The Expert-Approved Cocktail Pairings To Try With Brunch Eggs

Brunch is a popular excuse for day drinking, and why shouldn't you enjoy yourself on a sunny Sunday morning? There's one issue with breakfast drink pairings, though, and that's the fact that we hardly ever talk about them. There's been an incredible amount of focus on pairing wine with cheese, but hardly an acknowledgement of the countless other drink pairing opportunities out there. It's time to amend that.

Oenophiles will certainly want to seek a wine and brunch pairing, but for those seeking brighter flavors, cocktails are the way to go. Since brunch menus are often heavily focused on dishes like eggs Benedict, omelets, and frittatas, it's most helpful to focus on pairing cocktails with eggs. Eggs warrant particular attention because their mild flavor can be overwhelmed by many drinks.

Chowhound spoke to four food and drink experts to get their take on this delicate pairing. Jayson Goldstein, food and beverage director of Boston's Vela Seaport and Deck 12; Charly Naranjo, hotel sommelier at Fontainebleau Miami Beach; chef Nicole Brisson of Las Vegas's Brezza and Bar Zazu, and Amanda Davenport, wine director at Noisette in Denver all weighed in with their favorite cocktail and egg partnerships. They generally recommended light drinks, most of which contain citrus. There was one, unsurprising standout: the mimosa.

A consistent theme between all the experts' takes was that brunch cocktails should be light, considering the fact that egg dishes tend to be rich and filling. They put a particular spotlight on champagne cocktails, with Amanda Davenport explaining, "A bubbly cocktail is great with the texture of eggs." Moreover, champagne can help your stomach accommodate your brunch, particularly beneficial if you're coming off a night of libation. As Jayson Goldstein pointed out, "The bubbles will help settle your stomach and prepare you to have that hangover meal your body is craving."

Goldstein and Charly Naranjo both highlighted the mimosa, the champagne cocktail that graces many brunch menus. Their enormous prevalence might even give the impression that mimosas must surely be the most famous brunch cocktails of all time, and it's easy to see why. The drink builds on a beverage already synonymous with morning meals — orange juice — and makes it even lighter and more refreshing through the addition of some bubbly.

In keeping with the theme of light cocktails, the experts favor citrus flavors in their brunch drinks. "You need bright and fresh, with crisp flavors," says Nicole Brisson, who favors a Honey Bee cocktail with brunch. It balances the tang of lemon juice with sweet honey syrup, and is often made with rum, although Brisson uses gin at Bar Zazu. "It has some beautiful, bright flavors that enhance and don't overpower the dish," the chef explains.

Another cocktail that got multiple shout-outs from our experts is a lesser-known brunch offering: the French 75. Named for an antique French firearm, it's a lot lighter than its moniker would have you think. The drink is composed of champagne, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. The addition of gin makes it stronger than a mimosa, but the champagne and citrus keep it light. Other citrusy cocktails, like a Buck's Fizz (rumored to be the inspiration for mimosas) or a classic hurricane would also fit the bill here. The bottom line is to keep it light and bright.