Thoughts???

[redsintoronto]

Any thoughts on the following signature cocktail to be served at my wedding:

1.5 oz vodka
3 oz grapefruit juice
1 oz cranberry juice

Chilled and served in a cosmo glass w/ stir stick w/ dendrobium orchid attahced

I'm looking for a second signature drink that would compliment this.... something sweet. Any suggestions?

[JMF]

Why not get a copy of the newest edition of Mr. Boston Cocktail Guide (the one edited by Jim Meehan) and look through that for some real cocktails.

[yarm]

CocktailDB.com is also a good resource.

[invinotheresverde]

These are just my thoughts, so take 'em or leave 'em.

Your drink sounds odd to me. It's a Seabreeze being served in a modern cocktail glass with a garnish added that does nothing to enhance the drink's flavor. If anything, the orchid will just get in the way and look amateurish. Nothing about a Seabreeze says fancy wedding reception to me; it says "I used to drink these in the eighties".

It's a wedding. Serve bubbles! Add some St. Germain to it and call it your own. It's much more a signature-style drink than a Seabreeze served in the wrong glass.

[Icantread]

That sounds like it will seriously pucker some mouths and not altogether very strong. What liquors and level of liquors will the bar be supplying?

[Bobfrmia]

Mai Tai, sweeter, but still fruity. Light liquor. Seems right to me.

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

Mai Tais, when made properly, are not syrupy sweet, and not light liquor either color-wise OR strength-wise. It's tawny from the gold and dark rums used to make it. If it comes out yellow or (God forbid) red, it ain't a Mai Tai. Here's how to make an authentic one:

Juice of a large lime
1/2 ounce orgeat syrup
1/4 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce DeKuyper orange curaçao
1 ounce gold rum (preferably St. James, or another Martinique gold)
1 ounce dark rum (preferably Appleton Estate Extra, or another Jamaican dark)

Shake like hell with plenty of crushed ice, garnish with a spent lime shell and a sprig of fresh mint.

Incidentally, your cocktail has a name, namely a Seabreeze. However, your usual Seabreeze, like other highballs, is generally served on the rocks instead of straight up. My first thought of another cocktail to go with it would be a classic, the Lemon Drop. 1-1/2 ounces citron vodka, 1 ounce triple sec, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, shaken with ice and served straight up in a cocktail glass that has been rimmed with sugar.

Another one that might work well is the Blood and Sand, named after a 1922 bullfighting movie starring Rudolf Valentino. It's traditionally equal parts Scotch, Cherry Heering, sweet vermouth, and orange juice (most commonly an ounce of each), but you can turn it into a less potent drink by upping the amount of orange juice. I know it sounds like a weird combination, but it is quite the tasty drink.

[Bobfrmia]

I stand corrected. Should have known not to post to the Spirits board without a little research.
I haven't had a Mai Tai for probably 20 years, and after reading your post I guess I should expand that to ever.
A real Mai Tai should have no fruit juice other than lime? Well, that eliminates every version I ever had.
The authentic version sounds good. Maybe one day soon as it gets warmer.

[Aaron]

Have you ever heard of rosewater being added to this lineup?
I keep hearing about that, but never see it show up in recipes.