Except for those four cups of wine at the seder, the traditional Purim binge and, to some extent, weddings, Jews are generally known as an abstemious group. (So don’t ask from whence the Yiddish term shikker arose.)
Here in wine-proud Northern California, consumption of the hard stuff at a wedding celebration seems to be especially limited. While champagne remains standard for the toasts to the bride and groom, according to Mike Reinig of Continental Caterers in Menlo Park, “People are doing more beer and wine bars instead of hard liquors.”
Bill Konrad, the owner of Healdsburg’s Madrona Manor, agrees. “Unless the guests are coming from Texas,” he notes, “many brides prefer no hard alcohol. They just don’t want drunks at their wedding.”
Caterer Avi Cohen of Marin says syrah currently is the trendiest wedding wine. And El Cerrito caterer Elaine Binger, owner of Soup to Nuts, points out the popularity of the fruity, non-alcoholic Juice Squeeze.
The newest thing, it seems, is to have a “signature” drink at the wedding, perhaps supplemented with wine and beer. According to Binger, the cosmopolitan heads the list. Lemon drops and a martini bar also are popular.
And, if you want your wedding to have a particularly Jewish flavor, try the shalom. (Shake 1 1/2 oz. of 100 proof vodka, 1 oz. Madeira wine and 1 Tbsp. orange juice with ice, strain into an old fashion glass and top with an orange slice.)
The signature drink has an economic advantage as well, notes new bride Vikki Goldman of Mill Valley. The liquor can be purchased in bulk and stores like Beverages and More will accept unopened bottles for return. This is true of wine as well.
Goldman was married last fall in a large San Francisco synagogue where many different functions are held, sometimes on the same day. “The risk is,” she noted ruefully, “that, if you don’t tell your caterer exactly what you ordered, he might put someone else’s ‘Two Buck Chuck’ on your tables and humiliate you for the rest of your life.”
But if you thought the dress, the flowers and the cake were high-ticket items, think again about your liquor.
Estimating half a bottle of wine per person, add up the amount that can be consumed. Champagne may go a little further, but good champagne costs more than a decent wine.
One cost-cutter, according to the sages at Modern Bride magazine, is to fill guests’ glasses with the good stuff at the beginning of the reception and switch to a cheaper label later. Chances are, the already-lubricated partygoers won’t even notice.
Alternatives to champagne might be sparkling cider, spritzers or a wedding punch made with champagne and fruit juice. The time of day also is a factor. People will drink less at a late-morning or afternoon wedding than they do at night. An outdoor summer wedding calls for extra supplies of designer water. Whatever your budget, a cash bar is never an option. It is an insult to your guests.
For those who keep kosher, wine is no problem. Kosher wine no longer has to be your great-grandmother’s sweet Concord grape. Not only is kosher wine carried in larger liquor stores, there is a fine selection of kosher wineries close to home: Gan Eden in Sebastopol, (707) 829-5686; Hagafen Cellars in Napa, (707) 252-0781; and the organic Four Gates in Santa Cruz, (831) 457-2673. All will be happy to advise you on your selection.