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4 Summer Wedding Cocktail Ideas Perfect for a Maui Wedding Reception

4 Summer Wedding Cocktail Ideas Perfect for a Maui Wedding Reception

With coordination and planning underway for upcoming summer weddings on Maui, we are in the late stages of finalizing wedding catering menus. Several include a hosted cocktail bar service and a few of the brides (and grooms!) utilizing my Maui catering services asked for wedding cocktail ideas. Though I always recommend our most popular wedding cocktail, the Passionate Lilikoi Mojito, I also suggest the classic Maui wedding cocktail ideas: Mai Tai, Blue Hawaiian and Pina Colada. Those cocktails match traditional island weddings or could be customized for a contemporary casual tropical wedding reception. The following wedding cocktail recipes from our friends at Saveur would be fun to serve at a Maui beach wedding reception:

The King Family Fortune

The Descendants Cocktail for summer wedding cocktails on Maui

Planning a Hawaii wedding and a fan of ‘The Descendants’ movie, set and filmed in Hawaii? Try the ‘King Family Fortune’ cocktail recipe:

With pineapple juice, grenadine, and vanilla vodka, The King Family Fortune plays on the tropical setting of The Descendants. The King Family Fortune Cocktail was developed by Jen Marshall, nitehawkcinema.com‘s Beverage Director.

MAKES 1 COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. vanilla vodka
3 oz. pineapple juice
¼ oz. grenadine

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain the mixture into a collins glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Image Credit: MacKenzie Smith

Saveur Recipe: http://www.saveur.com/article/wineanddrink/The-King-Family-Fortune

Cucumber Gin Cooler

This refreshing update on the classic gin & tonic is an easy sipper, thanks to summery cucumber slices and plenty of lime juice. A note on the cucumber slices: it may be tempting to nibble them out of your drink right away, but try to resist the urge. After several minutes’ contact with the lime juiceCucumber gin cooler maui wedding cocktail ideas image., gin, and sweet tonic water (about as long as it takes to finish the drink) they pickle ever so slightly, taking on a lovely crisp flavor.

MAKES 4 DRINKS

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. gin (like Hendrick’s, which has a slight cucumber flavor)
8 tbls. fresh lime juice (from about 4 limes)
1/2 cup thinly sliced Persian or Kirby cucumber, scrubbed but not peeled
Tonic water
Lime wedges, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill four glasses halfway with ice. In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, lime juice, cucumber slices, and a small amount of ice. Shake vigorously for 1-2 minutes, and pour into ice-filled glasses, making sure cucumber slices are evenly distributed. Top with tonic water; garnish with a wedge of lime.

Cucumber Gin Cooler Cocktail Image Credit: Helen Rosner

Saveur Recipe: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Cucumber-Gin-Cooler

The Dalmatian

Coral-pink and slightly opaque, this cocktail (developed by Saveur online editor Helen Rosner) looks demure, but it packs serious heat: bitter and sweet, earthy and deep, with a slow, lingering burn from the vodka and pepper. It’s one of those drinksDalmation grapefruit and black pepper summer wedding cocktail ideas images that makes you look at the glass in wonderment after your first sip.

MAKES 1 COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz. black pepper simple syrup* 
1.5 oz. Karlsson’s Gold Vodka or other vodka
3 oz. fresh grapefruit juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the simple syrup, vodka, and grapefruit juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for about a minute; strain into an ice-filled glass.

*To make Black Pepper Simple Syrup:
1/4 cup crushed black peppercorns
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Place sugar, water and peppercorns in a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring once or twice. Once sugar is dissolved take off the heat and let cool. Leave the peppercorns in the syrup to lend it a stronger flavor; strain them out when it is spiced to taste.

Dalmatian Image Credit: MacKenzie Smith

Saveur Recipe: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Dalmation-Vodka-Cocktail

Strawberry Moonshine Julep

MoonshineMoonshine strawberry infused summer wedding cocktails image, also known as white whiskey, takes the place of Bourbon in this summery interpretation of a Julep. The crisp flavor of this clear spirit finds a tangy counterpoint in macerated strawberries, sweeter and juicier than berries used fresh. Served in mason jars, they’re an ideal afternoon tipple.

INGREDIENTS

2 large ripe strawberries, washed, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tsp. sugar
3 leaves fresh mint
2 oz. moonshine or white whiskey, like Original Moonshine 
1/2 oz. lemon juice
Sprig of mint, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine cut strawberries, sugar, mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Stir and let stand until strawberries are macerated, up to 10 minutes. Add moonshine, lemon juice, and ice to fill the shaker, and shake vigorously for an additional minute. Pour out contents into mason jars, adding more ice as needed. Garnish with a sprig of mint. 

Image Credit: Maxime Iattoni

Saveur Recipe: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Strawberry-Moonshine-Julep

Need more wedding cocktail ideas and Inspiration? See these 10 Signature Cocktail Recipes in Destination Weddings Magazine.

Share any ideas you have and I’ll be happy to customize a bar menu or catering menus for you! All my catering menus and party packages are completely flexible and I enjoy creating a custom menu to fit your catering budget and make your Maui wedding dream come true! Image of classic wedding cocktail idea, the Blue Hawaiian is perfect for a Maui beach wedding reception!NOTE: Though my Maui catering company is not licenced for alcoholic beverage sales, I’ll share with you the best places to purchase your own alcololic beverages on Maui, supply coolers with ice, bar and Maui county licensed bartenders to serve at your Maui wedding reception.

A big trend on the mainland for wedding reception catering is themed food stations with a live chef. Catering food stations are themed to the food being served at the station, matched to the overall event or wedding reception theme or a combination. Active catering food stations provide personal interactions between the guests and chef. A cocktail bar service matched with an affordable Maui catering services package would complete a full theme for your Maui wedding reception. For a few more Maui wedding cocktail ideas, you may enjoy the unusual names of these signature cocktails for Maui weddings or last year’s most popular summer wedding cocktails.

Ready to plan a catered wedding reception with complete Maui catering service? Need cocktail service for hosted bar service at your beach wedding reception on Maui or maybe a beach barbecue to welcome the guests who have traveled so far to be part of your Maui wedding reception. Maui wedding catering is easy!

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We'll help you every step of the way, from finding a Maui wedding venue or event location and matching event and wedding service providers to preparing and serving our catered dishes at your Maui event or Maui wedding reception.

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Or call (808)419-0889 for personal wedding planning advice from Maui Chef Christian Jorgensen.

CJ’s Kaanapali Diner Review

My daughter and I visited Maui a couple of weeks ago and came to your restaurant 3 times. I just wanted to thank you for your willingness to meet our gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free requirements. We loved being able to eat out safely and wish we had a CJ’s at home! I just wrote you a stellar review on Trip Advisor. Hope you have a wonderful rest of the summer!

Kelley MacCabe
CJ’s Maui Restaurant Review

Wonderful for a Sunday Brunch since you can order breakfast until 11:00am! Had a ‘custom’ 3 ingredient omelette (I chose mushrooms, feta and spinach) with nicely crunchy on the outside and soft inside home potatoes, yummy. Hubby had the pancakes with fresh fruit! These are light fluffy slightly sweet batter pancakes, not those heavy bland ones (OK I admit it, I had to have a few bites of his breakfast…) Service was fast and friendly :0). The menu is EXTENSIVE, we live here and love it!

Kathy, Lahaina, Maui
CJ’s Deli and Diner Maui Restaurant Review

Fact: CJ’s Maui onion soup will melt your face off it’s so good. Best I’ve ever had. It gets 20 stars.
Alas, it’s not on the menu every day… But when my fiancee and I went this past summer and were lucky to meet Chef CJ in person and mentioned that we had been thinking about the onion soup since the last time we visited two years earlier, he was kind enough to put it on the next day’s menu. We went back the following day and ordered it, and it was amazing, just as we had remembered. Another fact: the onion soup at CJ’s is better than the onion soup at Mama’s Fish House (and at like 1/4th of the price). Really. It’s that good. Part of me wants to reverse engineer CJ’s onion soup recipe, quit my job, and make millions selling onion soup to the mainland masses! (or: CJ, wanna make a deal?)
I think that the loco moco gravy is made from the same goodness. So that’s great too. The potato salad is tasty as well.
The to-go lunch plate is respectable.

Jonny S, San Diego, CA
Maui Chef CJ Prepares Mushroom Soup for Kaanapali Restaurant Guest

On a previous visit to Maui, I had the most delicious mushroom soup at CJ’s Deli and Diner in Kaanapali. When I arrived in Maui this week, I emailed the restaurant and asked what day they might have the soup. The owner and chef, Christian Jorgensen (CJ), promptly replied even though he was on vacation in Vegas. He gave me a number to call to check on the soup of the day. Then when he returned to Maui on Friday, he emailed me to let me know he would have the soup for me on Saturday. When I got there, he was so friendly and the soup was even more scrumptious than I had remembered. I really appreciated how valued he made me feel as a customer.

Linda D.
CJs Maui Restaurant Customer

Good Morning, My wife and I spent last week in Maui. Your early bird special was the best. After we found you, we ate breakfast there every morning. You had two regular coffees that we just loved.

James T Wilson Jr
Maui Restaurant Customer

The best burger I ever had! Great Service! Fantastic Food!! Simply Awesome.

Pat Janostin, Champlin MN
Kaanapali Restaurant Customer Comment

Thanks for all the Good Food. Best we have ad since we hit the island 5 days ago!

Jeff and Myra V., Ontario, Ohio

CJ’s Maui Restaurant Customer Comments on CJ’s Private Luau in her Blog

Aloha, Just wanted to let you know that this post was up last Friday and it will be included (linked) with all of our Hawaii properties. Thank you both for excellent service. You made our trip to Maui very memorable! Feel free to comment on the post. It’s always good to have additional information and your input.

https://www.ciaobambino.com/ciaobambinoblog/index.php/2010/01/photo-friday-special-activities-in-maui/

Nancy Solomon, Travel Writer
CJ’s Maui Restaurant Customer Comment

Aloha, We were in to see you many times during our stay last month in Ka’anapali, couple of things for you:
Need to order some more of your CJ’s roasted Kona Coffee. I see it’s not yet on your website, only the Maui Coffee Co. stuff. We ran out last weekend and are having withdrawls, please help!! Need 2 bags urgently!!
Secondly, your claim about having the best corned beef hash on the island. I think you’ve understated this because it’s the best I’ve had any where in the world! And that covers a lot of ground as I’ve been to every continent multiple times. Just the best anywhere, period!! Don’t suppose you would have that for delivery to Indiana would you? Maybe by the pound(s)?
Great people and even better food, Mahalo CJ’s. Seriously though, please let me know about that coffee. How do we get some ordered and shipped to Indiana?

Bill Clark, Valparaiso, In.
CJ’s Maui Restaurant Customer Comment

​CJ’s Deli & Diner Rocks! Been here several times while visiting Maui – each time we tried different meals and each time we LOVED the food, service and atmosphere. Only suggestion would be to provide regular dinner napkins along with this paper type – because we’re messy!

Aloha and Mahalo from Detroit