Wedding bar - what am I missing?

[Crolisd]

Our wedding will be in a barn and we are doing our own bar. So I need to stock it well to make sure everyone is catered for. Here is my list of the basics:

White wine
Red wine
Champagne
Lager
A craft ale
Gin (Gordon’s)
Rum (Havana club)
Vodka (Smirnoff)
Malibu
Cider
Fruit cider

Coke
Diet coke
Tonic
Lemonade
Sparkling water
Orange juice
Cranberry juice

Lots of ice and chopped lime/lemons

Would there be something on this list for you? What brand preference would you have for the lager/beer/cider? What other soft drinks would you have?

Not becks blue lol

Actually, Lidl is a really shout for all your booze needs.

Tea and coffee!

I'd hit lidl for the drink - their fake Hendricks gin is great.

I would get something decent that's non alcoholic eg elderflower

I love Malibu, I'd be happy but yeah, you're never going to please everyone. I'd add whiskey and still water, cannot abide fizzy water

Oh and my DD's love (fake) archers and lemonade as well as (fake) Malibu from Lidl / Aldi

I’d swop the champagne for Prosecco to save a little money. I would also ditch the Malibu unless you’ve anyone particular you know that drinks it. A ginger ale mixer would be a good addition. Baileys is a popular one too.

I’d have a tea and coffee station too.

ooh elderflower yes. And maybe a non alcoholic fancy punch with pretty fruit in the pitcher. Non alcoholic Pimms type thing.

Agree with others that Gordon's would be disappointing as the only gin choice.
You can get some nicer ones for not much more and often they're on offer

Oh - and a basic blend whiskey. I hadn’t noticed that was missing. Jack Daniels is popular too.

Tap water!

Not gordons or smirnoff, get something a bit better. See whats on offer.

Save money by buying prosecco instead of champagne and use the savings to buy the nicer spirits. Make sure you get decent tonic too, not supermarket cheapest brand.

Malibu? That is a bit of an odd one. DO you know people who drink it, Koko kanu is a nicer version of coconut rum.

Beers, there are so many to choose from. Maybe look for a local brewer to you and buy direct. No one really drinks larger, its all IPA these days, maybe Neck oil? It's also very trendy to have cans now, they have much improved the taste. So you could buy in lots of different ones, brewdog are very popular and often on special in the supermarket.

Gordon's is absolutely fine, it tastes how gin used to taste. Presumably there are several guests who particularly like Malibu - it's a bit of a niche taste and could get wasted otherwise.

Will you be able to provide tea and coffee? I know I'm usually gasping for a hot drink by the end of a long day.

@Wearywithteens

Bacardi not Havana Club

No, havana is a better rum. Bacardi is shit unless its the more premium brand.

Yy to alcohol free beer. There are loads available these days and some are actually quite good! The Brew Dog Nanny State is decent, as is Moretti 0% and Brooklyn Special Effects is lovely.
I'd probably do a standard 4% ish lager, an IPA style craft, and possibly some old school bitter if you think you'll have guests who'd want it (hate to generalise but it'd probably be older gents!)
And definitely check out Aldi/Lidl for gins, some of them have won awards and would probably be comparable in price to Gordons.

Yes to a sparkling wine and a rose. Personally, I could give the malibu a miss. Do adults actually drink that? I don't think I've had it since I was about 18.

Ummmm, think you are trying too hard and will run out…… and this will cost a total fortune and will be abused.

For a free bar in a barn, I’d provide red wine, white wine and maybe rose too.

Lager and a draught craft beer on tap.

Fizzy water, fizzy drinks, diet and normal, and cordials

No spirits at all as they can be drunk far too quickly, and they need ice, mixers and are far too easy to be put in a capacious handbag.

And then champagne or good Prosecco for the toast.

If it’s in summer then pimms!

Do people really go to a wedding of people they love, who have laid on a free bar, and feel disappointed at the brand of gin being served to them. For free.

Mind truly boggled

The best bar ‘trick’ I saw at a wedding was each guest being given a glass with a little tag with their name on it, which could then be refilled, or swapped for another glass if they moved from wine to spirits etc

It stopped the usual thing of someone taking a few sips, putting their glass down, forgetting which one it was so going back to the bar to get another one, repeat repeat

A lot less waste by making everyone keep half an eye on their glass

I love Malibu 🙈 it's the only alcoholic drink I like!

I agree with those who said tea and coffee, they're the only thing my DP drinks as he is teetotal and fussy about soft drinks. I'm sure they'd go down a storm!

Also apple juice as well as orange.

Another one for ginger beer!

I will go against the grain and say that you are offering too much choice. People will start demanding cocktails, or there will be a run on rum and coke and you can never budget for that.

Agree not Gordon’s. Rank rotten:

Ophir, Bombay, Tanq 10 all similarly priced and far nicer

Dry Martini