Kitchen

Celebrate Women’s Month with Cocktails Designed by Women, For Women

by Kevyn Gohu
March 12, 2025

When a mom’s life gets hard, nothing’s better than simple cocktail recipes designed by a fellow woman or mom to smooth things over.

While moms are depicted just enjoying a glass of wine, many will remember they were a lot “wilder” and even had preferred cocktail recipes in their younger years. Shotgunning shots of Tequila and Vodka, chugging down bottles of beer with varying strengths before finally chasing it all down with a Rum Coke, moms know that their livers were the true MVPs back in their college days. But getting wasted as a mom isn’t practical anymore. With kids and partners screaming “Mom!” every five minutes, it’s better for us just to sip a cocktail and relax. And who knows what a woman wants in her drink than another woman?

Before crafting a cocktail recipe, there are five “Mother” cocktails.

The “Mother” cocktails serve as a base for almost every cocktail drink out there. These bases change depending on the flavor profile we want. Currently, there are five known “Mother” cocktails: the Daquiri, the Old-Fashioned, the Daisy, the Highball, and the Martini. For those who don’t have the energy, they can be served as standalone drinks.

But there are days we might need something a little fancier. It may look tiresome to make, but the truth is, all we need to do is to make sure everything from the shaker, the glass, and the ingredients are all chilled. As a toast to Women’s Month 2025, here are some cocktail recipes made by women for women.

Martha Stewart’s Lemon Drop Martini (or the Meyer Lemon Drop)

Hailed as the Queen Homemaker among many moms, it’s no surprise that Martha Stewart has a favorite hidden in her arsenal of cocktail recipes and homemaking. While she’s crafted many drinks on her shows, her favorite is what she calls her twist on the Lemon Drop Martini. It’s for those who are fond of those sweet and sour lemon drop candies.

Sugar, for rim of glass
Powdered yellow food coloring (optional)
Lemon slice, for garnish
¼ cup vodka
1 teaspoon Cointreau
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Lemon Syrup for Lemon Drop

Ina Garten’s Cosmopolitan

As the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten has been famous for truly “cooking for the heart and soul.” She won hearts during the pandemic with a video of her making a giant Cosmopolitan — a cocktail most moms would dream of having just to get through the day. It’s as she says in the video, “It’s always cocktail hour during a crisis!” Let’s be honest, parenting has more crises than calms, which makes this Cosmopolitan a must-drink.

Ingredients

1 cup vodka
1/2 cup triple sec
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Emma Watson’s Emma Spritz

Demonstrating the cocktail recipe on the Ultimate British Taste Test hosted by British Vogue, Emma Watson shares that the recipe was inspired by her grandmother. “My grandmother Freda used to collect elderflower and make elderflower cordial, so it includes elderflower cordial for my grandma. It’s got my dad’s wine in it, and then it’s got my brother and my gin in it,” she reveals in an interview with Vogue UK.

The drink is something she feels truly reflects her. “If you know me, then you know that there are flowers everywhere, all the time.”

Ingredients

1oz/30ml of Renais gin
1oz/30ml of elderflower cordial (or elderflower syrup)
A few drops of Suze
1oz/30ml of lemon juice
A (heavy-handed) splash of Domaine Watson Chablis
7oz/200ml of soda water
A cornflower, to garnish

Ree Drummond’s Oklahoma Prairie Fire

Known as the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drumond recreated a cocktail she enjoyed so much in their family’s “favorite pizza place.” For those wanting something a little spiced and tart, the Oklahoma Prairie Fire is perfect for those days when the meals are a little rich like pizza.

2 oz. mezcal
1 oz. orange juice
1 oz. blood orange juice
1 oz. fresh lime juice, plus 2 lime wedges
1 oz. simple syrup
1/2 oz. grenadine
4 to 6 dashes of orange bitters
Chili powder, for the rim
Kosher salt, for the rim

Queen Elizabeth’s Dubonnet Cocktail

Even the late Queen Elizabeth had a favorite gin, which a former chef of the royal family confirms in an interview. While some may find it strange for one of the most powerful monarchs to prefer a “common” brand of Gin, the queen did need some downtime as well when not upholding the family’s reputation. The cocktail was described to be ” a sharp and slightly sweet martini, best served with a twist of fresh lemon.”

Ingredients

2 parts Dubonnet
1 part London dry gin
1 lemon wedge
2 large ice cubes

These cocktail recipes are a perfect toast for every woman — moms, daughters, titas, and all!

Although these cocktails are not as “hard” as the typical sake, vodka, and absinthe, they at least take the edge off while not giving moms a massive hangover the day after. Because alcohol is also known to dull the senses, some moms aren’t too fond of drinking, especially if they’re the ones driving around. But in case the moms are coming over or we’re not too fond of the available drinks, we at least know how to make some of the good ones should they have the ingredients.