12 On-Trend Butter Yellow Cocktails to Make This Year

The best way to get in on the “butter yellow” trend? By drinking it in cocktail form, of course. [...] Read More... The post 12 On-Trend Butter Yellow Cocktails to Make This Year appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

May 13, 2025 - 19:46

“Butter yellow” is everywhere. The warm pastel is popping up all over the place, from fashion runways to kitchen appliance shelves. It is so hot right now Vogue called it the “it” shade of this spring and KitchenAid dubbed it the “color of the year.”

We’ve been enjoying butter yellow the most, however, in cocktail form. Some of our current favorite cocktails showcase that soft, rich yellow hue, from the smoky-sweet Penicillin to the retro Harvey Wallbanger.

Since melted butter isn’t so pleasant to drink on its own, we’ve rounded up 12 on-trend butter yellow cocktails so you can enjoy consuming the color for yourself.

Four fizzy yellow drinks against a blurry-lit background — Photo by Meg Baggott

County Cork Sparkling Cocktail

Lightly effervescent thanks to Cava, this refreshing Irish whiskey cocktail features yellow Chartreuse and a touch of honey. The County Cork Sparkling Cocktail was invented by sommelier and bartender Caitlin Corcoran, who says, “This cocktail is interesting because it’s not super apparent that the whiskey’s there. It’s more of a floral note, and the yellow Chartreuse adds some really nice botanicals and herbaceousness.”

Yellow Bell Pepper Mary

There are seemingly infinite Bloody Mary variations, but the brightest one is the Yellow Bell Pepper Mary, a savory-sweet delight. Yellow bell pepper juice isn’t the only yellow component, either—the cocktail also includes yellow beet juice, yellow tomato juice, pineapple juice and mango nectar.

Classic Queens Cocktail — Photography by Robert Bredvad, Styling Mallory Lance

Change at Jamaica

Rum, espresso bourbon, Montenegro amaro and velvet falernum give this bracing, caffeinated cocktail lots of bold flavor. To make the espresso bourbon for the Change at Jamaica, combine 100 grams (2/3 cup) crushed (not ground) coffee beans and 1 liter bourbon. Cover and let sit for two to three weeks in a cool, dry place, then strain through a coffee filter.

Yellow drink with a lemon rind in a rocks glass on a wooden table — Photo courtesy Panzano

Gingerman

Spicy ginger and sweet orange liqueur are the perfect duo in the Gingerman, a Prosecco cocktail with pizazz. Mandarinetto, a mandarin orange liqueur from the Amalfi Coast, is like Limoncello’s more interesting cousin.

Harvey Wallbanger

The Harvey Wallbanger is like a grown-up screwdriver, with the Italian liqueur Galliano joining the orange juice-and-vodka party. The retro cocktail is currently having a moment on bar menus around the country.

Black-Eyed Susan

The official cocktail of the Triple Crown’s Preakness Stakes is a cheerful, sunny vodka drink that can be made with orange or pineapple juice or with rye as the starring liquor. The Black-Eyed Susan pays homage to the Maryland state flower of the same name.

The Penicillin

Inspired in part by the Gold Rush, a whiskey sour variation that contains honey syrup, the Penicillin is smoky, sweet, spicy perfection. A quarter-ounce of peated Scotch offers just the right amount of smoke.

The Detox

For a butter yellow mocktail, you can’t go wrong with the Detox, a refreshing blend of pineapple, celery and lime juices with a touch of sea salt and agave syrup. Of course, feel free to booze it up with an ounce of gin or tequila, if you prefer.

French 75

Crafted with a base of gin with lemon and simple syrup and topped with generous amounts of bubbly Champagne, the easy-drinking French 75 is equally enjoyable for leisurely weekend brunches or as a Parisian-inspired, pre-dinner apéritif.

Death in the Afternoon

Thank Ernest Hemingway for the flaxen Death in the Afternoon cocktail. A simple mix of absinthe and chilled Champagne, this bubbly brew was supposedly created in 1932 and shares the name of the author’s book that was also released that year.

Action shot of pouring white soda into a glass with two scoops of slush mixture in it. Include ingredients in the same shot and shoot at eyelevel — Photography by Ali Redmond

Brandy Slush

While the brandy old fashioned might be Wisconsin’s unofficial state cocktail, the brandy slush is the state’s year-round party drink. Made with a mix of brandy, sugar, water, tea and a combination of juice concentrates (orange juice and lemonade), this easy-to-make recipe doesn’t require a frozen drinks machine.

Light yellow cocktail with a vanilla bean and key lime slice garnish — Photo by Tom Arena

The Florida Man

Made with Graham cracker-steeped milk, Cognac and lots of fresh citrus, the Florida Man is a Key lime pie-meets-milk punch cocktail with lots of personality. “When you order a milk punch, don’t shy away if it lists obscure spirits or ingredients that don’t usually go together,” says the drink’s inventor, Drew Hairston. “The technique can create new and interesting flavor profiles that aren’t possible otherwise.”