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?

Spirits will cost a lot and go quickly if people are pouring their own. Premixed cans could be better or you could say you’ll provide mixers and people can bring their own spirits if they want - then they can have whichever premium one they like and take the rest of the bottle home with them!

I agree that wine/beer/cider is plenty to offer. And maybe jugs of Pimm’s.

The pp I most agree with is tea and coffee!

Your selection is more than enough it's free, if someone wants something particular at a barn wedding they will bring it.

@GravityFalls

Spirits will cost a lot and go quickly if people are pouring their own. Premixed cans could be better or you could say you’ll provide mixers and people can bring their own spirits if they want - then they can have whichever premium one they like and take the rest of the bottle home with them!

I agree that wine/beer/cider is plenty to offer. And maybe jugs of Pimm’s.

Good point, also gets people pissed too quickly

@SW1amp

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

Disappointed in the way of “ah ok Gordon’s. Bugger I was looking forward to that G&T. Never mind, I’ll have a pint instead”

Hardly the eye of shame.

Disaranno

You'd be better of asking your guests to list two or three drinks they like, rather than getting the preferences of random Mumsnetters.

A few years ago, if you bought alcohol from majestic, they would buy back the alcohol you didn't drink. Not sure if its still a thing?
I also agree with a rose and an alcohol free beer.

@Cannes12

A few years ago, if you bought alcohol from majestic, they would buy back the alcohol you didn't drink. Not sure if its still a thing? I also agree with a rose and an alcohol free beer.

Yes we went to a marquee Wedding where they'd done a buy back deal on unopened bottles. The best man as a hilarious drunken prank opened all the bottles of whiskey and vodka and was about to start on the gin when someone discovered what he was up to

The malibu is worth having, I know a few people who drink it and I love it myself so it's not as uncommon as some may think.

Definitely a rose wine too

Why would people want Prosecco when champagne is on offer??

It looks like a good list. I'd add a lime squash and an orange squash. Poss black currant too.

I wouldn't worry about Malibu unless you know someone specifically wants it.

Absolut would be nicer than Smirnoff

I second the Pimm's and the tea & coffee.

Any small children? Then get some Ribena etc too. Or fruit shoots

@Scottishskifun

I would probably go for a pimm's rather than a malibu I don't really know anyone who drinks malibu!

Soft drinks maybe a elderflower cordial and a couple of bottles of squash? I know a few who like vodka lime cordial and lemonade.

I drink it by the bottle as does my partner and best friend 😂, hate pinks though!

Agree the list looks fine, wouldn’t worry too much about brands as you’ll never please everybody. Only thing I’d add is still water.

Pimms**

I drink rosé or vermouth. Nowt for me

I would actually ditch the spirits, just offer wine or beer. Then increase soft drink options to some nicer cordials with sparkling options.

Weddings go on forever, I would be completely trollied if just drinking alcohol all day, and don’t like the super sweet coke etc that’s often the only choice.

Also agree, prosecco is too sweet. Cava is nicer

Tea and coffee?

Some sort of liquer? Baileys, amaretto, that type of thing.

Definatly keep the spirits. I don't like wine or beer, so would end up a dry wedding for me with no spirits. I also like malibu!

Baileys, or a white rum to go with the Havanna club?

Or kaluha to make white Russians?

We did this.

I sat down thinking about what my guests drunk as a rule. It was mainly wine and beer. I worked out roughly how much they would drink and added a bit more just in case. We didn’t go mad on variety just stocked up on a couple of different ones.

We did 2 types of white
Lots of bubbles (quite a few drunk bubbles as it was a wedding, including some of the men)l we kept a stash of my favourite to the side for me.
Some red just in case but no one drunk it.
Beer mainly larger but added 2 types of ipa, most drunk larger.
We had plenty of water. It was a really hot day and was needed.
Coke and lemonade, cranberry and o/j.
None of the spirits were touched but it was before the whole gin craze so if I was doing it now I would add a few gins and mixers in.

I suppose it would depend on your guests, if you have guests who love a good cocktail and you know there will be ones who will get into making them then I’d put on a few common spirits that can be used in most cocktails. Maybe put a cocktail book behind the bar. Most of our guests weren’t interested as they were mainly beer and wine drinkers.

When selecting the wine I got a couple of cases of different ones for my hen party and I went with the ones everyone preferred. Everyone at the hen do came to the wedding so it was a perfect way to choose the right wine. Beer was easy, I catered for DH and my beer swigging DF and male relatives as they were definitely the fussiest men there.

Tea and coffee

I would ditch the spirits for sure. Champagne, wines (white, rose and red) beer (lager and craft) Ciders and soft drinks. Also bottled water and fruit shoots for any kids x

Agree that having some kind of spirit available can be important. My partner can't stand beer or wine, he only drinks vodka or rum and occasionally cider if there's nothing else.

So I think having even a small amount of each is important.

Another no vote for malibu here.....I don't know anyone that drinks it. Swap that for a whisky and I think you've got a decent set of spirits.

Maybe some cordials - blackcurrant, lime, elderflower - can be used with sparkling water for soft drinks or also with spirits.

Yy to rose wine and prosecco for champagne.

Tea and coffee - I was at very boozy wedding a couple of weeks ago and a cup of tea after dinner was an absolute delight.