An array of delicious beverages, all perfect for toasting Mom

Do you leave your favourite magazines open to the page of that new handbag you covet, or those throw pillows you want? Do you drop diamond-stud hints a month before your birthday? Is your Christmas wish list front-and-centre on the fridge? Then why should Mother’s Day be any different? Chances are you’ve already had a hand in designing the menu for your Sunday brunch, so why not impose your will a teensy-weensy bit further and choose the cocktails too? Seriously, what would they do without you?

Spiked Coffee (for a crowd)

Brew a pot of this aromatic coffee and you’ll soon be making another pot — it doesn’t last long and for good reason.

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly ground coffee
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cloves
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 strips lemon zest
• 2 strips orange zest
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) dark rum
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) Kahlua

Add coffee, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, lemon zest and orange zest to coffee filter and brew 10 cups (2.5 L) coffee. Once brewed, add rum and Kahlua. Serve with cream and sugar and garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired.

Soho Sparkler

Nothing is more celebratory than champagne and no one more deserving than a mom. This delicious and simple-to-make cocktail, with just a hint of sweet lychee fruit, is perfect for a loving toast to Mom.

• 1/4 oz SOHO Lychee liqueur
• 6 oz sparkling wine

Add liqueur to a chilled champagne flute, top with sparkling wine and garnish with a frozen lychee or lemon twist.

Bombay Caesar

A twist on the Bloody Caesar, this cocktail takes inspiration from Indian spices and is ideal for those craving something savoury this Mother’s Day.

• 2 slices fresh ginger
• 1-1/2 oz vodka
• 6 oz Clamato juice

Rim a Collins glass with a mixture of salt, pepper, ground cardamom, crushed cumin seeds and crushed mustard seeds. Fill glass with ice, toss in ginger, add vodka and fill with Clamato juice. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a spear of blanched asparagus.

Pomegranate Spritzer

Offering virgin cocktails when entertaining is always a great idea for younger guests and those not partial to boozy elixirs. Though adding an ounce of rum to this drink is another great idea, we won’t tell anyone.

• 4 oz pomegranate juice
• 2 oz soda water

  Fill a Collins glass with ice, add pomegranate juice and top with soda water. Garnish with fresh blueberries and an orange wheel.

  First published at CanadianLiving.com