We’re going to let you in on the greatest secret to hosting a successful Easter family gathering. No, it’s not the perfectly curated, gilded table place settings with hand-plucked tulips from your garden. And it’s not having more activities for the kids… you can only hide so many candy-filled eggs. (And let’s face it—you can’t trust the younger ones with the dye.) It’s not even about having the best Easter brunch menu that would make Ina Garten herself jealous.
The single most important part of Easter brunch—or any occasion that involves friends and family, if we’re being honest—is having an ample and inventive Easter cocktail bar. Something to take the edge off the dysfunction. Don’t just settle for mimosas and bellinis or bloodies… although those are certainly a requirement. A holiday is all the excuse you need to step your cocktail game up a level and show off your budding mixology skills. So stash the orange juice concentrate and the tomato mix. And get ready for Easter cocktail ideas, Mouth style – small-batch, high-quality cocktail mixers and garnishes.
But First, Bubbly
Catch your guests a little off guard by greeting them with a champagne cocktail right when they walk in. Many hosts make the mistake of withholding booze until sitting down at the Easter brunch table, but an opening Easter cocktail immediately disarms everyone and sets a celebratory mood.
Instead of the standard mimosas/bellinis made with orange or peach juice, more nuanced cocktail syrups or bitters really show off your spring hosting skills. Hibiscus lavender cocktail syrup will turn their flutes a seasonal shade of pink and perfume the glass with the smell of sweet flowers. On the tongue, the tart hibiscus will hit first, like a Jamaica agua fresca, until the calming aromatics of lavender take over. Another twist on the mimosa is to add a few drops of our rosemary lavender bitters which bring a bright herbal quality to the bubbles.
If you’d rather pre-batch everyone’s drink (or you simply don’t trust your wild sister to pour without spilling on her Easter Sunday dress), mix a champagne punch bowl beforehand, using supplies from our Just Add Champagne box. You can pre-serve the bourbon-soaked cherries in the glasses for the literal cherry on top.
If Things Get a Little Bloody...
This Easter, serving a Bloody Mary based on from a watered-down tomato concentrate simply won’t do. The only place tomato concentrate belongs is in a Warhol painting. In our complete Bloody Mary Kit, we included two absolutely small-batch dill-icious mixers, snappy pickled green beans with a hit of garlic (leave the celery sticks to the Easter bunny) and the best aromatic bitters we’ve ever tasted.
Oh, what’s that? You’ve already got a red hot bloody recipe up your sleeve? Well, in that case, it may be time to step up your cocktail garnish game. Try out some unexpected Bloody garnishes, such as a medley of pickled vegetables. Or add body and smokiness to their cocktails with bacon jerky or bourbon-smoked salt on the rim. These Bloody Mary’s will be so good that they’ll be distracted from any possible family drama.
Spirited Easter Cocktails
Some holidays (or some families) require something stronger than champagne and bloodies. That said, we still want to preserve the light, springtime feel of your Easter brunch with spirited cocktails that feature bright citrus and fruit.
For a twist on the classic G&T, mix gin with a fresh tonic syrup brewed with charred grapefruit skins. It requires the same amount of bar know-how, but it yields results that’ll wow, nothing like the chemicals people are used to from the supermarket. To take the classic vodka-based mule to the next level, try the zingy and juicy pomegranate mule mixer. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint and a lime wheel. Impatient for summer weather? Take a turn for more tropical vibes with a pineapple-lime tequila cocktail. Our mixer has hints of toasted coconut and vanilla that’ll warm up those lingering winter winds. Just make sure all the younger kids are kept away from these eye-candy drinks—this is grown-up only juice.
Buzz-worthy Coffee Cocktails
For many of us, we simply cannot function without caffeine. And this goes double on holidays, when we’re trying (desperately trying) to relax.
As a good host, you need to have plenty of coffee on hand and our cold brew kit will make it easy to have 12 ample servings ready to go. Set up a spiked coffee bar with cold brew coffee, cream and a liquor of choice (think Kahlua, Nocello, Frangelico, or bourbon) will have everyone tossing their mermaid-marked cups in the trash. And if that wasn’t enough, smoke out any Easter brunch competition by adding bourbon-smoked sugar on the side to line their glasses. (It’s easy—just dip the glass rims in water and dip the edge in sugar. Add a straw for convenience.) Sugar smoked in bourbon barrel staves has a caramel, rich smoky flavor that heightens any drink, especially coffee-based ones.
So let the kids have yellow marshmallow ducks and take the time to prepare just the perfect, over-the-top Easter brunch spread. But don’t skip out on a fabulous Easter cocktail spread to match. It’ll keep everyone from you to your argumentative Uncle Robert in good… spirits.
