A wedding drink bar in the form of jar dispensers?

It’s nice to have a drink bar at a wedding, but what if we can’t have one? Meet its super alternative: drinks in jar dispensers.

Wedding Drink Bar

A wedding is a unique day for celebration, where every couple wants the day to be perfect for both them and their guests. Since colorful drinks appear alongside chilled vodka and wine at every wedding reception, and are eagerly reached for by both ladies and gentlemen, having a drink bar at a wedding is worth it. However, having a bartender and a bar is not only a question of a larger budget but also of additional space, which is often lacking. So, what if we don’t have a separate bar but want cocktails at our wedding? As an alternative to the drink bar, jar dispensers with drinks have appeared at receptions, proving to be a brilliant solution for many couples.

Planning your reception? Read below to see if a self-service wedding drink bar is right for you and how to prepare drinks in jars, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Article topics:

Self-service wedding drink bar

Recipes for drinks in jars from Mix Me

Prices of drinks in jars

Preparation guide

Pros and cons of drinks in jars

Wedding drink bar in the form of jar dispensers

Let’s start by stating that nothing replaces a bartender. A bartender can show the craftsmanship of their work, prepare drinks to specific orders, and add flair to the entire reception. But, we don’t always have the opportunity to have a drink bar at a wedding. There can be many reasons: limited budget, lack of space, an intimate reception, or a less “cocktail-oriented” crowd. So we have a situation where the bartender is missing, no one will waste time mixing drinks themselves, but the desire for a cool cocktail remains. As an alternative to a wedding drink bar, ready-made drinks in jars for self-pouring have started to appear at receptions. For many couples, this was a massive hit and the solution to all problems.

What a wedding drink bar in the form of jar dispensers offers:

Convenience for guests

Serving large-batch drinks in dispensers gives guests the freedom to use the “bar” because they can access it at any time. And with 3-4 different ready-made drinks, “lines at the bar” are practically non-existent.

Possibility of personalization

Organizers can match the drinks in jars to the wedding’s color scheme and guests’ taste preferences, creating a personalized menu, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Flexible budget

Drinks in jars for a wedding cost only as much as we spend on the products and the jars themselves. Deciding on this option, we do not incur the costs of renting bars, a bartender, transport, often accommodation for the staff, as well as purchasing many products that are often left over after the wedding.

Creativity and aesthetics

Although drinks in jars presented in a cocktail corner look interesting and appetizing, the ability to use different shapes of glassware additionally allows them to be adapted to the room’s decor.

Wedding drink bar in jars from Mix Me:

Certainly, our jar proposals with Mix Me can be an alternative to well-known classic batch cocktails. The recipes for wedding drink punches prepared by us are thanks to our customers, who reached out to us asking if we could prepare recipes for their wedding. Drinks in jars turned out to be a hit, so we followed the blow and prepared a series of ready-made recipes for multi-portion punches that can be prepared in a few minutes.

A huge advantage of Mix Me is that they are properly balanced in taste and ready to use, so just pour the whole bottles, mix lightly with ice, and dozens of drinks are ready! You don’t have to be a specialist to create cool flavor combinations. They come in 4 flavors, which you can read more about in our online bartender store.

Drinks in jars at a wedding

Below we include two basic mixing schemes, and you will find more recipes at the bottom of the article.

Mix Me Punch (Still):

5 x Mix Me 0.5 l

2 x Strong alcohol 0.7 l

3 cups of ice cubes

A few slices of fruit

Mix Me Punch with Prosecco:

4 x Mix Me 0.5 l

1 x Gin 0.5 l (also in 0% version)

3 x Prosecco 0.7 l (also in 0% version)

2 cups of ice cubes

A few slices of fruit

Here you will see a short video showing how to prepare jar drinks with prosecco from Mix Me in a few minutes:

Drinks in jars – how much do they cost and how many portions are inside?

Preparing drinks in dispensers makes it very easy for us to calculate the budget, because we only need to include the products we pour inside and the cost of the jars. According to our calculation, the average cost of one 4-5 liter jar is between 250-300 PLN. The price can, of course, be lower or much higher, depending on the ingredients used. Assuming one drink portion is 120 ml, we can estimate that from one jar we will get about 32-40 portions.

We bought the jar used in the video here.

Buffet-style wedding drink bar – how to prepare?

When planning to serve drinks in jars, it is important to remember a few key issues:

firstly, menu variety – ensure there are sparkling drinks, e.g., with prosecco for the ladies and something strong for the gentlemen

secondly, adequate supplies and selection of glassware quantity. Maybe one or two jars won’t be enough, it’s worth having a few extra products in stock.

additionally, it is worth preparing both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions

just like a menu at a bar, it is worth setting up a menu sign next to it describing what is inside

prepare glasses, as well as sliced fruits

set an ice bucket nearby and don’t forget tongs or an ice scoop, so there’s no need to scoop ice with hands or a glass (good bartending equipment can be found here).

Ready-made wedding drinks

Pros and cons of drinks in jars:

Pros:

Fast serving of drinks

Freedom for guests

Low cost

Menu flexibility

No major waste

No lines at the bar

Does not require extra space

Speed of preparation

Time-saving

No need to buy a huge variety of groceries

Cons:

Firstly – jars will not replace a bartender, as they won’t provide the magic of mixing or prepare drinks to order

Secondly – they limit the menu to usually 2-4 types of drinks

Guest reactions to drinks in jars

Guests usually react to drinks in jars very positively; after all, the opportunity to have a nice drink as an alternative to straight vodka with cola or moonshine is always a plus, especially for the ladies. Moreover, the freedom of self-service encourages guests to try new flavors and taste even a small portion.

FAQs

What garnishes are best to serve with drinks in jars?

Although the best fitting accessories are appropriate straws, citrus fruit slices, nice glassware, and cocktail snacks, they are often chosen to match the hall’s decor.

Can I taste these drinks beforehand without preparing whole jars?

Of course! In fact, every jar drink can be tasted beforehand; you just need to make such a drink in a single version.

Can drinks in jars be suitable for different guest tastes?

Naturally. Thanks to properly prepared menus, drinks in jars can satisfy diverse tastes and preferences, so it is worth preparing 2 or 3 types.

Can a wedding drink bar in the form of ready-made jars also be non-alcoholic?

Definitely! Having non-alcoholic drinks for guests at a wedding seems to be a highly recommended proposition, as there are always people who do not consume alcohol. Therefore, at such an important celebration, it is good to treat non-drinking guests to a cool non-alcoholic drink or lemonade.

How quickly can I prepare jars with drinks from Mix Me?

In reality, preparing a large 5-liter jar with drinks takes literally a few minutes. Because it takes as much time as pouring the entire contents of several bottles and mixing the drink with ice and fruits.

Are Mix Me jar drinks also non-alcoholic?

Of course, when preparing multi-portion drinks in jars for parties, you can make them with both alcohol and non-alcoholic products.

Where to get menu signs for this?

We send menu signs for Mix Me drinks via email for self-printing, for example, like the ones below. So from you, we only need information on which products you chose and which Mix Me flavors.