As the weather slowly starts to get springy, we wanted to take a look at a few tasty Easter cocktails. What’s an Easter cocktail? You’ve been there before. The family has gathered on a lovely spring day. The grass is green and spotted with colorful Easter eggs hidden between blades of fresh green grass. The kids all have their baskets in hand, running to and fro, searching for the ones that grandma has most assuredly put money in. While the kids romp around the yard, it’s cocktail time for the grown-ups.
When you think of Easter treats, it’s classic candies that come to mind first: chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and Peeps Easter candy. For the adults, though, a mixed drink could also be considered a special treat. These Easter themed cocktails incorporate fresh, brightly colored ingredients, including several ubiquitous candies that sprout up around the spring equinox. Inspired by sweet confections and classic recipes, these Easter cocktail ideas will keep you and your guests hopping long after brunch.
Honey Bunny Cocktail
This Easter themed cocktail makes use of chocolate bunnies, the fruitcake of spring. I’m not saying the all chocolate bunnies are terrible, but they are always the last thing to be eaten out of the Easter basket, therefore clearly not the favorite candy. This tasty treat, the Honey Bunny Cocktail, combines milk, chocolate liqueur, vanilla vodka, and honey into to something that could pass for dessert at a fancy restaurant. Served inside a hollow chocolate bunny, you’ll also enjoy breaking the shell apart piece by piece at the end, and nibbling on the booze drenched nuggets.
Prickly Pear Margaritas
If you love tequila, and are up for a challenge, go for these prickly pear margaritas. The recipe requires that you make prickly pear water, which then combines with ingredients like lime juice, Cointreau, and of course, tequila, to come up with a wonderfully tart mixed drink. The bright pink color is perfect for Easter, but the flavor is anything but soft. One of my favorite things about this as an Easter themed cocktail is that the sweetness is minimal, so you can enjoy them along side the candy you swiped from some nephew’s basket.
Easter Peeps Gin Rickey
Peeps Easter candy is the classic symbol of the American Easter basket. When I was a kid, they were yellow, and if Mom, ahem, I mean, the Easter bunny, was in a good mood that year, one package of pink Peeps might make an appearance. This Peeps cocktail is a spin on the classic gin rickey, incorporating top-shelf gin with grapefruit flavored club soda. You don’t need a lot of sugary mixers, because the Peeps candy adds plenty of sweetness.
French 75 Punch
On Easter, like any other holiday, you might end up entertaining a crowd. If you aren’t in the mood to play bartender all day, try the French 75 Punch. Combining fresh juice, sparkling wine, gin, and a handful of other ingredients, this is one of the best Easter cocktails on our list. It’s flavor is light and bright, and the citrus slice garnishes make it feel appropriate at breakfast and lunch time. The basic recipe makes 8 servings, but it’s so simple to make, you can mix up several batches before hand for refills. This cocktail is also a close relative to the mimosa, making it one of our favorite Easter brunch ideas.
Rose + Rosé Bourbon Cocktail
We couldn’t do a drink round up without a whiskey cocktail. The Rose + Rosé bourbon cocktail is a true beauty, combining two of my go-to drinks: rosé and bourbon. Highlighted by a floral rose syrup and a squeeze of grapefruit juice, this drink reminds me a lot of an old fashioned, but fancy enough to drink at noon on a holiday. You might consider serving this on the rocks as well, and keeping some extra sparkling water around for anyone who finds these Easter cocktails a little too strong. For the true whiskey lover, though, make the recipe exactly as suggested and you’ll have no complaints.
Melon Ball Punch
This party punch recipe doesn’t call for booze, but the first time I read it, all I could think about was how great this could be with vodka. And it is. You start with balls of watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon. Soak them in a sweet white wine, like moscato, for a few hours, then mix the whole batch together with lemon lime soda, some vodka, and if you want, a little lemonade. The melon balls are reminiscent enough of colored eggs that people will get the Easter cocktail reference right away. When you’re done drinking, grab a straw and have your own Easter egg hunt for liquor-soaked balls at the bottom of your glass!
Jelly Bean Martini
If you have a serious, serious sweet tooth, then this Easter martini cocktail is for you. It couldn’t be more simple: cotton candy vodka, jelly beans, and citrus liqueur. Use some jelly beans to add color and flavor to the vodka, shake it over ice, and abracadabra. It’s like a rabbit out of a hat. Word of advice, though. Check your jelly beans before, and separate them out by color. Since they soak in the vodka for awhile, the colors will mix, and you can get a murky purple color very easily. Be especially sure to remove the black jelly beans, unless you like licorice. If you do like licorice try our next Easter cocktail.
Easter Mule Cocktail
Honestly, this one is more of an idea than an actual recipe. We’ve all seen the variations of the Moscow Mule, like the Mexican Mule with tequila, and so forth. In honor of Easter, I did some creative thinking. In the region surrounding modern day Jerusalem, licorice spirits are extremely popular. Why not try a licorice spirit, such as Arak or Ouzo, instead of vodka, to create the Easter Mule? I mean, it’s a holiday, so you might as well bring out the copper mugs.
Cadbury Creme Egg Cocktail
My personal favorite Easter candy as a child was the Cadbury creme egg. Mostly because it was messy, but also because I’ve always been fascinated with food made to look like other food. When I started looking for Easter drink recipes, I immediately searched for cocktails that included creme eggs. This Cadbury creme egg cocktail incorporates crème de cacao, chocolate liqueur, Irish cream, and whipped cream vodka. Garnish with a real creme egg and you’ll want to start Easter dinner with dessert.
Creme Egg Jello Shots
Finally, for only the spirited Easter celebrators, we have the Easter Jello shots. Though they don’t actually contain a Cadbury egg, they give the jiggly fun of a gelatin shot, inspired by the look and taste of Easter candy. These bite-sized Easter cocktails also look great on the serving tray. For fun, sit them right next to Aunt Shirley’s deviled eggs, and see how long it takes Grandpa to discover there’s booze in them.
By: Rodney Brazil
(Grabbed from: https://www.homewetbar.com/blog/11-springy-easter-cocktails/)