Venetian Sour

Ingredients:

• 1.25 oz. Strawberry Infused Ketel One Vodka
• 0.75 oz. Aperol
• 0.75 oz. Lemon Juice
• 1 Egg White
• 0.75 oz. Simple Syrup

Add all ingredients to a mixing tin. Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with florals and a charred banana wheel.

Ginger Peach Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Bourbon
• 0.5 oz. Peach Puree
• 3 Drops Fresh Ginger Juice
• 2 tsp. Fresh Orange Juice
• 2 Dashes Cinnamon Bitters
• 3.5 tsp. Honey Water

Add all ingredients to a stirring pitcher. Stir with ice for 30 seconds. Strain over fresh ice in a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with an expressed orange peel.

Apples & Apricots

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Remy VSOP Cognac
• 0.5 oz. Campari
• 0.5 oz. Vanilla Syrup
• 0.5 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
• 3 Dried Apricots
• 0.25 Green Apple

Muddle dried apricots and apple wedge with fervor in a mixing tin. Add all liquids. Shake to mix. Strain into Collins glass topping with soda. Garnish with a dried apricot and apple slices.

The Prickly Paw

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Fortaleza Blanco Tequila
• 1 oz. Orange Rind Simple Syrup
• 1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
• 0.5 oz. Prickly Pear Puree
• Kosher Salt

Add all ingredients to a mixing tin, save salt. Shake with ice and fine strain over fresh ice in a bucket glass with a swathe of kosher salt down the side. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Tea Time

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Bulleit Rye Whiskey
• 2 oz. Oolong Tea
• 0.75 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
• 0.75 oz. Simple Syrup
• Laphroaig Scotch Mist
• Mint

Add all liquid ingredients to a Collins glass filled with ice. Stir and garnish with a lemon wheel and a generous amount of mint. Add mists of Laphroaig over the top.

Night Light

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Fresh Brewed Espresso
• 1.5 oz. Vanilla Bean Infused St Petersburg Vodka
• 0.75 oz. Cinnamon-Vanilla Simple Syrup
• 0.25 Fernet Branca

Add all ingredients to a mixing tin. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with 3 floated espresso beans.

Q&A with Frankie Thaheld of Snake Oil Cocktail Company

In your experience, what do wedding guests order most at the bar?

In my experience, a couple's two signature cocktails are typically ordered most often. In celebration, it’s fun to join in with their likes and tastes. After that, a classic Old Fashioned or Vodka Soda are the most popular drinks ordered.

Any tips for how to make a couple’s signature drink personal?

The easiest ways to personalize a signature drink would be with its name, the color scheme, spirit selection, and palate.

What’s your favorite cocktail trend?

When it comes to cocktail trends, I prefer the Natural Cocktail: beverages with fresh ingredients, bright colors, and with no added preservatives. We look to the kitchen and to the farm for inspiration and innovation when building our cocktails.

How do you help couples choose a name for their signature cocktail?

Asking questions is vital when choosing a name. What season are we going for? Do they have a specific spirit wanting to be highlighted?

What’s your favorite way to garnish a cocktail?

Cocktail garnish should exemplify and amplify the cocktail experience. Look for ingredients that are in the drink and complement it. Fresh herbs like mint, basil, or lavender will add aroma and color to any cocktail.

Hero photo courtesy of Snake Oil Cocktail Co. 

View the full feature in Volume 1 of The Aisle magazine