If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to entertain more . . . why not think brunch?
Hosting a weekend brunch for family and friends can be as elegant or as easy as you like. If you’re Martha Stewart than fire up an omelet station and serve fresh baked goods, but if you want to sit back and relax than just set out an assortment of bagels (from Hot Bagels maybe) and some cream cheeses and lox, onion and capers. Make it self-serve and you’ve got a fun and easy way to entertain.
Of course, the best part of brunch is the booze (otherwise it would just be breakfast, wouldn’t it?) And you can do self-serve cocktails as well. How about a Bloody Mary bar with all the fixings?
Or you can serve these delightful little cocktail shots from LIQS, found at most local liquor stores (about $8 for a three pack). They come already mixed and in cute little cups that you can serve them from or guests can pour them over ice into a glass. They come in four flavors including a vodka, lychee and grapefruit cocktail that’s very good.
And for a really fresh idea, why not a self-serve coffee bar? Set out booze and toppings. If you have a selection of K cups and a Keurig it couldn’t be easier.
Here are some tips and recipes for your brunch coffee cocktails:
1. Coffee Selection: Espresso, decaf, vanilla, mocha or hazelnut.
2. Base spirits: Tequila, brandy, cream liqueurs and whisky are best. Base spirits, such as Partida Tequila, Amarula Cream and Calvados Boulard, will blend well with coffee.
3. The Trimmings: Set out cocoa powder, marshmallows and whipped cream, but don’t forget cinnamon, sugar, edible disco dust, milk and cream.
Coffee Cocktail Recipes
Amarula Coffee Surprise
Amarula Cream, the world’s second-largest selling cream liqueur, is a blend of fermented marula fruit and fresh cream.
2 oz coffee
2 oz Amarula
1/2 oz brown sugar
2 marshmallows
whipped cream
hot chocolate or coco powder
Pour coffee, Amarula, brown sugar and marshmallows into a coffee mug, stir. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate powder.
Bonus: add a shaker and ice to your coffee bar to make an iced Amarula Espresso Martini.
Amarula Espresso Martini
1 1/2 oz Amarula Cream
1 oz vodka
1 oz fresh brewed espresso
ice
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Martini glass and garnish with espresso bean.
French Coffee
Calvados is a luxurious French brandy crafted from apple distillate and it adds an all-natural seasonal flavor to your mug.
1 1/2 oz Calvados Père Magloire
2 oz coffee
3/4 oz sugar
whipped cream
In a glass cocktail mug, add fresh brewed coffee, sugar and Père Magliore, then stir. Top with whipped cream and enjoy.
Café Pacifico
Created by Jacques Bezendehout
Partida is an ultra premium tequila and beautiful agave based spirit.
1 1/2 oz Partida Blanco
1/2 oz Coffee liqueur
4 oz fresh brewed hot coffee
3 bar spoons cinnamon and sugar mix
Heavy cream
In a glass mug add tequila and coffee, then mix in the cinnamon and sugar. Float Heavy Cream on top of the coffee. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar mix on top and add a cinnamon stick.
Note: For the cinnamon sugar mix, in a bowl combine four parts granulated white sugar and one part ground cinnamon.
Making cocktails with coffee is not just a great way to delight the brunch crowd but according to recent research coffee may also help lower liver enzymes . . . so mixing booze with coffee may be a winning combination.
Amarula Cream, a cream liqueur blending fermented marula fruit and fresh cream.
