Edna's Lunchbox Is The Hybrid Beer Drink You Should Know About
Cocktail connoisseurs have met their fair share of orange juice mixed drinks. No Saturday morning is complete without a mimosa or a Tequila Sunrise, and Hurricanes make an oh-so-smooth transition straight into the evening. Beer-based drinks have their moments to shine, too. Try eating street tacos with a tall lemonade Shandy and see what we mean. But, what do a Harvey Wallbanger and a Michelada have in common? Not much ... right? Think again. The Edna's Lunchbox is the proverbial bridge over troubled water that beer and OJ cocktails fans have been thirsting for, whether they realized it or not.
The Edna's Lunchbox is a shot of amaretto, some freshly-squeezed orange juice, and half a bottle of a light beer such as Coors Light, stirred in a frosty pint glass. The ice-cold container is essential; pop one in the freezer for at least an hour to chill. The orange wheel garnish is optional but adds a nice colorful touch.
This drink is about as low-maintenance as they come, and orange juice from a carton will work just fine, too. The amaretto adds all the sophistication and almond-sweet flair that this cocktail needs. It's similar to the Screwdriver-adjacent Bocce Ball cocktail, made with orange juice and amaretto, sometimes with a shot of vodka. But, unlike the Bocce Ball, the Lunchbox isn't meant for sipping — it's meant to be ripped all at once like a shot.
OJ, Coors, and amaretto are the local lifeblood
This hybrid beer drink phenomenon all started at Edna's in Oklahoma City, the eponymous bar from which the cocktail gets its name. According to the lore, the drink was created by accident — founder Edna Scott created the Lunchbox while trying to make a different drink entirely. Edna's has been cranking out Lunchboxes ever since their conception in the late '90s, reportedly selling nearly 3 million Lunchbox cocktails as of December 29, 2022.
Edna's is a spot for locals, a neighborhood fixture with dollar bills stapled to the walls in classic dive fashion. Fittingly, the bar and its synonymous drink have accrued a local cult following about Oklahoma City barflies. The Lunchbox is super refreshing on a hot southern summer day — and it's open to variations, too, so it never gets boring.
Today, the bar is run by Edna's daughter Tammy Lucas, and the menu features at least 12 different versions of the Lunchbox, each swapping out the OJ for different juices. The Docbox uses cranberry juice, Tootsie Roll Box uses crème de cacao, and the Mauibox uses pineapple juice. Feel free to follow Tammy's lead and get creative with your beer-based bevvy.