Tips To Choosing The Right Alcohol For Any Formal Event
The consumption of alcohol is incredibly common here in the United States. In fact, more than 97 million people drink various types of liquor, with more than 13 million people consuming some type of cocktail over the course of the last month or so alone. In addition to this, beers, ciders, and wines have also long been incredibly popular among many different demographics throughout the country, with the average per capita consumption of wine at nearly three gallons, up from less than two gallons back in 1993, now more than 20 years in the past. And the total sales of wine amount to more than 300 million cases over the course of just one year, making the United States the country that consumes the most wine in comparison to the rest of the world.
Of course, beer is widely beloved as well, from nationally produced brands to local brews (and local brews, or craft beer, have seen a particularly large uptick in sales over the course of recent years here in the United States). Many people drink beer even just casually, having a glass of one of their favorite local brews with dinner or while unwinding after a long day of work. For many people, the same can be said for various types of wine and ciders as well.
So with alcohol so very prevalent in our lives, it only makes sense that we would want to celebrate major life events with alcohol as well. And so the open bar – or even the for cash bar – has become something of a staple at the typical America wedding held in today’s world. Like beer and wine and all of the above, weddings are incredibly common and easy to find here in the United States, with more than 44,000 thousand of them held in a single weekend all throughout the country, adding up to nearly two and a half million weddings over the course of a year. At many of these weddings, alcohol will be able to be found in some capacity.
It depends on the type of wedding, of course, as many people from various religious backgrounds will opt for a dry wedding. Other people will choose to serve alcohol but for budgetary reasons will make it a cash bar instead of an open one. Open bars, however, have become more obtainable than ever before, sometimes amounting to as little as 20% of the total catering bill – though still something that very much will need to be factored into the process of budgeting.
No matter what type of bar any couple decides to have at their wedding, however, the fact remains that the alcohol selection should be well thought out before the big day. Local brews, for instance, are likely to be popular at many a wedding in coming years, as craft beer companies alone now represent up to 12% of the market share for the beer industry as a whole, at least here in the United States. Local brews allow for the addition of local flavor into the wedding, something that many people will enjoy, as not everyone attending that wedding will necessarily live in the area and have had the chance to sample the local brews available to it before. And as many people have become enthusiasts of the local brew, it’s likely that having local brews as a part of the open bar selection can showcase a passion of the bride and the groom as well.
Wines should of course also be included, and many couples will find it helpful to look at the most popularly consumed types of wines when making wine selections. Of the most popular wines, chardonnay is the most popular variety, followed by that of Cabernet Sauvignon. Pinot Grigio, merlot, and pinot noir represent three other popular varieties that are likely to be a hit at just about any given wedding held here in the United States. Having at least one white variety and one red variety is likely to be by and large the ideal plan for weddings, as most people have a preference of one over the other.
