Green Signature Drinks for a Wedding, Summer Fest, or Any Occasion

If your wedding's colors include green, a green signature drink helps make your wedding special and memorable. "Green" in your wedding may mean a color, a reference to Ireland, or a pro-environment philosophy - any or all of these.

One classy yet inexpensive way to go with green drinks at your wedding is to serve beer, wine, champagne for a toast, and one green signature cocktail drink. Serve the drink in pretty pitchers at each table and let your guests pour for themselves.

Alternatively, set up a bar with pitchers of your green signature drink, various mixers (club soda, fruit juices, mixes), and various garnishes, and let your guests create their own version of your signature drink. Put up menus giving your guests different ideas on what kinds of drinks they can mix.

Doing it this way is lots of fun for your guests and feels like an open bar yet is far less expensive than an open bar. If it's summertime, you might want to consider having a blender at your bar.

The most expensive yet most elegant way to present your signature drinks is to have an actual bar where a server makes each green drink separately with flourish and personal service. Here again, you can set out recipe suggestions on a menu to help your guests decide which kind of green signature drink they want. Another way to present your drink is to sugar or salt the rim.

Whichever way you choose to present your signature drink, be sure to name it and tie it in with your color theme and/or the first or last names of the bride and groom. Each recipe below has a suggested name, but you may want to come up with your own.

Green Signature Drinks for Your Wedding - Liquors and Mixers

When concocting your green drink, think of liquor and mixers that are already green. Sure, you can always color your drink, but it is best to start off with liquor and mixers that are already green. Some green liquors include: Absinthe, Chartreuse (herbal taste), Apple Schnapps, Crème de Menthe (mint), and Midori (melon-flavored) - my personal favorite.

Green Chartreuse

Absinthe

Some naturally green mixers are lime juice, unsweetened lime Kool Aid, Rose's lime juice (has sugar in it too), margarita mix, and of course, ice cubes colored with green food coloring.

Green garnishes include mint leaves, lime slices, celery sticks, cucumber slices, honeydew melon balls, green apple slices, and of course, ice cubes colored with green food coloring.

One note: Always serve a non-alcoholic green signature drink for people who do not drink alcohol and for the kids, so that they may join in the festive nature of your themed wedding.

Green Signature Drinks for Your Wedding - Recipes

Following are some green drinks your guests are sure to remember. Note: Add the ingredients in the order they are listed, and don't skimp on the ice. If the drink does not call for ice in a collins glass, first shake the ingredients (not carbonated sodas) in a mixer and strain into a chilled martini or other glass.

Midori Illusion
2 oz Midori
1/2 oz triple sec
1/2 oz vodka
1 oz lemon juice
Shake in shaker, pour over ice, garnish with slice of lemon.

Midori June bug
1 oz Midori
1/2 oz coconut rum
1/2 oz banana liquor
2 oz sweet & sour mix
2 oz pineapple juice
Shake in shaker and pour over ice. Garnish with a skewer of banana and pineapple.

Apple Melon Martini

3 parts Apple Martini Mixer
1 part Club Soda
1 part Midori Liqueur

Fill cocktail shaker with ice, and add Apple Mixer and Midori Liqueur. Shake and pour into martini glass. Top off with Club Soda.

Apple Martini

1.5 ounces of Vodka
1 ounce of Green Apple Schnapps

Add ice to the shaker, pour in the vodka and schnapps, shake, and strain into martini glasses. Garnish with green apple slices.

Pear-Apple Reward

1 oz. Apple martini mixer
1 oz. pear vodka
Bitter lemon soda

Combine vodka and mixer in shaker with ice. Strain into a collins glass with ice and top with bitter lemon soda. Garnish with a slice of apple.

Emerald Isle

1 teaspoon Crème de Menthe
1 oz Gin
Bitters. Couple of dashes

Add ice to shaker, shake, and pour ingredients over ice. Garnish with a mint leaf.

Jade Mojito

1 oz Mojito mixer
1 oz green Midori
1 oz rum
2 oz club soda

Combine all ingredients except soda in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass filled with ice, top with club soda and stir. Garnish with mint and a slice of lime.

Mint Cooler

1 oz Crème de Menthe
1.5 oz Gin
Ginger Ale

Place ice in a shaker, add Crème de Menthe and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass and add Ginger Ale to taste.

Melon Margarita

2 parts Margarita Mixer
1 part melon vodka
Blend all ingredients together with ice until smooth. Garnish with a skewer of melon balls.

Green Goblin

1 oz Peach Schnapps
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Coconut Rum
1 oz Green Apple Schnapps
Sweet and Sour Mix

Add ice to shaker, pour in all ingredients, shake, and pour into cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.