Mother’s Day celebrations practically beg for a seasonal springtime brunch, and no celebratory brunch is complete without the perfect beverage pairing. But dialing up the perfect brunch cocktail isn’t always easy. Brunch cuisine can vary widely, incorporating both sweet and savory elements — often on the same plate — that challenge many of the traditional rules of cocktail pairing. Falling as it does in early May, Mother’s Day also requires some deference to seasonality. Fresh herbs, citrus, and some tropical fruits are in, while warm spices and certain nutty flavors that may have worked just a few weeks ago are decidedly out of step with the occasion.
With its lively chorus of orchard fruit, vanilla, and subtle oak, Crown Royal provides the ideal foundation on which to build any number of cocktails that pair perfectly with Mother’s Day brunch. The restrained spice and smooth-sipping quality of the brand’s flagship Crown Royal Deluxe — the world’s best-selling Canadian whisky — play well with citrus and fruit flavors, providing a versatile backbone for everything from Old Fashioneds and sours to seasonal highballs. Meanwhile, Crown Royal’s range of flavored whiskies allow for the crafting of fruit-forward spritzes, punches, and teas that feel right at home on the brunch table.
Take your brunch to the next level with one of the food-friendly seasonal Crown Royal cocktails below.
TEXAS TEA
The combination of spirit, lemon juice, and sugar — otherwise known as a classic sour — is one of the oldest cocktail formats, and for good reason: It simply works. This recipe refashions that classic flavor profile into an ice-cold patio sipper that’s perfectly tailored to warming spring temperatures. Break this one out for Mother’s Day, then serve it all summer long.
Ingredients:
- 1½ ounces Crown Royal Deluxe
- 4-5 ounces of lemonade (to fill)
- 2-3 dashes of bitters
- Lemon wheels
- Fresh mint sprig
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients over ice and stir.
- Add lemon wheels and mint to garnish.
SPARKLING ROSEMARY APPLE
This highball riff was purpose-built for the shoulder season between winter and summer, making it well suited for that spring morning when there’s still an early spring nip in the air. The Crown Royal Apple and honey weigh neatly against the lemon and vinegar, striking a lovely, fizzy balance between the drink’s sweet, sour, and savory components.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Crown Royal Apple
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¾ ounce lemon juice
- ¾ ounce honey syrup
- Soda
- Fresh rosemary
Directions:
- Combine Crown Royal, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and honey syrup into a shaker and shake.
- Strain into a highball glass with fresh ice and top with soda water.
- Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
PEACH PUNCH
When you’re the one hosting brunch, there’s no cocktail better than the one your guests can serve themselves. Pre-batch this Crown Royal Peach Punch before guests arrive, then simply pour it over ice and stir when needed. It only takes a moment to top up with sparkling wine and garnish with fresh fruit, which means you can stay focused on whisking the hollandaise.
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces Crown Royal Peach
- 3 ½ ounces lemon juice
- 3 ounces simple syrup
- 4 ounces peach purée
- 14 ounces sparkling wine
- Lemon wedges
- Peach slices
Directions:
- Combine Crown Royal Peach, lemon juice, simple syrup, and peach purée into a cocktail pitcher, add ice, and stir.
- Top with sparkling wine and garnish with lemon wedges and peach slices.
VANILLA & COLD BREW
Just because it’s a little too early for an Espresso Martini doesn’t mean you can’t marry your morning coffee and your cocktail. Crown Royal Vanilla complements the rich mouthfeel of the cold brew, while the lemon twist rounds out any bitterness imparted by the coffee. As far as brunch pairings are concerned, this might just be the perfect three-ingredient cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounces Crown Royal Vanilla
- 6 ounces cold brew coffee
- Lemon twist
Directions:
- Add Crown Royal Vanilla to a highball glass, add ice, and top with cold brew.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
CROWN ROYAL ELDERFLOWER BRAMBLE
Slightly sweet, citrusy, and floral, this cocktail is springtime in a glass. Swapping out the traditional blackberry liqueur for elderflower cordial gives this take on the Bramble a quality that’s more tree blossom than blackberry bush. Serve alongside more savory-leaning dishes or as a refreshing post-brunch palate reset.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounces Crown Royal Deluxe
- ¾ ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce elderflower cordial or liqueur
- 1 dash sugar syrup
- 1 dash orange bitters
Directions:
- Fill a short glass with crushed ice and add ingredients in the order listed.
- Top with more ice till nearly overflowing and serve.
This article is sponsored by Crown Royal.
