Mother’s Day is the one holiday where the cocktail menu actually matters. Brunch is happening. Mum is here. The kids are pretending to be on their best behaviour for about ninety minutes before the wheels fall off. You’ve got a window. Make a cocktail that says “I planned this,” not “I panicked at the bottle shop.”

Below: five drinks that hit the brunch sweet spot. Not too boozy (it’s 11am), not boring (it’s still a cocktail), and at least one of them looks pretty enough to photograph. Click any card to get the full recipe.

Quick advice if you’re hosting

Pre-batch one of these. Pick the one with the most steps (Pink Lady, with its egg-white shake) and make a jug version that’s already half-built. When mum walks in, you’re shaking the last 30 seconds, not running through five steps under pressure.

Have one virgin option for the kids or anyone not drinking. The Strawberry Daiquiri above is the easiest to virginise: just lose the rum, lean on more strawberries and lime. Nobody feels left out.

And if you want a serious upgrade, the cocktail book that all five of these are in is Cheers Mate. 100+ recipes, all tested, all written like I’m telling you a yarn at a barbecue.