Brunch Cocktails Beyond the Mimosa

The mimosa earned its place at brunch by being uncomplicated, but the morning cocktail menu has gotten more interesting in the last five years and it's worth reading past the first line. The michelada is the easiest upgrade. A good one starts with cold light beer, fresh lime, a pinch of salt, a few dashes of hot sauce, and sometimes a splash of clamato or worcestershire. It is the rare drink that tastes better the more you eat with it, and on a sunny patio with chilaquiles in front of you, it is hard to beat.

The bloody mary is a category, not a drink. The version a kitchen pours tells you a lot about how seriously they take the bar. A great bloody is balanced rather than aggressive — heat, salt, acid, and a base that tastes like real tomato. Ask for it with mezcal instead of vodka if the menu allows; the smoke pairs beautifully with eggs and bacon.

Aperol spritzes have crossed over fully into morning drink territory. Light, bittersweet, and the same alcohol level as a glass of wine, they hold up across a long meal without flattening you. Order the variant the kitchen suggests if it's something other than the classic. The Irish coffee deserves a comeback.

A proper one is hot black coffee, a bar spoon of brown sugar, a measure of Irish whiskey, and a thick float of lightly whipped cream. It is dessert and digestif at once, and on a cold morning it is the right answer to almost every question the menu asks. Finally, never sleep on the kitchen's original brunch cocktail. If a bar program took the time to invent a Saturday morning drink, it usually means they thought about the food at the same time.

Order it once. If you don't love it, the mimosa will still be there next week — but you'll have learned something about the kitchen's voice in the process.