Easter cocktails

An Easter breakfast lasts a long time and starts early, and that determines the strength more than the flavor. Keep the alcohol content low: bubbles with juice, a spritz with plenty of sparkling water, or a glass of white wine with ice will take you much further in the morning than something short and strong. Work with two or three flavors, not eight. Citrus, elderflower, and mint all work well here and combine easily, so with a bottle of bubbles, a lemon, and a sprig of mint, you already have three different drinks. And prepare everything that can be prepared in advance: syrup, juice, and tea can be ready the night before, so on the day itself you only need to pour.

Put out one jug per flavour instead of pouring for everyone individually; that way, you will not spend the whole morning walking around. A 75 cl bottle makes about nine 8 cl glasses, so three bottles of sparkling wine and one and a half litres of juice will see eight people through breakfast. Put the bottles in a bucket of ice and water, because water conducts cold better than ice alone. Pour the juice and the alcohol-free option from a jug, so everyone can choose their own ratio. Keep one bottle unopened: an opened bottle of sparkling wine noticeably loses its carbonation within an hour.

Outdoors, everything works against you: the sun warms the glass, the wind blows light glasses over and ice melts twice as fast. So choose glasses with a wide foot or a low centre of gravity and place them on a tray instead of directly on the grass. Pour smaller servings than indoors, about 10 cl at a time, so the last little bit does not become lukewarm. Put the jug in the shade or in a tub of water and ice, and cover it if there are blossoms or insects nearby. Stackable glasses are practical here because you can carry them inside all at once.

Children do not need cola to feel included; above all, they want the same glass as everyone else. Dilute a splash of red fruit syrup or some cloudy apple juice with sparkling water, and you will naturally get a soft pink or pale yellow colour without making it too sweet. Add a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint to finish it off. Ready-made recipes can be found under children's cocktails and mocktails. Serve it in the same glass as everyone else; that helps avoid the feeling that they are getting something different. NIX18: under 18, no alcohol.

Not every flower belongs in a glass. Edible and commonly used varieties include violets, marigolds, nasturtiums and leaves from an unsprayed rose. Buy them as edible flowers or pick them from a garden you know has not been sprayed; flowers from a florist are not intended for this. Treat mint differently than you might think: do not crush it, but slap the sprig once against your hand to release the oils, then place it upright in the glass so you smell it with every sip. Only place flowers on the drink at the last moment, otherwise they will sink.

Lamb is fatty and spicy, so it calls for a wine with acidity to cut through it. A fresh rosé or a light white wine with plenty of acidity therefore works better than a heavy, oak-aged wine. Serve it colder than you would a red, around eight to ten degrees, and pour small glasses so the last sip is not lukewarm. Put the bottle back in the cooler in between servings instead of leaving it on the table. Learn more about the different types on rosé wine and white wine.