Edna's Lunchbox Drink

By
Catherine McCord
Catherine McCord
Catherine McCord
Catherine McCord is an accomplished chef, author, businesswoman, and media personality. She focuses on healthy foods for families.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/5/22
Orange juice with peeled and sliced fruit

Lumina Images/Getty Images
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
251 Calories
1g Fat
36g Carbs
2g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 251
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 12mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 28g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 103mg 515%
Calcium 35mg 3%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 448mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Contrary to what its name might indicate, the lunchbox isn't a drink that can be made from ingredients you'd keep in a lunch box, per se. It's a beer-based cocktail that's named for the bar owned by Edna Scott in Oklahoma City that serves it. The drink was invented in the late 1990s as a bit of a happy accident, and garnered such an enthusiastic cult following that they literally could not make fast enough. The fact that it's meant to be downed, as a shot, speeds up the process of consumption.

So what's with all the buzz? The lunchbox is equal parts beer and orange juice, plus amaretto. It's super easy and quick to mix up, and may just be your new favorite go-to cocktail. But enthusiasts stress that one of the key components to replicating the drink's taste is to serve it in a beer mug that's spent a good amount of time in the freezer. It gives the drink the proper chill.

Granted, it seems like an unusual combination of ingredients that make up this cocktail with an equally unusual name. Perhaps that makes you skeptical right off the bat, but shandies and micheladas are popular beer-based drinks. So, why not the lunchbox?, Don't knock it 'til you've tried it—just ask Jimmy Fallon, who tried it on his television show.

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces chilled orange juice

  • 6 ounces chilled light beer

  • 1 ounce amaretto

  • 1 orange slice, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1.  Combine the orange juice, beer, and amaretto. Stir well.

  2. Garnish with an orange slice and serve in a frosted mug.

Tips

This cocktail is great with breakfast or brunch; think of it as a much more laid-back version of a mimosa. Serve it alongside some scrambled eggs and bacon.


With cocktails that contain juice, the rule of thumb is often to favor the use of freshly squeezed juices. In the case of the lunchbox, economy and efficiency are the way to go. Using orange juice from a carton is perfectly acceptable—and encouraged.


Variations

Over the years, the bartenders at Edna's, which is now run by her daughter Tammy Lucas, have crafted many other iterations. Here are a few.

  • The doc box comes with cranberry juice (the Docbox) instead of orange juice.
  • There's a chocolaty version with crème de cacao, known as the Tootsie Roll box.
  • The Mauibox swaps pineapple juice for the orange juice.
  • There's even a brightly hued version called the Fruit Roll Up, with Midori melon liqueur and cranberry.
  • If you're feeling bold and spicy, the great balls of fire variation, made with cranberry juice and fireball whiskey, will wake up your palate.