Cocktail & Other Recipes Occasion Spring

15 Cocktails to Make for Mother’s Day

Think beyond mimosas this year.

By
Audrey Morgan
Audrey Morgan
Audrey Morgan is the Associate Editor at Liquor.com, where she writes and edits cocktail roundups, explainers, and more.
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Updated 05/4/22
Guava Rose cocktail
Guava Rose Image:

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The moms in your life (perhaps including you!) always deserve to be celebrated, but Mother’s Day is a particularly great occasion to shake up something special. Go beyond an ordinary Mimosa with these brunch favorites, spring cocktails, and pretty floral drinks.

  • Miss Elena

    Miss Elena cocktail

    Liquor.com / Todd Coleman

    If Mom perks up for Espresso Martinis, try this inventive riff from Cote bartender Beau Bradley: He swaps in Mr Black for the standard Kahlúa and espresso, combining the intense cold-brew-coffee liqueur with vodka, Nonino amaro, Pedro Ximénez sherry, and simple syrup. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Fleur de Paradis

    Fleur de Paradis

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This bright, bubbly drink makes a fine substitute for a bouquet. New York City bartender Kenta Goto combines Plymouth gin, St-Germain liqueur, grapefruit and lemon juices, simple syrup, and orange bitters, then tops the mixture with Champagne and a pretty pansy garnish.  

    Get the recipe.

  • Earl Grey Marteani

    Earl Grey Marteani cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Throw Mom a tea party with this Gin Sour riff from Audrey Saunders of New York City’s now-shuttered Pegu Club. She infuses gin with Earl Grey tea, then mixes the spirit with lemon juice, simple syrup, and an egg white to temper the tannic bitterness. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Breakfast Martini

    Breakfast Martini cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This juicy and citrusy combination of gin, orange liqueur, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and orange marmalade is really a Martini in name only. Still, the creation of London bartender Salvatore Calabrese is a delicious excuse to drink gin before noon.

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 5 of 15 below.

  • Eau de Lavender

    Eau de Lavender cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This cocktail is agave-lover’s proof that not all floral drinks rely on a base of gin or vodka. The earthy, vegetal notes of tequila pair perfectly with lavender bitters, honey syrup, and lemon juice, which are shaken with an egg white to produce a silky-smooth texture and frothy top. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Pimm's Cup

    Pimms Cup cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Toast to Mom’s health: The Pimm’s Cup was marketed as a wellness drink in 1840s London. It’s not exactly a green juice, but the low-ABV cocktail is endlessly quaffable, thanks to a refreshing combination of the gin-based digestif Pimm’s No. 1, lemon juice, and ginger ale, all topped with a garden’s worth of garnishes.

    Get the recipe.

  • Paloma

    Paloma cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This drink is Mexico’s most popular cocktail for good reason: The thirst-quenching mix of tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda is practically made for day-drinking. 

    Get the recipe.

  • French 75

    French 75 cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog 

    If Mimosas are your go-to brunch cocktail, shake things up with this classic combination of gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup, topped with Champagne. A tiny bit of extra effort renders an exponentially more festive—and more delicious—drink. 

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 9 of 15 below.

  • Scarlet Spritz

    Scarlet Spritz cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Both easy-going and complex, this twist on an Aperol Spritz is perfect for a special brunch. The springtime drink from Portland, Oregon bartender Brandon Lockman sees strawberry-infused Aperol, Lillet blanc, and rhubarb bitters added to an absinthe-rinsed glass, then topped with sparkling wine. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Frenchie

    Frenchie cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Los Angeles bartender Somer Perez combines gin, St-Germain, and grapefruit juice to produce this refreshing three-ingredient drink. It’s simple, citrusy perfection. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Gin Blossom

    Gin Blossom cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    If Mom loves Martinis, consider mixing up this variation bartending vet Julie Reiner created for Clover Club in Brooklyn. Plymouth gin, bianco vermouth, apricot eau de vie, and orange bitters render a lovely drink that’s perfect as an appetite-whetting aperitif or an elegant nightcap. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Colletti Royale

    Colletti Royale cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Reiner’s floral, citrusy spritzer combines reposado tequila, Cointreau, St-Germain, blood orange and lime juices, and orange bitters, all topped with rosé Champagne to keep things festively fizzy.

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 13 of 15 below.

  • New York Sour

    New York Sour cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Can’t choose between wine and a cocktail? This Whiskey Sour twist combines the traditional mix of bourbon or rye whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, and an egg white with a red wine float for earthy, fruity flavor and visual flair. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Rosé Sangria

    Rose Sangria cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Pre-batch this crowd-friendly punch so you can spend quality time with Mom. It calls for rosé wine, pamplemousse liqueur, raspberries, strawberries, lemon rounds, and club soda, but like a classic Sangria, the recipe lends itself to whatever bubbly or fruit you have on hand. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Guava Rose

    Guava Rose cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Take Mom on a tropical vacation with this fruity frozen drink from bartender Junior Moreno. He blends Brazil’s national spirit, caçacha, with guava puree, lime juice, and floral rose syrup.

    Get the recipe.