Anyone who tells you that breakfast isn’t the right time for a cocktail is just flat-out wrong. Who wouldn’t want to pair fluffy pancakes and sausage or a cheesy, meaty omelette and thick, crusty toast with a boozy, alcohol-filled beverage? No matter which spirits you enjoy or if you prefer your cocktails loaded with citrus, fruity flavours, savoury tomato, and spice, or turbo-fueled, caffeinated coffee, there’s a breakfast cocktail for every palate.
There’s a good chance that when you envision the classic breakfast (or brunch) cocktail, you see the red-hued, spicy, tomato-centric Bloody Mary. There are no drinks more synonymous with the early morning hours than this vodka-base cocktail, but the world of AM boozing goes far beyond this cocktail. Keep scrolling to see a detailed description and some history of the breakfast cocktails everyone should know how to make. Importantly however, whether you are indulging in a breakfast cocktail to kick off your wedding day or just to ring in the weekend, always remember to drink responsibly.
Best Breakfast Cocktails
- Most popular: Mimosa
- Best hangover cure: Bloody Mary
- Most classy: Peach Bellini
1. Bloody Mary
- Main alcohol: Vodka
- Served: On the rocks; poured over ice.
- Standard garnish: Celery stalk or dill pickle spear
- Drinkware: Highball glass
There are no breakfast cocktails more famous than the iconic Bloody Mary. Another drink that showcases the versatility of vodka, this brunch staple is made with the aforementioned clear, neutral spirit as well as tomato juice, hot sauce, pepper, lemon juice, and various spices and other ingredients. A home bartender can easily mix and match ingredients to put their stamp on it. As a bonus, it feels like you’re drinking something healthy at breakfast even though the base is boozy vodka. Legend says that a version of the drink was invented by a bartender named Fernand “Pete” Petiot in 1921 at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris and brought by the same bartender to New York’s St. Regis Hotel in 1934.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz(3 parts) Vodka
- 1/2 oz(1 part) Lemon juice
- 3 oz (6 parts) Tomato juice
- Pepper
- Salt
- Tabasco
- Worcestershire sauce
Preparation
- Add dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper into highball glass.
- Pour all ingredients into highball with ice cubes.
- Stir gently.
- Garnish with celery stalk and lemon wedge (optional).
2. Mimosa
- Main alcohol: Champagne
- Served: Stirred not shaken
- Standard garnish: Cherries, Grenadine, Strawberries
- Drinkware: Champagne flute
If the Bloody Mary is the most popular breakfast cocktail, the Mimosa has to be a close second. Similar to the Peach Bellini, the Mimosa is a sweet, sparkling cocktail made of Champagne (or any sparkling wine) and freshly squeezed orange juice. Also served in a Champagne flute, you shouldn’t be surprised that this Champagne-based drink has its origins in France. First served at the Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1925, the drink was invented by a bartender named Frank Meier. It gets its name from the Mimosa plant known for its bright yellow petals.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 oz (1 part) Champagne
- 2 1/2 oz (1 part) Orange juice
Preparation
- Ensure both ingredients are well chilled.
- Mix into the glass.
- Serve cold.
3. Screwdriver
- Main alcohol: Vodka
- Served: On the rocks; poured over ice
- Standard garnish: Orange slice
- Drinkware: Highball glass
If you don’t think the screwdriver is a breakfast cocktail, you aren’t thinking about the ingredients. The simple, morning cocktail is made with vodka and orange juice. That’s it. Often referred to as “orange juice and vodka”, the drink has a bit of murky history. Vodka didn’t make an appearance in the US until the 1920s and this drink originated in the decades after that. Many believe it was invented by American Marines sometime around World War II. Another story claims the drink was invented by oil rig workers in the Persian Gulf in the 1940s. The name is believed to come from the workers mixing the drink with their screwdrivers since they didn’t have any spoons on hand.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 oz (1 part) Vodka
- 3 1/2 oz (2 parts) Orange juice
Preparation
- Mix in a highball glass with ice.
- Garnish and serve.
4. Peach Bellini
- Main alcohol: Prosecco
- Served: Straight up; without ice
- Drinkware: Champagne flute
There’s no shame in ordering (or making) a Peach Bellini. Served in a Champagne flute, this tropical fruit-filled, effervescent, crisp, sweet cocktail is simply made with Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) and peach nectar or puree. This timeless brunch cocktail was first created during the hazy, hot summer of 1948 at Harry’s Bar in Venice by a bartender named Giuseppe Cipriani. It got its name from its bright, pastel, orange/pink hue. It was a tribute to the style of Venetian Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Fresh peach purée
- 4 oz Prosecco
- White peaches
Preparation
- Pour peach puree into a chilled flute.
- Add Prosecco.
- Stir gently.
5. Irish Coffee
- Main alcohol: Irish Whiskey
- Served: Hot
- Drinkware: Irish coffee mug
This warming cocktail is made with hot coffee, brown sugar, cream, and Irish whiskey. It’s like a caffeinated, sweet coffee cocktail with an added boozy kick of Irish whiskey to add even more warmth. Another classic breakfast cocktail, the Irish coffee was invented in the frigid winter months of 1943 by a man named Joe Sheridan, a chef at a coffee shop at Foynes Airbase (now Shannon Airport) in County Clare, Ireland. As the story goes, the drink was created when some travelers asked Sheridan if he would give their coffee an extra kick by adding Irish whiskey.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 oz (2 parts) Irish whiskey
- 1 oz (1½ parts) Fresh cream
- 1 tsp. Brown sugar
- 2 2/3 oz (4 parts) Hot coffee
Preparation
- Heat the coffee, whiskey and sugar; do not boil.
- Pour into glass and top with cream.
- Serve hot.
6. Tequila Sunrise
- Main alcohol: Tequila
- Served: On the rocks; poured over ice
- Standard garnish: Cherry, Orange slice
- Drinkware: Collins glass
If you’ve never paired a Tequila Sunrise with bacon, scrambled eggs, and fried potatoes, you’re missing out. Similar to the aforementioned screwdriver, the Tequila Sunrise is made with tequila, fresh squeezed orange juice, and an extra ingredient that gives it its crimson sunset color: grenadine syrup. It was initially created in the 1930s in Arizona but didn’t gain mass appeal until the 1970s. It might not have the overall popularity of some of the more well-known breakfast cocktails, but it’s one you should add to your rotation.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz (3 parts) Tequila
- 1/2 oz (1 part) Grenadine syrup
- 3 oz (6 parts) Orange juice
Preparation
- Pour the tequila and orange juice into glass over ice.
- Add the grenadine, which will sink to the bottom.
- Do not stir.
- Garnish and serve.
7. Tom Collins
- Main alcohol: Gin
- Served: On the rocks; poured over ice
- Standard garnish: Lemon slice, Maraschino cherry
- Drinkware: Collins glass
You might not think you can drink gin for breakfast, but that’s patently false. The herbal and botanical flavours are perfect for the morning. This is especially true when comes to the classic Tom Collins. This drink made from gin, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and sparkling water is as refreshing and flavorful as it is easy to make. While its true genesis (like many classic cocktails) is a little mysterious, its first appearance was in Jerry Thomas’s ‘The Bartender’s Guide’ in 1876.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz (3 parts) Old Tom Gin
- 1 oz (2 parts) Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 oz (1 part) Sugar syrup
- 2 oz (4 parts) Carbonated water
Preparation
- Mix the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup in a tall glass with ice
- Top up with soda water
- Garnish and serve.
8. Michelada
Main alcohol: Beer
Served: In a chilled, salt-rimmed glass
Standard garnish: Lime
Drinkware: Pint glass
If you enjoy the flavours of a classic Bloody Mary (especially the spicy ones), but you’d prefer to drink beer instead of vodka, the Michelada is for you. This drink has a murky history. Some believed it originated in either the early 1900s in Tijuana by a bartender named Michel Miramar or the 1940s in Mexico City by a bartender named Miquel Martinez. Either way, this traditional way to “dress” your beer is made with the aforementioned beer, spices, hot sauce, chili peppers, lime juice, and other ingredients. Like a Margarita, it’s always served in a salt-rimmed glass.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs Lime juice
- 4 oz Beer
- 4 oz Tomato juice
- Dash of hot sauce
- Dash of soy sauce
- Dash of Teriyaki sauce
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Preparation
- Mix the beer with tomato juice, freshly squeezed lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, or hot sauce.
- Pour into a tall glass.
- Garnish with a celery stick.
Things to Consider for Breakfast Cocktails
When deciding which breakfast cocktail to prepare, think about two things: What cocktail flavours you enjoy and what breakfast foods you’ll be pairing it with. If you like a mix of spicy and savoury, the Bloody Mary and Michelada are great choices. They both pair well with salty meats and cheesy egg-based dishes. If fruit and sweetness are more your game, the Mimosa and Peach Bellini pair well with a variety of brunch dishes. If you need an extra boozy boost of caffeine, the Irish Coffee has your name all over it.
Fresh Ingredients Matter
Whenever possible, use freshly squeezed juice to make any of the above cocktails that require it. Especially during the breakfast hours, you’ll be surprised at the difference in flavour between freshly squeezed and bottled or canned.
Trends May Come, But Classic Cocktails Remain
There’s a reason the cocktails we listed have stood the test of time. There’s always going to be a trendy, over-the-top cocktail that everyone is talking about like the Espresso Martini. But these drinks have remained popular and will continue to do.
Best Breakfast Cocktails FAQs
It seems to be a dead heat between the Mimosa and Bloody Mary for the title of the most popular breakfast cocktail in the world. We’ll call it a tie. If you’re feeling like you want a fruity, citrusy, effervescent drink, the Mimosa will always work. If you’re feeling the tomato juice and spice of the Bloody Mary, you can’t go wrong with that cocktail either.
In all likelihood, the Bloody Mary is the most famous breakfast cocktail in the world. It’s likely because, on top of being highly complex, multi-layered, and flavourful, it’s one of the most adaptable drinks. Change a few ingredients and you can easily put your stamp on it.
