Creating a drinks list is one of the most fun elements of a DIY wedding. You can practice the recipes before hand so that on the day, the styling and taste can be spot on. If you’re having a marquee reception or one that is quite a relaxed affair, then there’s nothing better than a selection of punches on offer for your thisty guests.
1. WATERMELON DAIQUERIS
This is one of my favourite drink recipes from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Watermelon and lime is a killer combination on their own, let alone with the alcohol duo. Incredibly refreshing for the summer, you can decrease the rum quantity if you want a less boozy punch.
Ingredients:
Cubed, deseeded watermelon, enough to come up to about the 500ml mark in a measuring jug Juice of 1 lime
120ml white rum
2 tbsp triple sec or Cointreau
1 tbsp icing sugar
Slices of lime, to serve
Method:
Freeze the cubed watermelon a couple of hours in advance. Then, when you’re ready to mix the drinks, squeeze the lime juice into a blender, add the frozen watermelon cubes, rum, triple sec and icing sugar, and blend until smooth.
Pour serve with slices of lime and/ or watermelon (rind on).
2. GINGER LEMON FIZZ
This is a lovely homemade alternative to shop bought fizz drinks. There is plenty of sweet with the sugar quantity but plenty of sour too with the lemons. Just make sure you have plenty of sparkling water as this fizz will sure to be a hit.
Ingredients:
50g fresh root ginger, roughly chopped
300g caster sugar
2 lemon, sliced, plus extra to serve
Sparkling water
Method:
Place the ginger, sugar and lemon slices in a pan with 150-200ml water. Bring to the boil, then cook until the sugar dissolves. Take off the heat, leave to cool, then press through a sieve.
To serve, pour into a pitcher and top up with sparkling water and extra lemon slices.
3. CUCUMBER & ELDERFLOWER GIN COOLER
Essentially an elderflower and cucumber G&T, this ASDA recipe a perfect addition to serving a glass of fizz at your wedding. Don’t skip on the cucumber, as the elderflower and gin and be a bit heavy without its freshness. The green hue of this drink sits attractively next to the berry punches too.
Ingredients:
450g ice
100ml Dry Gin
75ml Elderflower Cordial
1/3 cucumber, peeled and deseeded, plus extra cucumber slices, to serve
Method:
Simply add the ice, gin, elderflower cordial and cucumber in a blender and blitz until smooth.
Serve straight away and garnish with long cucumber slices.
4. CITRUS ICED TEA
I’m not a tea drinker, so at first I wasn’t sure on this Citrus Iced Tea but it is absolutely gorgeous. You can barely taste the tea, for any other non-tea lovers out there, mainly because the oranges are quite overbearing in the best kind of way.
Ingredients:
6 ordinary tea bags
2 tbsp caster sugar
10 sprigs mint
300ml fresh orange juice
juice 1 lime
1⁄2 sliced orange, mint leaves and ice to serve
Method:
So, firstly make the tea in a jug with 1.2 litres water and stir in the sugar.
Add the mint and let it infuse for 10 mins. Strain and cool.
Stir in the juices and serve with orange slices, mint and plenty of ice.
5. POMEGRANTE WATER
This is such a simple recipe from the great Jamie Oliver; in fact, it’s pretty much flavoured water and very pretty water at that! The lime and pomegranate bring the zest and the ginger brings the kick. Kids and adult wedding guests will both love it and because it used still and not sparkling water, it keeps well, and really it can handle one water top up after jug one has been drunk!
Ingredients:
½ pomegrante
2cm piece of ginger
1 lime
Ice cubes
Method:
Hold the pomegranate cut side down in your fingers and bash the back of it with a spoon so the seeds tumble into a jug. Finely grate in some peeled ginger, then slice and add the lime. Finally, add the ice and top up with the water.
