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What To Expect For Your Tasting at The Briarcliff Manor

Here at The Briarcliff Manor, we offer our couples a special meeting called a “Tasting” once you’ve locked in your date and it’s time to start planning!

A “Tasting” is a special day where you and your partner visit The Briarcliff Manor, three to four months before your wedding, and are privately seated to enjoy our delectable food customized for you by our in-house executive chef as well as a signature cocktail and wines.

Your tasting appointment is also the time to converse about which options you love most and finally decide on your menu for your big day! So, relax, enjoy delicious food and have a fun date night!

What Do Tastings At The Briarcliff Manor Look Like?

Private Tastings

Many venues host group tastings a few times per year. At The Briarcliff Manor, we like to separate all couples to have private tables that are seated and catered to individually for an hour long tasting.

Private tastings allow each party to have conversations without being distracted, feeling left out, or sitting too close to one another. We prefer one to one private tastings and suggest no more than two guests join to avoid distraction.

Menus are picked based on the season of your wedding and trending items

Depending on the season of your wedding, our menu may vary.
Warmer seasons call for cooler food and refreshing drinks while colder seasons may call for foods that will comfort and warm you up followed by a cozier drink.

For example,

  • Our Winter salad is flavored with gorgonzola, cranberries, apples versus our summer salad made with cucumbers, feta, and strawberries.
  • A summer cocktail hour may have our Americana Station where you and your guests will enjoy hot dogs and hamburgers, whereas a winter cocktail hour indoors may have our Mac and Cheese bar.
  • Passed appetizers in the Winter may include our grilled cheese and tomato soup versus summer passed appetizers may have our watermelon and feta cone.

Our tasting day will provide a great selection of the venue’s most popular dishes and chef specialties. You’ll taste five different passed appetizers and four entrees.
We always keep our eyes on the trends and we’re open to trying new ideas which might even make it into our published available packages!

*Allergy and food restrictions will be accommodated but may not be available for certain selections.

Photography: Cottonwood Studios

Signature Cocktail and Wine Pairings

You’ll enjoy a prepared signature cocktail example and a proper wine pairing to go with your delicious tasting cuisine! 

For example, we love to make Seasonal Mojitos, Blackberry Margarita, Seasonal Mule or our Lavender Lemonade for you to get a better idea of what your signature cocktail might be on your wedding day.

Photography: Megan & Kenneth
Photography: J Humphries Photo

Your signature cocktails typically fit the season in which you celebrate your special day.
For example, our couple who had a January wedding enjoyed a Frosted Margarita while our couple who had a July wedding enjoyed an Aperol Spritz. 

Both are delicious and refreshing but better enjoyed during the winter or summer.

Photography: Megan & Kenneth Photo

The Same In-House Executive Chef for Your Tasting & Wedding

Our talented in-house executive chef, Peter Vincent, will prepare the entrees and appetizers for your tasting day and your wedding! You’ll know exactly how your delicious cuisine will taste on your special day. 



To Do’s:

  • Come hungry
  • Take notes
  • Ask questions
  • Discuss planning timeline and potential table layout floor plan
  • Learn about our preferred vendors, discuss other vendors and logistics.

For an example of what a tasting day at The Briarcliff Manor looks like click here.



Contact us today to learn more about our packages or book a tour of The Briarcliff Manor!

914.944.1524