Categories: Ales

Beermosas: A Delicious Beer Based Brunch Cocktail

Who doesn’t love a boozy brunch? One of my favorite spots in Columbus for a Sunday morning nosh session is Wolf’s Ridge Brewery.

And while they have some awesome breakfast cocktails, I tend to always accompany my Toad in the Hole food order with the classic Beermosa.

As the name suggests, a beermosa is a take on the orange juice-based beverage substituting beer for the champagne.

But can it be as easy as pouring any beer you have on hand into a glass and topping it off with orange juice? Not so fast. I went on a quest to figure out what makes a good beermosa and here’s what I discovered.

For a great tasting beermosa, use a beer which already has citrus notes, such as a wheat beer or a Belgian style ale. Using a beer with hints of citrus is a good signal the orange juice flavor will complement the existing taste.

If you’ve ever ordered a beer that was served with an orange wedge, such as a Blue Moon or Shock Top, that’s a fairly good indication the beer’s profile will work with the juice.

Here’s a list of some of the more widely distributed wheat and Belgian style beers you may find at your local bottle shop or even grocery store.

Recommended Beers for Beermosas

Brewery Ommegang Witte
- Brewed with malted and unmalted wheat and seasoned with coriander and sweet orange peel, Witte pours hazy, smooth and flavorful, with aromas of citrus and clove.
Allagash White
- Spiced with our own special blend of coriander and Curaçao orange peel, Allagash White is both complex and refreshing.
Einstock Icelandic White Ale
- Our Icelandic White Ale features the complex flavors of the classic Belgian Witbier, spiced with the traditional orange peel and coriander; all brewed with pure Icelandic water to deliver a cool smoothness that is flavorful and refreshingly drinkable.
Blue Moon Belgian White
- A wheat beer brewed with orange peel for a subtle sweetness and bright, citrus aroma.
Shock Top Belgian White
- This spiced Belgian-style wheat ale is the pinnacle of refreshment brewed with real orange, lemon and lime peels for a smooth, citrusy finish. The beer that’s always down to chill — and be chilled.
Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale
- CRISP, FRUITY ALE, SMOOTH & CREAMY
Sam Adam’s Summer Ale
- Our blend of orange, lime and lemon peels create a refreshing citrus aroma.

If you plan to purchase your beer from your local brewery, look for words that indicate a citrus taste within the description.

Beermosa Recipe (also known as a Brass Monkey)

This beer cocktail takes no time or complicated steps to make – just pour 2 ingredients into a glass and enjoy. However, the beer to orange juice ratio is something to pay attention to.

Like my mimosas with just a splash of orange juice so the cocktail maintains its bubbly carbonation.

And so it is the same with beermosas – I like to keep it from getting too heavy by limiting the orange juice to beer ratio to between 1:2 or 1:3.

Many recipes advocate a half beer half juice split, which I think is way too heavy and it makes it hard to appreciate the flavor of the beer. At this point, you might as well just drink straight orange juice.

If you prefer it, use fresh squeezed orange juice. But from the carton works fine, too, if you’re lazy like me. I also find pulp-free easier to drink but use whatever you prefer.

While wheat and Belgian style ales make delicious beermosas, don’t be afraid to branch out to other styles. Many IPAs carry citrus notes. And if you love chocolate covered oranges, maybe try a rich stout?

Next time you have brunch, consider a beermosa instead of the traditional mimosa.