Wakey, wakey, vodka and bakey!

Rise and shine! Order a martini with breakfast and you’ll get some concerned looks. Change that to a Bloody Mary or Mimosa, though, and you’re just being friendly. I don’t know why it’s socially acceptable to partake of these drinks in the morning while others remain taboo, but it is and I’m certainly not going to argue the point.

We don’t recommend drinking every morning. At our house, it’s usually reserved for special occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas, when we know we’re going to be home for the day. Birthdays, brunches, celebrations and vacations fall into that special occasion category as well. And sometimes it’s just one of those days. (For me, getting on an airplane always qualifies as one of those days.)

Here are two traditional breakfast-of-champions drink recipes, plus some festive alternatives for each, to try the next time your wake-up call includes a cocktail.

Classic: Bloody Mary

2 oz. vodka

4 oz. tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix (Try the Colorado-made Motherlode mix!)

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Spice it up: Tabasco sauce, celery salt, lemon and lime juices or wedges, horseradish, smoky paprika, salt and pepper. Stir gently and serve on the rocks. Popular garnishes include celery stalks, olives, pickled okra, mini corn on the cobs, dill pickles, pickled asparagus and a peck of pickled peppers. Make it more like a meal with add-ons such as bacon and shrimp.

Mmmmm, bacon and shrimp.

Mix it up: Bloody Green Maria

Finally, a Bloody Mary for people who don’t like tomato juice!

2 oz. tequila

4 oz. Salty Iguana Green Bloody Mary mix (Colorado-made, tomatillo-based mix)

Spice it up: Tabasco sauce, lemon or lime juice, horseradish, black and cayenne peppers. Garnish with celery stalks, pickled jalapenos and any of the items listed above.

Classic: Mimosa

Equal parts chilled champagne or sparkling wine and orange juice. It’s pretty hard to mess this one up, and it’s always a treat. Top it off with a splash of orange liqueur or grenadine for a little extra flavor.

Mix it up: Champagne Dreams

2 oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

¼ oz. Patrón Citrónge Orange Liqueur

1 oz. orange juice

2 oz. champagne or sparkling wine

Assemble the first three ingredients in a cocktail glass with ice. Slowly pour in the champagne while stirring very gently to retain the bubbles and chill the mixture. Strain into a champagne flute and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry. Recipe courtesy of PAMA Liqueur.

If you’re entertaining, put together a Bloody Mary/Maria or Mimosa bar and let your guests come up with their own concoctions. Cheers!

New Castle Liquors is a locally owned liquor store in New Castle, Colorado.