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20+ Wedding Anniversary Drinks to Celebrate Every Year of Marriage


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Whether you’re celebrating year one or year twenty-five, these wedding anniversary drinks are designed to make the night feel like a real occasion. Themed to fit the traditional wedding anniversary themes like paper, emerald and diamond, these drinks are perfect for toasting each other and another year for the books.

A French 75 cocktail garnished with a lemon wedge on a martini glass.

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Your guide to wedding anniversary drinks

A wedding anniversary deserves something special — and sometimes, the most romantic evening is the one you create right at home. Skip the crowded restaurant and the overpriced cocktail menu, and instead pull out your favorite glassware and shake up something truly memorable.

My husband and I have been married for less than a decade, but that’s long enough to know how special it is to celebrate our wedding anniversary! After all, it was the. best. day. with all our family and friends in one room together. It’s fun to reminisce about our wedding day, but also honor another year together.

Each year, we give each other gifts based on those themes. For example, the first anniversary is paper, so that year we had a bunch of photos from our wedding and honeymoon printed to hang in our new house. Sometimes we celebrate with steaks at home or we’ll go out for dinner, or even take a little trip together. But knowing us, there’s always a cocktail!

When my friends found out we make a custom cocktail for each anniversary, they started asking me what drink they should shake up for some anniversary number we haven’t gotten to yet. I’m finally getting ahead of things so I can send them this list — I had so much fun picking out the drinks for the entire list of themes!

Two glasses of an iced citrus drink with decorative gold dots, garnished with lemon peels. One glass is in the foreground, while the other is partially visible in the background next to a jar and a lemon.

How wedding anniversary themes work

After the wedding itself, most of life’s big milestones only come around once — a big birthday, a graduation, even a retirement. Your anniversary is the one that gets to happen again and again, giving you a fresh excuse to celebrate the same love story every single year. To celebrate each year of marriage, there’s traditional and modern material symbolism — such as paper, wood, silver or emerald — that represents the growth and fortitude of the relationship over time.

While they’re by no means necessary (you do you!), these milestone themes are meant to help couples choose meaningful gifts or plan festive celebrations. (For example, the diamond anniversary is the 60th, and it’s traditional to give diamonds to each other — or at least have a glitzy anniversary party in style!)

Some years don’t have an official milestone theme, so pick whatever drink sounds good — that can be a tradition too! Pour some champagne, mix up the signature cocktail from your wedding reception or pick out a bottle of wine from the year you were married. Or mix-and-math (yes, math) from the list below.

Wedding anniversary gift ideas: Get creative and give gifts that go along with each milestone’s signature drink, such as cotton coasters for year two or a crystal decanter or glasses for year 15.

The best anniversary cocktails

You don’t need a full bar setup or any fancy bartending skills — just a cocktail shaker *, a few good ingredients, and someone worth toasting to. Here are cocktails to celebrate love in style.

1
A Paper Plane cocktail recipe with blue paper airplanes in the glass.
1st Anniversary (Paper) – Paper Plane Cocktail
Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino and fresh lemon juice — the Paper Plane is a modern classic that achieves something genuinely difficult: four strong flavors that balance each other so precisely the drink tastes inevitable. Bright citrus keeps it lively while the amaro adds just enough bitterness to give the sweetness somewhere to land. The name and the occasion make for a pairing too good to pass up for the paper anniversary. (Don't forget the mini paper plane garnish — they'd be fun to make together on date night.)
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2
A pink cocktail in a coupe glass garnished with a lemon peel, with a similar drink and whole lemons in the background.
2nd Anniversary (Cotton/Cosmos) – Cosmopolitan
Vodka, cranberry and a splash of lime come together in this pink, polished cocktail that shares its name with the cosmos, the official flower of the second anniversary. (Cotton is the official theme, but it doesn't lend itself well to flavors!) It's a fitting swap for the newness of year two, bright, luxurious and a little sharp around the edges. Pair it with a set of cotton bar napkins for a gift that still ties the traditional theme together.
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3
A glass of Old Fashioned cocktail with an orange peel and cherry garnish, placed on a wooden coaster. A decorative stirrer is in the glass. A small bowl of cherries is nearby.
3rd Anniversary (Leather) – Classic Old-Fashioned Cocktail
Bourbon, bitters, sugar and an orange twist: the old-fashioned has been ordered at bars since the 1800s, and the reason is simple — it's exactly what it promises to be. Good bourbon brings a natural leather-and-vanilla depth that makes the drink feel as well-worn and substantial as the anniversary it's marking. Three years in feels like the right time to make one properly.
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4
Martini glass with pale yellow drink, garnished with lavender; lemons and lavender sprigs nearby.
4th Anniversary (Fruit/Flowers) – Lavender Lemon Drop
Fragrant lavender syrup and fresh lemon juice give this lemon drop a floral depth that plain citrus alone can't achieve. It's understated and pretty, and the flavor is light enough to work as an afternoon drink. With both the fruit and flower theme in one drink, it's the perfect toast to four years together.
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5
A glass of dark brown cocktail garnished with two cherries on a skewer, placed on a white surface. Another similar glass is partially visible in the background.
5th Anniversary (Wood) – Classic Manhattan Cocktail
Whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters stirred cold and strained into a chilled glass — the Manhattan is one of the few cocktails that has never needed improvement. Its smoothness comes from the vermouth softening the whiskey's edges, and the bitters tie everything together without announcing themselves. Raise a glass to five years with something that gets better the more you understand it.
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6
6th Anniversary (Iron) – Rusty Nail
6th Anniversary (Iron) – Rusty Nail
Scotch whisky and Drambuie, a honey-and-herb liqueur also made from Scotch, are almost redundant on paper — but the combination produces something warmer and more complex than either does alone. The Drambuie's sweetness rounds the Scotch's smoke without covering it, and the result is a drink that's as understated as it is satisfying. A fitting toast for a partnership built to last.
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7
a bourbon hot toddy cocktail in a glass mug
7th Anniversary (Wool) – Bourbon Hot Toddy
Bourbon gets its warmth and depth from time spent in new charred oak barrels, and those smoky, caramel notes come through beautifully when the spirit is paired with honey and fresh lemon in a hot toddy. The honey softens the barrel's edges while the lemon keeps everything bright. It's a cozy drink for a quiet anniversary night at home — wool blanket optional but recommended.
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8
A cocktail served in a coupe glass, garnished with whole star anise, with coffee beans and cocktail tools in the background.
8th Anniversary (Bronze/Pottery) – Chai Espresso Martini
The espresso martini's usual formula — coffee, vodka, coffee liqueur — gets a warming upgrade here with chai spices worked into the mix. Cinnamon, cardamom and ginger give the drink a rich, aromatic depth that makes it feel more like a dessert cocktail than a straight coffee one. Shake it hard for the frothy foam that makes the presentation. Serve it in a ceramic mug if you want to stick to the theme.
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9
a margarita glass garnished with a lime wheel
9th Anniversary (Willow) – Mezcal Margarita
A mezcal margarita is structurally identical to the classic — lime, orange liqueur, agave spirit — but mezcal's smoky, earthy character shifts the whole drink somewhere more complex and interesting. Like willow, it bends rather than breaks, with a flexibility in flavor that rewards experimentation. Nine years in, trading up to mezcal feels right.
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10
two ramos gin fizz cocktails garnished with mint leaves on a gold tray.
10th Anniversary (Aluminum/Tin) – Ramos Gin Fizz
Ten years calls for something that takes effort, and the Ramos Gin Fizz — gin, lemon, lime, cream, orange flower water and egg white — demands a prolonged shake in a cocktail tin to achieve its signature silky foam. It's the tin anniversary's most fitting tribute: humble materials, extraordinary result. Light, airy and more complex than it looks, it's impressive enough for a milestone and delicious enough to make again for no reason at all.
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11
Olives in martini glasses with toothpicks.
15th Anniversary (Crystal) – Dirty Martini
Gin or vodka, dry vermouth and a generous pour of olive brine: the dirty martini is polarizing in exactly the right way — you either love the savory, briny hit or you don't, and people who love it really love it. The brine turns the drink slightly cloudy, which is part of its whole appeal. Crystal-clear it isn't, but fifteen years of marriage probably doesn't need everything polished. (Though it's a great time to bring out those crystal martini glasses you got for a wedding present!)
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12
The Asian Pear Moscow Mule cocktail is tart and succulent. The ginger beer will warm you right up. Perfect for sipping all fall long, even for Thanksgiving!
20th Anniversary (China) – Pear Moscow Mule
Fresh pear juice or pear nectar adds a sweet, delicate fruitiness to the classic ginger-vodka-lime mule, softening the ginger's edge without losing any of the drink's essential crispness. Serve it in a pretty china cup instead of the traditional copper mug and the twentieth anniversary theme practically decorates itself. The flavor combination is subtle and refined — more dinner party than backyard cookout.
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13
A tall glass filled with a layered cocktail, crushed ice, fresh mint, and a straw, set on a woven coaster with bar tools and bitters in the background.
25th Anniversary (Sterling Silver) – Queens Park Swizzle
Aged rum, fresh lime, mint, demerara syrup and Angostura bitters build in layers in the glass and blend as you swizzle with a silver bar spoon — which means the drink changes slightly with each sip as the layers integrate. The result is complex, aromatic and deeply satisfying, with the kind of polish that suits a silver anniversary toast.
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14
30th Anniversary (Pearl) – Pearl Diver
30th Anniversary (Pearl) – Pearl Diver
The Pearl Diver is a tiki cocktail built around aged rum, citrus and a rich, butter-based syrup called Gardner's Mix that gives it an unusually velvety texture. Thirty years of marriage and someone has finally made the drink that matches the milestone's name.
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15
two pink cocktails on a white backdrop.
35th Anniversary (Coral) – Clover Club Cocktail
Gin, fresh lemon juice, raspberry syrup and egg white shaken into a silky, foam-topped cocktail — the Clover Club dates to pre-Prohibition Philadelphia and has the understated confidence of something that's never needed updating. The blush coral color of the foam and the berry-bright flavor make it one of the prettiest drinks on this list, and one of the most fitting for the anniversary it marks.
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16
Two glasses with raspberries in them on a marble table.
40th Anniversary (Ruby) – Kir Royale Cocktail
A splash of crème de cassis — black currant liqueur — turns a flute of Champagne deep ruby red with a flavor that's berry-rich and barely sweet. The color alone earns it a place on the fortieth anniversary table.
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17
Two glasses of blue margarita with limes on a napkin.
45th Anniversary (Sapphire) – Frozen Blue Margarita
Blue curaçao stands in for the usual orange liqueur here, bringing a vivid cobalt color and a citrus-forward orange flavor that reads slightly sweeter and more tropical than triple sec. Blended with tequila, fresh lime and ice, the result is a frozen margarita in a shade of blue that could only be described as sapphire.
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18
A clear cocktail with ice, garnished with a lemon peel, served in a glass with a gold polka dot pattern. A metal jigger and another drink are in the background.
50th Anniversary (Gold) – Gold Rush Cocktail
The name alone makes this one an easy call for the golden anniversary. Bourbon, honey syrup and fresh lemon juice produce a modern classic that's smooth and bright in equal measure, with the honey doing the kind of quiet, essential work that fifty years together tends to look like.
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19
bubbles on top of a green mimosa cocktail
55th Anniversary (Emerald) – Green Mimosas
A splash of blue curaçao turns orange juice and champagne a vivid emerald hue — and for a fifty-fifth anniversary, the color couldn't be more fitting. The flavor stays light and slightly sweet, close enough to a classic brunch drink that it works for any time of day. Scale it up by the bottle for a big anniversary party.
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20
A coupe glass filled with a pale yellow cocktail, garnished with a curled lemon peel on the rim. Bar tools, lemon, and ingredients hint at creative French 75 variations in the background.
60th Anniversary (Diamond) – French 75 Cocktail
Gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and Champagne — the French 75 is one of the most celebrated cocktails in the world, and it earns the distinction. Tart, bright and beautifully effervescent, the bubbles catch the light the way only diamonds and Champagne can. Sixty years calls for the drink that's been around long enough to understand what that means.
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About Susannah

Susannah Brinkley Henry is the founder of Feast + West, a cocktail blog featuring creative, budget-friendly drinks and hosting ideas. A graphic designer with bartending school training, she shares cocktails, mocktails, appetizers and desserts for easy, stylish entertaining. Her work has been featured by Southern Living, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post and Mashable, and she was a finalist in the Saveur Blog Awards. Susannah is also a publisher on MSN and has appeared on local news segments sharing seasonal drinks. She lives in Charlotte, N.C., where she brings Southern charm and global inspiration to every pour. Read more.

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