How to Find Your Signature Brunch Sip

Whether you want to start the day off with a kick or keep the party going from the night before, it doesn’t feel like brunch without a Bloody Mary, Mimosa, or other morning-appropriate drink in hand.

But beyond the big name brunch drinks, it’s important to pick what’s right for your tastes, the current state of your body, and what fits the moment. After all, vibe matters. Otherwise, you risk a lackluster experience or worse, a mid-day hangover.

So, what should you look for in a brunch cocktail?

“There’s a couple of factors to consider,” says Ryan Chetiyawardana, founder of London’s award-winning Lyaness. “One is definitely food… There’s a reason why every culture serves eggs in the morning, right? Try to have something that works alongside those particular types of brunch dishes. I usually want something that feels really bright, uplifting, and clean. Because it’s the morning and you want something that doesn’t feel like it’s gonna pull you back into bed. You’re energized. You’ve gone to meet friends. You want something that kind of reflects that.”

And at this year’s Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Anthony Giglio, the wine director at American Express’ Centurion Global Lounge Collection, will be speaking more about the breakfast of champions — further expounding on the many characteristics of what makes a brunch drink spectacular. But before then, here are some tried-and-true pro tips to elevate your brunch game — from the best in the business.

Opposites attract, but sweet-on-sweet will work too — if that’s your thing

Fortified sweet wines and dessert wines exist for a reason. And while having them during the day is quite uncommon, it’s certainly not unheard of. (Hey, if you want to spring for that Chateau d’Yquem, you do you.) But for the most part, going with something fresh that has a bit of acidity is foolproof.

“There’s two ways to think about it,” says Michael Beck, beverage director at New York City’s famed Union Square Hospitality Group. “You can always pair things that are like-with-like. So if you’re having maple syrup, you could pair something sweet — maybe a sweet kind of sherry or even like a dessert wine like Sauternes. But I like to pair things with the mindset of ‘opposites attract.’ So when I’m having something that has some richness or some fattiness, I like to drink things that are going to keep my palate fresh, something that keeps me wanting more of that food. So sparkling wine is one of those things. And it could be a pét-nat.”

Find something light and bright

The whole point of brunch is to be very much alive, not zoned out in a martini-induced haze. Brightness is definitely something to look for. This means drinks that bring a bit of acidity and tartness, which can enliven a drink.

“The idea is if you’re popping out during the daytime, rather than coming into the bar at night, you want something exactly that sentiment,” says Cheiyawardana. 

The drinks shouldn’t be so saccharine as to cancel out its acidity, leaving you with something that feels “confected.” As with everything, balance is key. “I’ve had Bellinis. I’ve had Buck’s Fizzes. I’ve had spritzes, [and] there’s a liveliness to them,” says Chetiyawardana. “It’s about dialing in the acidity because you want stuff that’s going to cut through those brunch dishes. But not too sharp and not too sweet.

“It’s worth putting in the effort around what you source as ingredients, or the way that you put it together,” he continues. “Because having too much sugar or too much acid is not your friend. Pick the right kind of juices. There are Hamlin oranges that are perfect for juicing, but they’re not very pretty to look at. But they’ve got a great aromatic profile rather than that very rich, juicy thing that you’d have in a glass of orange juice.”

Say hello to low-ABV

Low-alcohol drinks have been gaining popularity for several years now. People have become more conscientious drinkers, especially among the younger set, where health is top of mind. And at Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York, Sebastian Tollius, the restaurant’s beverage director, admits to being much more mindful about his consumption.

“I think a few things that I would always look for, especially early in the morning, is starting with something low-ABV,” says Tollius. “You know, something that’s a little juicier, something that’s a little more refreshing and easy-drinking. An Irish Coffee is always a good choice in the morning — you get your caffeine and also kind of get the hair of the dog right there. Two birds with one stone.”

Tollius also makes the case for finding a cocktail that’s a low-ABV version of something more potent, like ordering a Michelada instead of a Bloody Mary.

“More than anything, I love a good Michelada,” he says. “It just has all of those similar ingredients and flavors that you’re looking for in a Bloody Mary, but it’s also a little bit more refreshing and it’s fizzier because of the beer. It’s got a little bit of carbonation and easier to drink too.”

You can’t go wrong with something bubbly

Steadfast on many brunch menus are Champagne and Prosecco — or, really, any bubbly, effervescent drink. Their carbonation, mild acidity, and minerality, help to cut the fat in breakfast dishes. It’s the same reason Champagne pairs so perfectly with fried chicken. 

Prosecco, in particular, is fantastic when not used with a mixer. “Prosecco is a great afternoon wine because it’s slightly lower in ABV, but it’s also got sweetness and acidity,” says Chetiyawardana. “But I actually find it quite a difficult wine to mix with [given its] higher presence of both acidity and sweetness.”

“A great Prosecco’s got that sweet, floral kind of sharpness,” he continues. “But as soon as you add something in, that’s where it ends up being too sweet and sour, to me. So I actually end up using something dry. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s not that you need to go and buy Champagne to make the drinks work. You can get great cremant, English sparkling, cava — as long as they have that kind of dry, clean profile.”

Consider the mocktail

Like low-ABV concoctions, non-alcoholic drinks have been on the rise. As Beck likes to point out, brunch doesn’t always have to be boozy.

“You don’t have to start day drinking,” says Tollius. “I think the non-alcoholic drinks nowadays are really coming together in the same way that cocktails are. People in bar programs are taking their non-alcoholic programs as seriously as they do their regular cocktails… they want to have as much excitement when they’re drinking it. That’s something really important to look at and something to not steer away from when you’re out with friends.”