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Here’s cheers! To wedding drink menus, beverage tips and the best mobile bars in Australia

Your wedding drinks sorted! With beverage menus, wedding drink ideas and the six best mobile bars in Australia, as voted and rated by recently married couples, through ABIA Weddings Australia. By Tanya Bywater

The Moonbar Moments mobile bar. Photo courtesy of Moonbar Moments

While food and drink are essential ingredients for any wedding reception, it’s what you serve and how you serve it that can make all the difference. And if you’re looking to elevate your beverage options from the standard to sensational, we’ve uncovered the latest sips, tips and tricks, together with the current six best mobile bars in Australia. So raise your glass, and discover all you need to keep yourself, and your wedding guests, happily hydrated.

Photo by Amelia Protiva

Plan Your Wedding Drinks Menu

Whether you choose to keep it simple, with a basic selection of beer, wine, bubbles and soft drinks, or up the ante with top-shelf spirits and signature cocktails, you’ll want to consider your guests preferences, your budget and your personal taste when it comes to the drinks you serve on your wedding day.

Begin by considering your location or venue’s licensing regulations, so that there are no surprises later. Next, get a good gauge of your guest numbers to determine the quantities that you’ll be serving (beverage catering specialists can help with this) and then select the options that fall within your price range. If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to an entire evening of your favourite French Champagne, consider saving a few bottles for the toasts, then reverting to a more modest sparkling for the rest of the occasion.

And, while alcohol and celebration often go hand in hand, take care to consider the needs and preferences of all your guests with a range of non-alcoholic beverages. With zero-alcohol drinks currently ‘on trend’ you’ll find plenty of options to select from.

Warm beverages will also be welcomed by many, so don’t forget to factor them into the festivities.

Check out our handy Wedding Beverage Ideas checklist, below, for drinks to consider.

Henry Clive cocktails. Photo by Matt Ashton Photography.

Wedding Beverage Ideas

Alcoholic drinks

Beer – local, boutique or international
Wine – red, white, rosé and sparkling
Ciders
Spirits
Cocktails

Non-alcoholic drinks

Water - still and sparkling
Soft drinks
Fruit juices
Coconut water
Kombucha
Zero-alcohol alternatives

Warm beverages

Teas
Coffees
Herbal teas and infusions
Hot chocolate and spiced lattes

Drinks on tap. Photo courtesy of Kombi Keg.

Serve Up Your Signature Wedding Drink Style

Signature wedding cocktails are a popular option for many couples and can be a fun way to infuse a little extra fun and personality into a celebration. Opt for your favourite tipple, transform an old-fashioned recipe with your own twist (see our ‘Cocktail Classics’ below), or talk to your beverage caterer about creating a bespoke blend inspired by your wedding’s location, season or colour theme — finish it off with a fabulous garnish and a catchy name and it’ll possibly prove one of those ‘standout memories’ guests talk about years later.

You can make your mark with other beverages too. Serve an international or boutique beer that originates from a place of significance to you, or stamp your style with customised juice blends, herbal teas or coffee varieties.

Ink gin signature cocktail. Photo courtesy of My Vintage Lane.

Cocktail Classics

Some things never go out of fashion so, if you’d rather keep it classic, choose from an assortment of tried-and-tested cocktails that are almost guaranteed to please your guests. We consulted the experts to narrow down these crowd-favourite wedding cocktails:

Aperol Spritz
Bellini
Cosmopolitan
Daiquiri
Margarita
Martini
Mojito
Rum Punch
Sangria
Whisky Sour

Cocktail classics. Photo courtesy of The Tipsy Mare.

Raise The Bar With A Mobile Drink Station

Presentation is key to a memorable menu, whatever you chose to include on your wedding drinks list, so give some thought to your beverage service.

If drinks are an inclusion, chat to your venue or caterer about wait staff, glassware and delivery methods. Or, if drinks are an extra, check your venue or location’s regulations, and if you have the option, consider bringing in a travelling or pop-up bar to truly impress your guests.

Stunningly-styled mobile bars, offering carefully-curated thirst-quenchers, have become a popular choice with wedding couples for good reason. They combine beverage service expertise and valuable experience, and can go almost anywhere they’re needed.

Often cute, quirky and able to be styled to suit your theme they make a memorable addition to many wedding receptions and photograph albums. To help narrow down your selection, we’ve found the Best Mobile Wedding Bars in the nation, as voted and rated by real wedding couples through ABIA Weddings Australia.

The Six Best Mobile Wedding Bars in Australia

#1 - Henry Clive Bar

South Coast, New South Wales

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Photo courtesy of Henry Clive Bar.

Travelling regularly between Sydney and the far South Coast of NSW, and even further by special request, elegance and class follow Henry Clive wherever this dapper little van ventures.

“We are perfectionists in everything we do, ranging from beautifully-crafted cocktails to the interior styling of the caravan bar (and other bars),” say the crew behind the iconic vintage setup.

Photo courtesy of Henry Clive Bar.

Their aim is to arrive on-site and take care of everything bar-related, creating an atmosphere and vibe sure to impress your guests. The Henry Clive team serve up bottled beer and cider, wine, spirits and mixers, and offer up to three cocktails of choice, from their finely-tailored list of specialties.

Read Henry Clive Bar's Customer Reviews

#2 - Giddy Up Bar

Adelaide, South Australia

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Photo by Goldlight Photography.

Servicing the whole of South Australia, with their distinctive converted horse trailer, the Giddy Up Bar team are committed to dispensing the best the state has to offer.

“Our commitment to pouring and serving you only the finest South Australian spirits, beers, ciders, wines and cocktails make us the perfect roaming bar,” they say. And with their offering of Gin Infusion Workshops, tasting experiences, grazing table setups, dry-hire, on-consumption and all-inclusive Gold, Silver and Bronze drinks packages, who can argue?

Photo by Blush Wedding Photography.

Giddy Up’s bartenders pride themselves on providing exceptional customer service and a wealth of experience, with the added assurance of RSA and food handling certification. And, importantly, the team are passionate about tailoring their approach to suit your vision for your day.

Read Giddy Up Bar's Customer Reviews

#3 - Kombi Keg

Adelaide, South Australia

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Photo courtesy of Kombi Keg.

Featuring six taps along one side 'Frankie', Kombi Keg Adelaide’s restored 1972 Low Light Kombi van, offers a mobile bar experience with a difference.

The taps connect to separate kegs inside the van. “You can have beer, cider, wine, cocktails or soft drink,” explain Emma and Craig, the faces behind Kombi Keg Adelaide. “Basically, if it’s a liquid we can have it on tap for you!”

Photo courtesy of Kombi Keg.

The enthusiastic team behind the little van service Adelaide, and its surrounds, from the Barossa to McClaren Vale, and even further if an occasion beckons. They offer couples a choice of either full-service or self-service options and ‘Frankie’ even has a 55 inch smart television that pops out of the roof, allowing you to create a personalised sign or display photos.

Read Kombi Keg Adelaide's Customer Reviews

#4 - My Vintage Lane

Gold Coast, Queensland

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Photo courtesy My Vintage Lane.

Based on Queensland’s Gold Coast, and servicing its surrounds, Sinead and Scott from My Vintage Lane love a road trip and will happily travel to bring their unique bar and beverage service to any occasion.

Having built the little van by hand, the team behind My Vintage Lane are all about passion. “We take care of everything so that you can relax and enjoy your special day. Doing what you love and feel so passionately about brings out the best,” they say.

Photo courtesy of My Vintage Lane.

Serving either alcohol, hot beverages, or both, the stylish setup offers a fun, functional addition to any wedding reception, and is almost guaranteed to look great in your photos.

Read My Vintage Lane's Customer Reviews

#5 - The Tipsy Mare

Sunshine Coast, Queensland

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Photo by @lifeandlovephotgraphybyleeb.

Catering to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Brisbane and Gold Coast areas, The Tipsy Mare operates as a BYO alcohol and beverage service, which means it can be fully-customised to suit your wedding reception.

The team behind the bold, blue converted horse float bar offer a range of three-, five- and seven-hour beverage packages, picnic and grazing options, together with a separate, but equally dazzling, pop-up bar provision.

Photo courtesy of The Tipsy Mare.

The Tipsy Mare team are willing to do whatever they can to make dreams come true though. “We are not just a bar service, we can help with just about anything, from florals and furniture hire, to lighting and marquees,” they offer.

Read The Tipsy Mare's Customer Reviews

#6 - Moonbar Events

Gladstone, Queensland

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Photo courtesy of Moonbar Events.

“We love to create memories,” say Mellisa and Gavin of Moonbar Events. And their fully-licensed mobile bar, Moonbar Moments, is designed to do just that for you and your wedding guests.

The lovingly-refurbished vintage Viscount van services Queensland’s Gladstone area — including Calliope, Tannum Sands and Boyne Island — and comes dressed to impress with festoon lighting.