Hitched on Tap: Regional Wedding Beers You Can Actually Serve

Hitched on Tap: Regional Wedding Beers You Can Actually Serve

|August 22nd, 2025|

Wedding guests toast with glasses of red craft beer, celebrating a bride and groom dressed in white and navy blu

When the average person thinks of a wedding toast, he or she will be thinking of champagne flutes filled with bubbles. However, if you are a couple who loves craft beer, then why not pop out a glass that actually suits your palate? It is no longer necessary to cure a hangover with beer only at a reception bar in any gathering. Breweries across the country are brewing beers that have been specifically designed to be served at weddings or are otherwise suited to weddings. It can be understood as the perfect way to introduce the populace to one of the biggest celebrations of life.

The Rise of Wedding Beers

Craft breweries live on community and storytelling, and weddings are a natural fit. Certain breweries have produced special, custom ales in honor of wedding couples, and other breweries consistently produce easy-drinking ales that are very well suited to large gatherings. The beers are not about the pursuit of extreme hops or barrel-aged heroism but about being drinkable, balanced, and having a sense of occasion together.

East Coast Elegance

Lighter styles that are versatile are popular during weddings on the East Coast. Brewers such as Dock Street Brewing Company in Philadelphia have been known to make special occasion beers and pale ales that complement the floral hop aromatics would be great complementing a spring wedding. Crisp kölshes and golden ales again match perfectly with seafood spreads that are popular on the menus in the East.

Midwest Tradition

In the Midwest, harsher yet tolerable styles are the order of the day. Strong but enjoyable lagers and malty ambers do fit in with local fondness toward comfort food. Breweries, in general, brew beers that already tend toward celebratory, especially in Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The craft beer scene is community-oriented, and already has community-benefitting beers, making these beers natural inclusions on a wedding bar.

Pacific Northwest Freshness

When couples are getting married in hop country, it is hard to pass up an opportunity to represent local IPA history. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that bitterness should be balanced in order not to overwhelm the palate with an IPA. The Washington and Oregon breweries‘ classic seasonal, fresh hop, or session IPAs emphasize the area without scaring away new drinkers. Throw in a pilsner or a saison by a local farmhouse brewery, and you have a wedding foursome that is truly PNW.

Southern Charm

Southern weddings are also usually associated with warm temperatures and large crowds; therefore, refreshing beers are important. The festive added flavour is present in cream ales and wheat beers and fruited sours made in Georgia, North Carolina, or Texas. They are also adaptable to barbecue-rich menus and thus suitable for rustic parties.

Presentation with Personality

Offering craft beer at a wedding is more than what is in the glass. Couples are also adopting personal labels where they place names or even dates, or even inside jokes in the label. Mini-cans/12-ounce bottles also are great favors, and kegs may be shared to keep the liquor flowing. To facilitate a smooth process, it is best to list the line-up of beer on your wedding RSVP website specialized web-site ahead of time. The visitor will have an idea of what to expect, and it can generate excitement as they sample a bit of your local beer culture.

Craft-Brewed Celebration

Beer has always been about getting together, and there is nothing like there is a wedding to get together. By selecting local brews as a beverage option on your big day, you and your guests will be characterizing yourself and the place, as well as setting the mood with the taste of the drinks. No matter what you are celebrating on the East Coast, a refreshing kölsch; in the Midwest, a smooth amber; or whatever in the Pacific Northwest, some beer suits your party. Tilt your tankard, tap your mug, and cheer a union of craft-brewed start.

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About the Author: Beer Blog

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The Beer Blog brings together a rotating cast of craft beer contributors who share stories, reviews, news, and the occasional hot take. Think of it as your friendly neighborhood taproom — filled with different people, plenty of opinions, and a lot of great beer talk.

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