There was a day, not that long ago, when every phone on the planet was attached to a cord, when every form was filled out on paper, and when the electric car was just in science fiction. But the world has changed much, both technologically and socially, and continues to change.
Weddings, and other events such as cocktail office parties, have been affected by a changing world, just like everything else. Theme weddings and parties, for instance, have become enormously popular in recent years, where everything has become custom. How, and what, we drink during these events has likewise been impacted.
However, nobody wants to be left behind with the times! So we look ahead. Specifically, the bartending trends that will keep your wedding or other events “with the times” in 2022. Here are a few:
Teaser Cocktails
It has long been a custom to have hors d’oeuvres readily available for your guests to munch on as soon as they enter the venue of a wedding reception, and never go hungry. One trend that has become increasingly popular at weddings over the past few years is to also have teaser cocktails readily available to go along with those hors d’oeuvres, so that your party members never go thirsty.
There are some fruity cocktails, such as sangrias and hard lemonades, which can easily be made in batches, and therefore readily available for your guests to wet their whistles as soon as they arrive.
DIY Drink Menus
We all know that the drink menus at most weddings will already include beer, wine and champagne. These three drinks are (and will continue to remain) the staple drinks of weddings. However, we live in an age in which customization has very much become a standard, and to merely serve the staples is to be behind the times.
One bartending trend that is increasingly popular at weddings is to include an additional signature drink, or two, on the drink menu. While a menu can list more than an additional one or two drinks, your guests may appreciate the relative simplicity of having no more than five options to choose from.
There may already be a signature drink which helps to tell the unique tale of the couple that is getting married, perhaps something that they drank on their very first date. Or this may be an opportunity to meet with a mixologist, before he or she provides bartending services, so that a signature drink can be invented special for your wedding! There are plenty of base liquors, and mixers, to choose from so that the possible combinations to make signature cocktails and fruity drinks is nearly endless.
Move over #weddinghastags, there’s a new trend in town!
The Rise of Mobile Bartending Services
It has long been a standard to host an office party, or some other event, at a nearby bar. But in recent years COVID has given us plenty of reason to think twice about that one, and will probably be making us think twice for years to come.
Going to a bar means going to a (typically indoor) space where there will be a lot of other people (especially if it is a Friday or Saturday night), and staff who have been directly exposed to a lot of other people. But alternatives do exist, to keep your event more insulated, and therefore safer for your guests.
A mobile bartending service, staffed by men and women who’ve had less exposure to other people as someone working at a restaurant or bar, can meet you at a banquet hall, or office, or house, or any other dedicated space which will insulate your guests.
Safety is always first when it comes to you and your guests!
Final Thoughts
We, at Cardinal Mixology, keep an eye on the trends that will affect bartending services for the coming year. Our professional mixologists are more than happy to guide you on which signature drinks will best suit the drink menu for your event. And if you happen to be in West Michigan, near the areas of Grand Rapids, Holland, or Rockford, we’ll meet you anywhere, to make sure that you and your guests remain safe at your event. So give us a call!
