How to Make Pick Me Up Cocktails

Last Updated: May 6, 2021

Pick-me-up or eye opener cocktails earn their reputation by being drinks that give you instant pep, wake you up or enliven your appetite. There are quite a few cocktails that fall within this range, some of which are provided here.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Prairie oyster

1
Gather ingredients. You'll need 1 raw egg yolk, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste and 2 dashes of Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce you like).
2
Crack the egg first. Tip the egg yolk into the glass without breaking it. (If you can manage that with a hangover, you're on the mend!)

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3
Pour in the teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and 2 dashes of Tabasco sauce.
4
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5
Drink it down in one go. If you're lucky, you'll chase away that hangover. Have some rest.
6
See How to make a prairie oyster for more variations.

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Mimosa

1
Pour equal parts of champagne and orange juice into a champagne flute.
- For champagne: Cava or Prosecco are both great options. Opt for a sparkling wine that is not too sweet, as the sweetness of the orange juice combined with the sweetness of the wine could overpower the drink.
- Chill the orange juice and champagne beforehand. Lukewarm mimosas are not as dapper as chilly ones.
2
Add a splash of Triple Sec liqueur (optional). While most people think of a mimosa as simply containing orange juice and champagne, a true mimosa contains a splash of Triple Sec to fortify the drink.
3
Stir gently and garnish with mint or fresh fruit. Serve.
- For a great way to incorporate fruit into the mimosa while chilling the drink, freeze some fruit — raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, mango, pineapple, the list goes on — and then place them in the drink right before serving. They will act as ice cubes and keep your drink cool for you while you sip.
4
See How to make a mimosa and How to make mimosas with twist for more variations.

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Red eye

1
Assemble ingredients. You'll need even amounts of beer and tomato juice, both chilled.
2
Pour the two ingredients into a beer glass.
3
Stir with a swizzle stick.
4
Serve. Do not bother with a garnish––this is a pick-me-up, not a fancy cocktail.
5
See How to make a red eye for more variations.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Bloody Mary

1
Cover the rims of a few glasses with lime juice. Just run one lime wedge around the rims of the glasses.
2
Dip the rims of the glasses in coarse salt. The salt will stick to the lime juice and will coat the rims.
3
Combine the ingredients in a tumbler. Place 4 oz. of vodka, 1 cup of tomato juice, 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 oz. of dill pickle juice, a dash of Tabasco sauce, 1/2 teaspoon horseradish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and a dash of pepper in a tumbler.
4
Shake all the ingredients in the tumbler. This will combine them well. Shake the tumbler for at least 15-20 seconds.
5
Fill the glasses with ice.
6
Pour the beverage into the glasses.
7
Serve. Place a stalk of celery in each glass for garnish.
8
See How to make a bloody Mary for more variations.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Mint julep

1
Gather ingredients. You'll need 60ml bourbon, 5ml sugar syrup, 5ml water, 5 mint leaves and ice.
2
Crush mint leaves with the sugar syrup and water in a highball glass. This will let the mint flavor flow.
3
Add the bourbon. Add the ice.
4
Stir for 30 seconds. When the glass frosts, it's ready to serve.
5
See How to make a mint julep for a variation.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Corpse reviver

1
Gather the ingredients. You'll need 30ml brandy, 15ml Calvados, 15ml vermouth and ice.
2
Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
3
Shake well.
4
Strain into a serving glass. No need for a garnish.