Cocktail & Other Recipes Occasion Spring

20 Cocktails to Make for Mother’s Day

Toast to mom with brunch favorites, lovely floral drinks, and more.

By
Audrey Morgan
Headshot of Audrey Morgan, smiling and facing forward, wearing black sweater on solid dark gray background
Audrey Morgan
Audrey Morgan is the associate editor at Liquor.com, where she writes and edits features, explainers, bottle reviews, bartender profiles, and more.
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Updated 05/12/23
Pink and frozen Guava Rose cocktail served in coupe glass and garnished with pink rose petal, shot against marble backdrop

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. Think beyond the standard Mimosa this year and try one of these drinks, including pretty spring cocktails and more brunch favorites.

  • Fleur de Paradis

    Fleur de Paradis

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

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

    Get the recipe.

  • Paloma

    Paloma cocktail served in highball glass with lime wheel, shot on woven placemat with tan background

    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 goes down easily at any time of day.

    Get the recipe.

  • Cucumber & Rose Collins

    Cucumber & Rose Collins

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This update to the classic Tom Collins is ideal for a special occasion. Bartending vet Charlotte Voisey combines the cucumber and floral notes of Hendrick’s gin with cucumber puree, rose syrup, and lemon juice.

    Get the recipe.

  • New York Sour

    New York Sour cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Can’t choose between wine and a cocktail? This Whiskey Sour twist adds a red wine float to the traditional mix of bourbon or rye whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, and an egg white.

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 5 of 20 below.

  • 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.

  • 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 makes for an exponentially more festive—and more delicious—drink. 

    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.

  • Lone Ranger

    Pink Lone Ranger cocktail served in highball glass with cubed ice and lemon twist, shot against white background

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Tequila and sparkling wine—especially rosé—aren’t often served in the same glass, but this French 75 twist from Jeffrey Morgenthaler proves that freshly-squeezed lemon can tie the two together. Morgenthaler describes it simply: “Lower proof, bubbly, pink, and delicious.”

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 9 of 20 below.

  • Gin Blossom

    Gin Blossom cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    If mom loves Martinis, consider mixing up this variation from bartending vet Julie Reiner. 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.

  • Gold Rush

    Gold Rush cocktail in an engraved rocks glass with single large ice cup and lemon twist, on a dark marble background

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This lush combination of bourbon, honey, and lemon is simple but special. Taking the time to make a honey syrup instead of using honey straight from the bottle ensures it won’t stick to the shaker.

    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.

  • White Port & Tonic

    White Port and Tonic

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Kick start your celebrations with white port and tonic water, known as a Porto Tónico in its native Portugal. It makes an ideal aperitif and a lower-proof option for Gin & Tonic fans.

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 13 of 20 below.

  • Pimm’s Cup

    Pimms Cup cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Toast to mom’s health with this classic that was originally marketed as a wellness drink in 1840s London. 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.

  • 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.

  • Hugo Spritz

    Hugo Spritz

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This Northern Italian classic is slightly more involved than the average spritz, as it involves muddling a mint sprig with St-Germain before topping with prosecco and soda water. Even so, it’s relatively easy to mix up on the spot, and its fresh flavors are well-worth the extra step.

    Get the recipe.

  • 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 combines vodka with cold-brew liqueur, Nonino amaro, pedro ximenez sherry, and simple syrup. 

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 17 of 20 below.

  • Scarlet Spritz

    Scarlet Spritz cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Both easygoing and complex, this twist on an Aperol Spritz is perfect for a special brunch. The springtime drink from bartender Brandon Lockman features strawberry-infused Aperol, Lillet Blanc, rhubarb bitters, and sparkling wine in an absinthe-rinsed glass.

    Get the recipe.

  • Earl Grey Marteani

    Earl Grey Marteani cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Throw mom a different kind of tea party with this Gin Sour riff from Audrey Saunders of New York City’s now-closed 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.

  • Colletti Royale

    Colletti Royale cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Fizzy and floral, this spritzy Margarita variation from Reiner has all the makings of a great Mother’s Day cocktail. She combines reposado tequila, Cointreau, St-Germain, blood orange and lime juices, and orange bitters, then tops the mixture with rosé sparkling wine.

    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.