It's been said that brunch is just a reason for day drinking. But great cocktails can make an ordinary brunch into an extraordinary brunch and turn it into your favorite meal of the day. I rounded up some interesting brunch cocktails you can find in the greater Philadelphia area. Cheers!
Cocktail Name: East Philly Cremat
Restaurant: Bloomsday Cafe (414 South Second Street, Headhouse Square)
Price: $15
Description/Ingredients: The quaint café and wine shop in Headhouse Square offers a morning hug in a mug with infused rum, Amara, americano, and frothy dalgona served hot.
Cocktail Name: Sweet Corn Milk Iced Coffee
Restaurant: Bank & Bourbon (1200 Market Street, Center City)
Price: $14
Description/Ingredients: Bank & Bourbon always has interesting cocktails, but this is quite intriguing. Aged rum is combined with La Colombe Coffee Roasters Pure Black and sweet corn milk and served with crushed ice.
Cocktail Name: Cucumber Gimlet
Restaurant: Dolce Italian (1437 Chestnut Street, Center City)
Price: $15
Description/ingredients: The newest hotel restaurant in Center City offers a simple, yet refreshing brunch cocktail featuring Philadelphia’s Stateside vodka, cucumber simple syrup, and lime.
Cocktail Name: All the Way Up
Restaurant: Founding Farmers (255 Main Street, King of Prussia, PA)
Price: $12
Description/Ingredients: Coffee cocktails are very warming this time of year and are especially delightful for a boozy brunch. Found Farmers offers one with Founding Spirits Vodka, cognac, Founding Farmers Friendship Blend coffee, coconut, and egg white.
Cocktail Name: PS Old Fashioned
Restaurant: Plough (25 South Queen Street, Lancaster, PA)
Price: $16
Description/ingredients: If you find yourself brunching in Lancaster, check out Plough’s take on an old-fashioned with Maker’s Mark, pumpkin maple syrup, and black walnut bitters.
Cocktail Name: Provence Spritz
Restaurant: Royal Boucherie (52 South Second Street, Old City)
Price: $16
Description/Ingredients: Spritzes are great for brunch. Royal Boucherie’s version features St. Germain, lavender, and sparkling white wine.
Cocktail Name: MX 75
Restaurant: Sor Ynez (1800 North American Street, Fishtown)
Price: $11
Description/Ingredients: Sor Ynez’s Mexican version of the French 75 features tequila, hibiscus liqueur, lime, and sparkling wine on the brunch menu.
Cocktail Name: As It Should Be
Restaurant: Stella (50 South Main Street, New Hope, PA)
Price: $15
Description/ingredients: This delightful seasonal riff on a mimosa contains pomegranate, prosecco, and rosemary. One of the many reasons to visit this charming town in Bucks County, PA.
Cocktail Name: Smoke and Spice
Restaurant: The Exchange (25 South Queen Street, Lancaster, PA)
Price: $15
Description/Ingredients: Lancaster’s brunch cocktail scene heats up with The Exchange’s alluring Smoke and Spice cocktail featuring El Jimador Anejo, Visa mezcal, poblano syrup, lime juice, and smoked chili bitters. Just one of the many reasons to get outside of Philadelphia just a bit and Discover Lancaster Pennsylvania.
Cocktail Name: Brunch Float
Restaurant: The Goat (1907 Sansom Street, Rittenhouse Square)
Price: $13
Description/Ingredients: The Goat has a brunch float sure to wake you up! Rival Bros Nitro cold brew coffee is paired with spiced rum and vanilla ice cream.
Cocktail Name: Early Riser
Restaurant: The Refectory (862 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA)
Price: $13
Description/Ingredients: This cocktail at The Refectory in Villanova will have you waking up extra early just for brunch! Rye whiskey, aged rum, grenadine, lemon, and absinthe. Good morning!
Brunch Bloodies
If Bloody Mary’s are your thing, you’ll want to make these bloodies your new brunch buddy.
Cocktail Name: Le Cav Bloody Mary
Restaurant: Le Cavalier (42 West 11th Street, Wilmington, Delaware)
Price: $16
Description/Ingredients: Le Cavalier is the most elegant restaurant in Wilmington. For brunch, it takes the ubiquitous Bloody Mary to the next level with harissa and Baharat spice, tomato juice, fresh ginger, fresh lemon, lime juice and zest, fresh cracked pepper and salt and garnished with shrimp, olive, lemon, cornichon, and celery stalk making it worth every penny of that $16. Since no Worcestershire sauce is used, vegans can enjoy it as well. I implore you to Visit Wilmington even if just for this restaurant, but trust me there is more to see, do, and eat and drink.
Cocktail Name: Monster Mary
Restaurant: North 3rd (801 North 3rd, Northern Liberties)
Price: $10
Description/Ingredients: Just a good old-fashioned Bloody Mary with North 3rd’s housemade bloody mix.
Cocktail Name: Wayward Bloody Mary
Restaurant: The Wayward (1170 Ludlow Street, Market East)
Price: $13
Description/Ingredients: We’ll wander wayward for this bloody featuring New Amsterdam Vodka, horseradish, and fermented tomato.
Cocktail Name: Baysil Bloody
Restaurant: White Dog Café (University City, Haverford, Wayne and Glen Mills, PA)
Price: $13
Description/Ingredients: White Dog is famous for its brunches at its various Philadelphia area locations and the cocktails always hit the spot. Their version of the classic Bloody Mary features local spirits and gets an herbaceous lift from fresh basil. Revivalist Dragondance Gin, Penn Distilling ‘The Bay’ Seasoned Vodka, fresh basil leaf, and housemade bloody mix.
What are your favorite brunch cocktails in the greater Philadelphia area? Tell me in the comments.
Marilyn Johnson is a freelance food and travel writer covering the food and drink scene of Philadelphia, South Jersey, and beyond. Food news: phillygrub@gmail.com. Travel tips: phillygrubtrips@gmail.com.
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