6 Creative Brunch Cocktails Your Guests Will Love

If you're planning a brunch wedding reception, coming up with the food selection is only half the fun. Enter the brunch cocktail. And we're not just talking the typical mimosa. These brunch-friendly mixes might just encourage guests to linger a little longer.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Peach Cooler

Matt Jones via bon appetit

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe peaches, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
• 6 tablespoons peach liqueur
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1 English hot house cucumber
• 2 cups chilled Prosecco
• 1 1/2 cups chilled soda water
• 12 fresh mint leaves

Directions:

1. Using a muddler or wooden spoon, mash peaches with liqueur and lemon juice in a large pitcher. Stir in vodka. Cover and chill.
2. Cut 1/3 of cucumber lengthwise into 4 spears for garnish. Thinly slice remaining cucumber. Stir Prosecco, soda water, mint, and sliced cucumber into pitcher. Fill glasses with ice. Pour cooler into glasses; garnish with cucumber spear.

The Rabbit

Dan Monick via bon appetit

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/4 inch slice peeled ginger
• 3 cilantro sprigs
• 2 lime wedges
• 2 teaspoons raw sugar
• 1 1/2 ounces carrot juice
• 1 1/2 ounces dark rum

Directions:

1. Combine 1 1/4 inch slice peeled ginger, 3 cilantro sprigs, 2 lime wedges, and 2 teaspoons raw sugar in a cocktail shaker and muddle until ingredients are crushed.
2. Add 1 1/2 ounces carrot juice and 1 1/2 ounces dark rum and fill shaker with ice.
3. Cover and shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into a highball glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Chamomile Gin Cocktail

Chris Gentile via bon appetit

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup dried chamomile flowers or 12 chamomile tea bags
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups London dry gin
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Mix chamomile and 6 tablespoons very hot water in a medium bowl. Let stand for 1 minute.
2. Stir in honey and mash chamomile with a wooden spoon. Let cool slightly.
3. Strain mixture into a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing on solids to release liquid.
4. Discard solids in sieve.
5. Add gin, lemon juice, and 4 cups ice to pitcher.
6. Stir until ice is melted. Divide among chilled coupe glasses.

Sour Cherry-Yuzu Bellinis

Lucy Schaeffer via Food & Wine

Serves 10

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound pitted fresh or frozen cherries (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons fresh yuzu juice or 2 tablespoons each of fresh tangerine and lime juices
• One 750 milliliter bottle plus 2 cups chilled brute champagne
• Ice

Directions:

1. Puree the cherries in a food processor. Pass the puree through a fine strainer set over a small saucepan, pressing on the solids; you should have 1/2 cup of juice. Stir in the sugar and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until chilled, about 15 minutes.
2. In a large pitcher, combine the sweetened cherry juice with the yuzu juice. Slowly pour in the Champagne. Serve the Bellinis over ice.

The Witches' Coffee

Lucas Allen via Food & Wine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons raw sugar
• 12 ounces hot brewed coffee
• 6 ounces aged rum
• 3 ounces Strega (saffron-infused liqueur)
• Averna cream

Directions:

1. For Averna cream: In a medium chilled bowl, whip 4 ounces chilled heavy cream with 1 ounce Averna amaro and 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Use the cream immediately. Makes enough for 4 drinks.
2. For drink: In a heatproof pitcher, stir the sugar into the coffee until dissolved, then stir in the rum and Strega. Pour the coffee into warmed mugs or heatproof glasses and spoon the Averna Cream on top.

Cucumber Fix

via Redbook

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Belvedere Bloody Mary vodka
• 0.75 oz cucumber juice
• Splash of elderflower liqueur (i.e. St. Germain)
• Splash of lemon juice
• Garnish: cucumber wheel

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Top with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a fresh cucumber wheel.