Mixology Monday: Morning Drinks Roundup

The entries are in, and the results show that booze is in fact a suitable breakfast. October’s Mixology Monday focused on morning drinks, a subject near and dear to us here at Cocktail Enthusiast. While bloody marys, screwdrivers and mimosas have their place, we challenged participants to create something different – inventive cocktails that jump start your morning, absolve the prior night’s sins or just taste really good with eggs and bacon.

The besotted bunch of contributors concocted some impressive drinks, and we can’t wait to start mixing these up at home.

We’ll kick things off with The Venture Mixologist, who brings us a welcome riff on the bloody mary, called Off the Vine. This cocktail includes a boozy backbone of tomato-infused gin and cucumber vodka, and from there adds Cocchi Americano, lemon juice and celery bitters. The blend of vegetal with botanical and aperitif sounds like a great eye-opener.

Paul Clarke, intrepid drinks journalist, proprietor of The Cocktail Chronicles and founder of Mixology Monday, gives us a drink that opts for beer and bubbles instead of hard hooch – the Black Velvet. With two ingredients, Guinness and Champagne, and no laborious measuring, shaking or stirring required, this might be the perfect morning drink for the weary riser.

Frederic of Cocktail Virgin Slut contributes The Morning Delight, which he found in William Schmidt’s 19th century book, The Flowing Bowl. This tasty-sounding potable combines breakfast staples like egg whites and orange juice with lime, sugar, absinthe, whiskey, Sherry, Amer Picon (subbed for Calisaya) and soda. That’s a stout way to start your day, complete with stomach-settling absinthe, vitamin-packed citrus and nutrient-dense egg whites.

Louis-Florian Tatsuhito created his submission, The Farewell, while living in Japan, where the drink was often consumed when saying goodbye to guests. The Farewell finds synergy in Japanese whisky, Bailey’s, Kahlua, espresso and milk, and it’s topped with light cream, vanilla and kinako (roasted soybean flour).

Ian from Tempered Spirits begins his day with a hot milk punch. He starts with a homemade spiced Appleton Rum, and from there adds brandy, vanilla-demerara sugar syrup and hot milk. Top with some freshly-grated nutmeg, and your breakfast just got better. As Ian notes, the milk punch – like eggnog – is a great libation for the holidays.

The next morning drink comes from Chris at Tacoma cocktail lounge, 1022 South. Starting with a base of the always-enjoyable Ron Zacapa rum, the Journey to the End of the Night adds cold-pressed Ethiopian coffee, simple syrup, organic cocoa and cayenne pepper. With booze, caffeine and cayenne in your system, this drink provides quite the morning jolt!

James from All Hail the Cocktail invokes Halloween with his aptly-named Swamp Thing. This green potion mixes silver tequila with green tea liqueur and a green fruit smoothie (such as Naked’s Green Machine). Rim the glass with green tea powder, and you’ve got a morning drink that’s as healthy as it is scary.

Ever the ambitious boozehound, Ed of Wordsmithing Pantagruel goes heavy on the Peychaud’s and gives us three(!) morning cocktails. Each is a take on the classic Corpse Reviver, like his Blood Infusion, which combines equal measures of Bulldog Gin, Cocchi Americano, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, lemon juice and – you guessed it – Peychaud’s Bitters. Now that’s a balanced breakfast.

Next up, the Morning Starfish, courtesy of Rowen at Fogged in Lounge. This “bright and bubbly tequila-grapefruit-Campari thing that’s light enough to let you have at least two, even in the morning” combines the aforementioned trio with lime juice, honey, soda and a salt-and-pepper rim. Sign me up for two, please.

Kudos to The Tipsy Vixen, Colleen, for introducing Advocaat to our cocktail party with her Pumpkin Milk Punch. Advocaat is a creamy liqueur made from eggs, brandy and sugar, and Colleen mixes it with Cognac, canned pumpkin, whole milk and simple syrup for a hearty, seasonal drink.

This orangey entrant comes from Andy at Sybaritic Wanderings. The Hard Stare is a riff on a Harry Craddock original and combines two of my favorite breakfast items – gin and orange marmalade – with orange bitters. The result? A refreshing breakfast cocktail to replace your morning orange juice.

Sother Teague says why detox when you can Retox? Drawing inspiration from the famous detox cleanse of hot water with lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup, his drink puts booze back in your system. Muddle some jalapenos for a spicy kick, then shake up reposado tequila, grade B maple syrup and lime juice.

A Drinker’s Peace provides the well-rounded Begs and Achin’ Flip, which nearly covers the entire breakfast spectrum with bacon-infused rye whiskey, potato simple syrup, a whole egg and espresso. Also, overproof rum. It’s garnished with black pepper, habanero powder and toast. That should hold me over until lunch.

Spirit of Imbibing wakes up early with the 6:00am Sour, a veritable cornucopia of breakfast favorites. Bacon-washed bourbon melds with orange juice, maple syrup and egg white, plus some bitters and acid phosphate. Sprinkle some black pepper on top, and breakfast is ready.

The aptly named Good Booze likes something hot, sweet and strong to get through the mornings. Enter the Coffee Killer, a traditional Italian drink in which hot espresso is followed up with some liqueur. In this case, stir some homemade maple sugar syrup into your coffee and chug it. Then down half a shot of apple brandy, and pour the remaining liquor into your coffee cup and swirl to catch the last bits of coffee and maple. Down that too, and you’re ready to face the day.

Jeannine Woodland doesn’t have a blog, but that didn’t stop her from crafting the spicy What’s Up Doc?. This healthy morning treat doctors a tequila, pepper-and-honey vodka and carrot juice base with red bell pepper, lime juice, sea salt, Garlic Tabasco and Bittermens Burlesque Bitters. From there, rim the glass with a ground mixture of whole medley peppercorns and demerara sugar.

Dennis from A Drink on the Rocks gives us the Morning Dutchman, a cocktail based on Salvatore Calabrese’s Breakfast Martini. This libation starts with some breakfasty tea-infused Genever, and from there adds orange and lemon juice, orange marmalade, an egg white and orange bitters.

And lastly, your honored host’s submission was Dad’s Juice Box, an orangey and eggy potable that started with Clementines, ended with absinthe, and added some Bols Genever, St Germain, egg white and sugar somewhere in the middle. It’s refreshing and creamy and pairs nicely with bacon. That’s a winner in our book.

And with that, this round of Mixology Monday comes to a close. Thanks to all who contributed! Stay tuned to Mixology Monday for upcoming rounds of community cocktailing.