. (Source)
As far as wine goes, we will definitely be serving a white wine from the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, where the Octopus Family lives. I can personally attest to the fact that Finger Lakes white wine is deeeelicious, like maybe you might be tempted to lick the inside of your wine glass delicious. It tastes so fresh and grape-y! Finger Lakes red wine, on the other hand, is typically not so hot—so I’m totally open to suggestions for a relatively inexpensive, tasty red wine (bonus points for merlot, Dad Octopus’s favorite!).
For liquor, I think we’re just going to provide some standards (gin, rum, vodka, and so on) that can be mixed with the juices and sodas the caterer provides. Maybe we’ll get fancy and throw in some flavored vodkas. I love the idea of a signature drink (or two), but I’m pretty sure we’d then also have to purchase all the special mixers involved, and the dollar signs are dancing before my eyes.
So, to recap: Yuengling, Finger Lakes white wine, and the standard liquors are already decided, but I still need ideas for one or two other beers and a red wine.
What do you think? Do you have any suggestions? What types of alcohol are you serving?
I would tend to think that most guests would drink the alcohol available - at least I hope so. Our venue also doesn’t have a liquor license so we get to stock our own bar (as well as find a bartender). We decided to go with wine and beer as there are less things we need to purchase (i.e. no lime/lemon/cherries/etc.). We wanted to get organic biodynamic wines but they were cost-prohibitive. Instead we stocked up at BevMo’s 5 cent sale - it’s basically like buying 1 bottle and getting the 2nd free!
For beer, we’re going to serve Newcastle, Anchor Steam (local), Stella, Pacifico, and Corona. I think that gives us a wide range of options. Almost everyone will drink Corona and we’re beer snobs so we couldn’t bring ourselves to buy Bud Light.
My FFIL live in PA and has brought us some delicious wines from local local winery (he lives near Hershey). http://mounthopeshop.parenfaire.com/mounthopewines.aspx
I think they have a lot of options for red and white so you might check there!
For something lighter than the Yuengling, maybe serve Stella or even Blue Moon? Or do Yuengling, Blue Moon, and Bud/Coors/Miller Lite? That would give everyone an option that they would like.
Love Yuengling, Love Finger Lakes Wine! Are you able to bring your own wine in bc I know a lot of those wineries are only available locally. Jealous!
With your wedding in September I vote for Sam Adams’ Oktoberfest! I’ve yet to meet someone who does not like that beer. We tend to stock up towards the end because I love it so much!
For the red does it have to be Keuka Lake? FI actually really likes the Pinot from Lamoureux on Seneca.
My red wine suggestion would be the Penfolds Shiraz/Cab blend. It’s so good, really inexpensive, and bold for the fall.
Since you’re in PA, give the Conneaut Cellars Winery in Conneaut Lake a stop and taste. We go out of our way from Michigan to get some tasty reds from them.
I love the Finger Lakes wines too (went to grad school in Ithaca, so I am all too familiar with the wineries 
My advice to you is to keep it simple! The more simple, the less expensive. Have a couple sig drinks with your beer and wine, but you don’t have to provide every kind of liquor. If you do this, it will also cut back on not needing EVERY kind of mixer.
I love the idea you have of incorporating local brews!
If you are looking to stick with the local thing for the beer, Church Brew Works on Liberty Ave brews their own beer. Two in particular are very good and I think most people would enjoy. The Celestial Gold is a pilsner, light and easy to drink (possibly for the ‘coors light’ crowd), and the Pious Monk Dunkel is my other favorite there. Beer distributers in the area sell cases of the beers. Good luck!
Have you guys lives in multiple places? What about a beer from each city/nearby each city? IC Light (Or maybe Rolling Rock even though it’s not technically from there anymore but I digress) + Sam Adams + Yuengling + other cities’ beers that represent places significant to you?
Depending on local laws, you may need a temporary liquor license (the venue would know). But even here in scenic Maryland, where our liquor laws are cartoonishly archaic, it was no biggie: a half-page form and twenty bucks.
YAY FINGER LAKES!! I’m from the FLX area. Anthony Road’s Tony’s Red is a great “pizza” red wine. Casa Larga’s Tramonto is what I like with pasta… I use it to make adult meatloaf. Salmon Run’s Pinot Noir is wonderful too. Good luck! How fun
We have to bring in our own alcohol/bartender as well. To keep things simple (and less expensive!) we’re having two red wines, two white wines, a variety of locally-brewed Wachusett beers, champagne, and margaritas!
We didn’t want to deal with vodka, rum, etc. because then we’d have to bring in all of the mixers.
Upstate NY was voted best Riesling grapes in the country - love their wine too I was also going to suggest Stella because I love it, but I love the idea of hard cider, especially in the Fall - sounds delicious so far
i would have loved the option to bring in our own alcohol, but yes there can be so many choices! i do love finger lakes riesling. you don’t have to serve budweiser or miller lite if you don’t want to–i’m sure your guests will appreciate the good beer that you’ve chosen for them! also, i’m with robinlinz–it’s hard to predict every kind of cocktail that people would want, so how about coming up with just a few that people can order so it limits what you need to get?
I am so glad you posted this… I have been wondering the same thing. We have the option to provide alcohol at our venue and I have been totally stumped on what to buy as I am not a “drinker”
i think you can please the non-beer-snobs without giving in to having bud or miller light or what-have-you (i’ve been thinking about this, because that’s something that, as a beer snob myself, i want to avoid at my wedding).
for one thing, as you are having wine and a bar with a good assortment of liquors, i don’t think many people will be at a lack for something nice to drink.
but also, there are plenty of mild beers that will appeal to most folks who drink bud and such but are a bit more interesting. in my broad vicinity (totally different from yours) both shiner and diamond bear make a “blond” that is fairly good - and then there is, say, dos equis lager (the green bottle), or new belgium skinny dip, along with any number of great wheat beers. there are plenty of other options - i just don’t think that mild/light-in-color has to mean “lite” or flavorless =)
How less expensive is it to bring in your own liquor? And how would you guess how much to bring in..I mean if its a lower guest list that would be simple, but for atleast a 100 people?
For beer, we’re doing Miller Lite hoping it will be a standard crowd pleaser…
blue moon is a great beer (import) and i always love some corona. a good red (available at costco for less than $10…that’s how my family rolls) is called smoking loon. at least i’m pretty sure it’s a merlot. big house red is also costco affordable and yummy!
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Mrs. Octopus, Boston, MA/Pittsburgh, PA Age and Occupation: 25, Grad Student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Graphics Operator for TV News Engagement Date: May 6th, 2009 Wedding Date: September 2010 Venue: Heinz Chapel Ceremony, Museum Reception About Me: When my best friend dragged me to a toga party in our freshmen year of college, I was not expecting to meet my future husband; but seven years later, here we are. I'm a crazy-organized planner at heart, and I am a great lover of random trivia, books, chocolate, blogs, new and exciting adventures, mockumentary-style television, and anything heavily flavored with bright orange fake cheese powder. We're planning a festive and fun mini-destination wedding in the place where we met: fabulous Pittsburgh, PA! I can't wait to marry the man I love!
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