New York Wedding Guide - The Reception - Cocktail Hour Menus -- New York Magazine

From left, Sake Tarusake from Nara with sake kama kasuzuke (grilled salmon head marinated in filtered sake particles); Sake Yuzu Omoi from Kyoto with maguro tartar (fresh tuna, wasabi mayo, avocado-tomato jam). Photo: Danny Kim. Food Styling by Suzette Kaminski for Mark Edward Inc.

Pairing No. 1
Jizake + Japanese Tapas
The word jizake refers to small-batch regional or local Japanese sake. Keita Akaboshi, the sommelier at Sake Bar Kirakuya (2 W. 32nd St., nr. Fifth Ave., second fl.; 212-695-7272), makes his recommendations from a list of nearly 150 types of jizake—most of which are premium limited-edition bottles, each with its own flavor and history. For the pairing hour, skip the expected sushi and sashimi platters in favor of Japanese small plates. Servers wear kimonos upon request, and traditional enka vocalists are available for hire. From $62 per person.

From left, French 75 (Beefeater gin, Champagne, lemon, simple syrup) with roasted curried chicken–and-cashew tea sandwiches and a side of pickled vegetables; Pimm’s Cup (Beefeater gin, Pimm’s, soda, lemon, ginger, cucumber, berries) with cream cheese–and-cucumber tea sandwiches. Photo: Danny Kim. Food Styling by Suzette Kaminski for Mark Edward Inc.

Pairing No. 2
Gin Cocktails + Tea Sandwiches
Evoke the elegance and grandeur of 1880s England with delicate finger foods like tea sandwiches—crustless, of course—served alongside airy gin cocktails. Death & Company’s Ravi DeRossi plans to open Gin Palace (95 Ave. A, nr. E. 6th St.; 212-614-6818), an old-timey Victorian pub, this spring; with that will come an array of caterable Beefeater-centric tipples and savory finger sandwiches. From $35 per person per hour.

Clockwise from top, Petit Frère cocktail (Cognac, Ratafia de Bourgogne, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, cinnamon syrup, Angostura bitters, absinthe) with French-onion fondue (Gruyère with an onion base of thyme, butter, brandy, and beef broth); Lowlands cocktail (Buffalo Trace bourbon, genever, Bénédictine, yellow Chartreuse, Angostura bitters, cherry, a twist of lemon) with the 6th Street Special fondue (Chihuahua cheese with a curry base of onions, red potatoes, garlic, and carrots); Eastern Bloc cocktail (Asbach Uralt brandy, Buffalo Trace bourbon, Pelinkovac, Barolo Chinato, Bénédictine, Angostura bitters, Peychaud’s bitters) with rarebit fondue (Cheddar and Chihuahua cheese with flat beer, Worcestershire sauce, and grains of paradise).Photo: Danny Kim. Food Styling by Suzette Kaminski for Mark Edward Inc.

Pairing No. 3
Euro-tails + Fondue
Take guests on a Pan-European tasting tour by offering a selection of regionally inspired cocktails paired with country-specific fondues, courtesy of DeRossi’s other storied venture, Bourgeois Pig Brooklyn (387 Court St., nr. 1st Pl., Carroll Gardens; 718-858-5483). Depending on the melt, dipping implements might include steamed asparagus, toast points, crispy pappadam, homemade pretzels, or apple slices. From $35 per person per hour.

From left, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. St. Vincent’s Dubbel Belgian Style Abbey Ale with Old Chatham Sheepherding Co. Ewe’s Blue; Barrier Brewing Company Rembrandt Porter with Amazing Real Live Food Co. Stella Vallis Tomme.Photo: Danny Kim. Food Styling by Suzette Kaminski for Mark Edward Inc.

Pairing No. 4
Craft Beer + Complex Cheese
Beth Lewand and Chris Gray, the husband-and-wife team behind gourmet grocer Eastern District (1053 Manhattan Ave., nr. Freeman St., Greenpoint; 718-349-1432), work with couples to develop spot-on tasting combos. Keep it simple with a New York flight (local cheeses plus regional microbrews), or select a heritage-inspired duo (e.g., Italian cheese with German beer) to appease both sets of future in-laws. From $24 per person.