Whether you are hosting a brunch at your place, heading to a backyard gathering, or just looking for an excuse to bust out the coupe glasses, these three cocktails are sure to make this Easter memorable.
Easter is the best time to go all out. From decorations to snacks and drinks, this is the perfect holiday to embrace a theme. For me, that usually means exploring with creative, cute cocktails.
The problem with most holiday cocktail recipes online is that they assume you have a fully stocked bar, obscure liqueurs you will never touch again, and the patience of a trained mixologist.
I bartended for two summers and have spent a lot of time making drinks for friends who wanted something festive but did not want to spend a lot of money or show up to a party empty-handed. These three recipes are the result of that experience: easy, budget-friendly, and genuinely good. Each one comes with a mocktail version that is just as pretty and just as worth making. You do not need any special equipment beyond a cocktail shaker and a strainer, and every ingredient on this list can be found at a standard grocery store or liquor store for a reasonable price.
Pick one to make for yourself, or make all three for a brunch spread that will outshine the egg hunt.
Jelly Bean Martini
If you are going to make one drink that screams Easter, this is the one. The Jelly Bean Martini is a soft, shimmery purple that looks almost too good to drink, and the flavor lands somewhere between floral and citrusy in the best possible way.
What you need
For two cocktails, you will need:
- 3 oz vodka
- A mid-range bottle like Tito’s Handmade Vodka, around $20 for a 750ml
- 1.5 oz lavender simple syrup
- You can buy a bottle for around $10 or make your own
- 2 oz fresh lemon juice
- About two lemons
- Sugar for the rim
- A few jelly beans or a lemon twist for garnish
How to make it
Start by running a lemon wedge around the rim of a chilled coupe or martini glass, then dip it in a shallow plate of white sugar. Set the glass aside. Fill your cocktail shaker with ice, then add the vodka, lavender syrup, and lemon juice.
Most recipes call for one squeeze of lemon, but I use two for an additional zip. The acidity cuts through the syrup’s sweetness, giving the drink a brightness that makes it feel light, just like spring.
Shake hard for about 15 seconds, then strain into your prepared glass. Garnish with three or four jelly beans threaded onto a cocktail pick, or keep it minimal with a long spiral of lemon peel. The purple from the lavender syrup gives the drink its signature color, so do not skip it.
Make it ahead of time
The lavender simple syrup can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge in a sealed jar or bottle. It can be prepared quickly by simmering equal parts sugar and water with dried lavender for 10 minutes. If you are making this for a crowd, make a batch of syrup early and mix the cocktail base (vodka, syrup, and lemon juice) in a pitcher the morning of the party. Keep it refrigerated and shake individual portions with ice to order.
Mocktail version
Replace the vodka with 3 oz of good lemonade (not the powdered stuff) and top with a splash of sparkling water. Keep the lavender syrup and the sugared rim exactly as written. The result is just as festive and just as purple, and nobody at the table will feel left out.
Carrot Cake Martini
This one is for the carrot cake lovers. The Carrot Cake Martini is rich, slightly sweet, and just spiced enough to feel interesting. It might seem weird at first, but once you give it a try, you’ll understand the hype.
What you need
For two cocktails:
- 2 oz vanilla vodka
- Around $18 for a 750ml
- 1 oz butterscotch schnapps
- A small 375ml bottle runs about $8 and will last you multiple batches
- 1 oz carrot juice
- Sold in small bottles at most grocery stores for around $4
- 1 oz heavy cream
- A pinch of cinnamon
- For the rim, you will need crushed graham crackers, which you can crush by hand in a zip-lock bag
How to make it
Crush your graham crackers into fine crumbs and spread them on a shallow plate. Wet the rim of a martini glass with a damp paper towel or a bit of honey on your finger, then press it into the crumbs. The Graham cracker rim is what sells the carrot cake illusion.
Fill your shaker with ice and add the vanilla vodka, butterscotch schnapps, carrot juice, and heavy cream. Shake hard for about 20 seconds. The cream needs to emulsify properly, and a strong shake is what gives the drink a frothy, smooth texture when you strain it. Pour it slowly into your prepared glass and finish with a light dusting of cinnamon over the top. It looks like something from a bakery window and tastes even better.
Mocktail version
Use 2 oz of carrot juice, 1 oz of heavy cream, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1 oz of caramel syrup. Instead of vodka, I just use water to cut the thickness and sweetness. The syrup is just like the kind you find at coffee shops or in the coffee aisle, usually around $5. Shake with ice, strain into your graham cracker-rimmed glass, and dust with cinnamon.
Easter Sunrise Bubbly
The Easter Sunrise Bubbly is the most effortlessly beautiful drink on the list. Light, floral, and blush pink with a natural gradient that looks like a sunrise in a glass, this one is made for brunch tables and Easter egg color palettes alike. It also happens to be the easiest of the three to make.
What you need
For two cocktails:
- 2 oz peach schnapps or 2 oz peach puree (for something less sweet and more natural-tasting)
- Around $8 for a 375ml
- 4 oz prosecco
- Any bottle in the $10 to $15 range will work; look for a Brut or Extra Dry style
- 1 oz elderflower liqueur such as St-Germain
- Around $25 for a 750ml (but a little goes a long way)
- A splash of grenadine
- A splash of grapefruit juice
How to make it
This drink is built directly in the glass rather than shaken, which is what makes it so approachable. Add a few ice cubes to a wine glass or a tall champagne flute. Pour in the grenadine, the peach schnapps or puree, then the elderflower liqueur, and then the splash of grapefruit juice. Finally, top with the prosecco. Do not stir. Leaving the layers undisturbed is what creates the gradient effect.
Mocktail version
Swap the peach schnapps for 2 oz of peach nectar. You can find peach nectar in small cans at most grocery stores for around $2. For the mocktail, skip the elderflower liqueur, and top with sparkling water or ginger ale instead of prosecco. Add the splash of grapefruit juice and garnish however you please. The gradient still works, the glass still looks beautiful, and the drink is refreshing.
Make one, or all three
Any of these three cocktails will work as a standalone offering for a party, but if you are doing a full Easter brunch spread, the combination of all three gives guests real variety: something purple and floral, something rich and dessert-like, and something light and bubbly. They cover different tastes and moods, and because the mocktail versions are essentially just as good as the originals, everyone at the table gets an equally festive glass.
If you are making drinks for a crowd, the Jellybean Martini and the Carrot Cake Martini batch well. Mix the non-carbonated ingredients in a large pitcher the night before, keep it chilled, and shake individual portions with ice when guests arrive. The Easter Sunrise Bubbly is best assembled to order since it loses its gradient effect if it sits, but it takes less than a minute per glass, so it is not a burden.
Budget-wise, making these drinks for four to six people will cost about $40 to $60, depending on what you already have.
Many of the ingredients, like the butterscotch schnapps, lavender syrup, and elderflower liqueur, will have plenty left over for future batches. These ingredients won’t go to waste: elderflower liqueur is delicious in lemonade, butterscotch schnapps is great in hot cocoa, and lavender syrup is wonderful in iced coffee. You are investing in a pantry, not a single occasion.
If you are still deciding where to start, go with the Jelly Bean Martini. It is my personal favorite; it is the easiest to batch, and it has never once failed to impress. The Easter Bunny would probably agree, but he is a little busy this weekend.
Please remember to always drink responsibly.
