diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataQueriesTab.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataQueriesTab.tsx
index f1660b56772..19a1e3af6c5 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataQueriesTab.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataQueriesTab.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ import { addQuery } from 'app/core/utils/query';
 import { getLastUsedDatasourceFromStorage } from 'app/features/dashboard/utils/dashboard';
 import { storeLastUsedDataSourceInLocalStorage } from 'app/features/datasources/components/picker/utils';
 import { dataSource as expressionDatasource } from 'app/features/expressions/ExpressionDatasource';
+import { ExpressionTypeDropdown } from 'app/features/expressions/components/ExpressionTypeDropdown';
+import { ExpressionQueryType } from 'app/features/expressions/types';
+import { getDefaults } from 'app/features/expressions/utils/expressionTypes';
 import { GroupActionComponents } from 'app/features/query/components/QueryActionComponent';
 import { QueryEditorRows } from 'app/features/query/components/QueryEditorRows';
 import { QueryGroupTopSection } from 'app/features/query/components/QueryGroup';
@@ -286,9 +289,15 @@ export class PanelDataQueriesTab extends SceneObjectBase<PanelDataQueriesTabStat
     return (dsSettings.meta.backend || dsSettings.meta.alerting || dsSettings.meta.mixed) === true;
   }
 
-  public onAddExpressionClick = () => {
+  public onAddExpressionOfType = (type: ExpressionQueryType) => {
     const queries = this.getQueries();
-    this.onQueriesChange(addQuery(queries, expressionDatasource.newQuery()));
+    // Create base expression query with the specified type
+    const baseQuery = expressionDatasource.newQuery();
+    const queryWithType = { ...baseQuery, type };
+    // Apply defaults specific to the expression type
+    const queryWithDefaults = getDefaults(queryWithType);
+
+    this.onQueriesChange(addQuery(queries, queryWithDefaults));
   };
 
   public renderExtraActions() {
@@ -316,6 +325,7 @@ export function PanelDataQueriesTabRendered({ model }: SceneComponentProps<Panel
   if (!datasource || !dsSettings || !data) {
     return null;
   }
+
   const showAddButton = !isSharedDashboardQuery(dsSettings.name);
   const onSelectQueryFromLibrary = async (query: DataQuery) => {
     // ensure all queries explicitly define a datasource
@@ -394,16 +404,11 @@ export function PanelDataQueriesTabRendered({ model }: SceneComponentProps<Panel
           </>
         )}
         {config.expressionsEnabled && model.isExpressionsSupported(dsSettings) && (
-          <Button
-            icon="plus"
-            onClick={model.onAddExpressionClick}
-            variant="secondary"
-            data-testid={selectors.components.QueryTab.addExpression}
-          >
-            <span>
+          <ExpressionTypeDropdown handleOnSelect={model.onAddExpressionOfType}>
+            <Button icon="plus" variant="secondary" data-testid={selectors.components.QueryTab.addExpression}>
               <Trans i18nKey="dashboard-scene.panel-data-queries-tab-rendered.expression">Expression&nbsp;</Trans>
-            </span>
-          </Button>
+            </Button>
+          </ExpressionTypeDropdown>
         )}
         {model.renderExtraActions()}
       </Stack>
diff --git a/public/app/features/expressions/ExpressionQueryEditor.tsx b/public/app/features/expressions/ExpressionQueryEditor.tsx
index 75261904c60..b1f07c253bb 100644
--- a/public/app/features/expressions/ExpressionQueryEditor.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/expressions/ExpressionQueryEditor.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
+import { css } from '@emotion/css';
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 
-import { DataSourceApi, QueryEditorProps, SelectableValue } from '@grafana/data';
-import { t } from '@grafana/i18n';
-import { InlineField, Select } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { DataSourceApi, GrafanaTheme2, QueryEditorProps } from '@grafana/data';
+import { t, Trans } from '@grafana/i18n';
+import { Button, IconButton, InlineField, PopoverContent, useStyles2 } from '@grafana/ui';
 
 import { ClassicConditions } from './components/ClassicConditions';
+import { ExpressionTypeDropdown } from './components/ExpressionTypeDropdown';
 import { Math } from './components/Math';
 import { Reduce } from './components/Reduce';
 import { Resample } from './components/Resample';
@@ -20,6 +22,24 @@ const labelWidth = 15;
 type NonClassicExpressionType = Exclude<ExpressionQueryType, ExpressionQueryType.classic>;
 type ExpressionTypeConfigStorage = Partial<Record<NonClassicExpressionType, string>>;
 
+// Help text for each expression type - can be expanded with more detailed content
+const getExpressionHelpText = (type: ExpressionQueryType): PopoverContent | string => {
+  const description = expressionTypes.find(({ value }) => value === type)?.description;
+
+  switch (type) {
+    case ExpressionQueryType.sql:
+      return (
+        <Trans i18nKey="expressions.expression-query-editor.helper-text-sql">
+          Run MySQL-dialect SQL against the tables returned from your data sources. Data source queries (ie "A", "B")
+          are available as tables and referenced by query-name. Fields are available as columns, as returned from the
+          data source.
+        </Trans>
+      );
+    default:
+      return description ?? '';
+  }
+};
+
 function useExpressionsCache() {
   const expressionCache = useRef<ExpressionTypeConfigStorage>({});
 
@@ -62,14 +82,16 @@ export function ExpressionQueryEditor(props: Props) {
   const { query, queries, onRunQuery, onChange, app } = props;
   const { getCachedExpression, setCachedExpression } = useExpressionsCache();
 
+  const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     setCachedExpression(query.type, query.expression);
   }, [query.expression, query.type, setCachedExpression]);
 
   const onSelectExpressionType = useCallback(
-    (item: SelectableValue<ExpressionQueryType>) => {
-      const cachedExpression = getCachedExpression(item.value!);
-      const defaults = getDefaults({ ...query, type: item.value! });
+    (value: ExpressionQueryType) => {
+      const cachedExpression = getCachedExpression(value!);
+      const defaults = getDefaults({ ...query, type: value! });
 
       onChange({ ...defaults, expression: cachedExpression ?? defaults.expression });
     },
@@ -100,17 +122,35 @@ export function ExpressionQueryEditor(props: Props) {
     }
   };
 
-  const selected = expressionTypes.find((o) => o.value === query.type);
+  const helperText = getExpressionHelpText(query.type);
 
   return (
     <div>
-      <InlineField
-        label={t('expressions.expression-query-editor.label-operation', 'Operation')}
-        labelWidth={labelWidth}
-      >
-        <Select options={expressionTypes} value={selected} onChange={onSelectExpressionType} width={25} />
-      </InlineField>
+      <div className={styles.operationRow}>
+        <InlineField
+          label={t('expressions.expression-query-editor.label-operation', 'Operation')}
+          labelWidth={labelWidth}
+        >
+          <ExpressionTypeDropdown handleOnSelect={onSelectExpressionType}>
+            <Button fill="outline" icon="angle-down" iconPlacement="right" variant="secondary">
+              {expressionTypes.find(({ value }) => value === query.type)?.label}
+            </Button>
+          </ExpressionTypeDropdown>
+        </InlineField>
+        {helperText && <IconButton className={styles.infoIcon} name="info-circle" tooltip={helperText} />}
+      </div>
       {renderExpressionType()}
     </div>
   );
 }
+
+const getStyles = (theme: GrafanaTheme2) => ({
+  operationRow: css({
+    display: 'flex',
+    alignItems: 'center',
+    gap: theme.spacing(1),
+  }),
+  infoIcon: css({
+    marginBottom: theme.spacing(0.5), // Align with the select field
+  }),
+});
diff --git a/public/app/features/expressions/components/ExpressionTypeDropdown.tsx b/public/app/features/expressions/components/ExpressionTypeDropdown.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2fc78ba53d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/app/features/expressions/components/ExpressionTypeDropdown.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import { css } from '@emotion/css';
+import { ReactElement, useCallback, useMemo, memo } from 'react';
+
+import { FeatureState, GrafanaTheme2, SelectableValue } from '@grafana/data';
+import { Dropdown, FeatureBadge, Icon, Menu, Tooltip, useStyles2 } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { ExpressionQueryType, expressionTypes } from 'app/features/expressions/types';
+
+const EXPRESSION_ICON_MAP = {
+  [ExpressionQueryType.math]: 'calculator-alt',
+  [ExpressionQueryType.reduce]: 'compress-arrows',
+  [ExpressionQueryType.resample]: 'sync',
+  [ExpressionQueryType.classic]: 'cog',
+  [ExpressionQueryType.threshold]: 'sliders-v-alt',
+  [ExpressionQueryType.sql]: 'database',
+} as const satisfies Record<ExpressionQueryType, string>;
+
+interface ExpressionTypeDropdownProps {
+  children: ReactElement;
+  handleOnSelect: (value: ExpressionQueryType) => void;
+}
+
+interface ExpressionMenuItemProps {
+  item: SelectableValue<ExpressionQueryType>;
+  onSelect: (value: ExpressionQueryType) => void;
+}
+
+const ExpressionMenuItem = memo<ExpressionMenuItemProps>(({ item, onSelect }) => {
+  const { value, label, description } = item;
+  const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
+
+  const handleClick = useCallback(() => onSelect(value!), [value, onSelect]);
+
+  return (
+    <Menu.Item
+      component={() => (
+        <div className={styles.expressionTypeItem} role="menuitem">
+          <div className={styles.expressionTypeItemContent} data-testid={`expression-type-${value}`}>
+            <Icon className={styles.icon} name={EXPRESSION_ICON_MAP[value!]} aria-hidden="true" />
+            {label}
+            {value === ExpressionQueryType.sql && <FeatureBadge featureState={FeatureState.new} />}
+          </div>
+          <Tooltip placement="right" content={description!}>
+            <Icon className={styles.infoIcon} name="info-circle" />
+          </Tooltip>
+        </div>
+      )}
+      key={value}
+      label=""
+      onClick={handleClick}
+    />
+  );
+});
+
+ExpressionMenuItem.displayName = 'ExpressionMenuItem';
+
+export const ExpressionTypeDropdown = memo<ExpressionTypeDropdownProps>(({ handleOnSelect, children }) => {
+  const menuItems = useMemo(
+    () => expressionTypes.map((item) => <ExpressionMenuItem key={item.value} item={item} onSelect={handleOnSelect} />),
+    [handleOnSelect]
+  );
+
+  const menuOverlay = useMemo(() => <Menu role="menu">{menuItems}</Menu>, [menuItems]);
+
+  return (
+    <Dropdown placement="bottom-start" overlay={menuOverlay}>
+      {children}
+    </Dropdown>
+  );
+});
+
+ExpressionTypeDropdown.displayName = 'ExpressionTypeDropdown';
+
+const getStyles = (theme: GrafanaTheme2) => {
+  return {
+    expressionTypeItem: css({
+      width: '100%',
+      display: 'flex',
+      alignItems: 'center',
+      gap: theme.spacing(1),
+    }),
+
+    expressionTypeItemContent: css({
+      flexGrow: 1,
+      display: 'flex',
+      alignItems: 'center',
+      gap: theme.spacing(1),
+    }),
+
+    icon: css({
+      color: theme.colors.text.secondary,
+      flexShrink: 0,
+    }),
+
+    infoIcon: css({
+      opacity: 0.7,
+      color: theme.colors.text.secondary,
+      flexShrink: 0,
+    }),
+  };
+};
diff --git a/public/app/features/expressions/components/SqlExpr.tsx b/public/app/features/expressions/components/SqlExpr.tsx
index 09c43551de4..1f61a558471 100644
--- a/public/app/features/expressions/components/SqlExpr.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/expressions/components/SqlExpr.tsx
@@ -30,12 +30,10 @@ interface Props {
 
 export const SqlExpr = ({ onChange, refIds, query, alerting = false }: Props) => {
   const vars = useMemo(() => refIds.map((v) => v.value!), [refIds]);
-  const initialQuery = `-- Run MySQL-dialect SQL against the tables returned from your data sources.
--- Data source queries (ie "${vars[0]}") are available as tables and referenced by query-name
--- Fields are available as columns, as returned from the data source.
-SELECT *
-FROM ${vars[0]}
-LIMIT 10`;
+  const initialQuery = `SELECT *
+  FROM ${vars[0]}
+  LIMIT 10`;
+
   const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
   const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const [dimensions, setDimensions] = useState({ height: 0 });
diff --git a/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json b/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json
index 7d978590e2c..f13ec825abf 100644
--- a/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json
+++ b/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json
@@ -7209,6 +7209,7 @@
       "when": "WHEN"
     },
     "expression-query-editor": {
+      "helper-text-sql": "Run MySQL-dialect SQL against the tables returned from your data sources. Data source queries (ie \"A\", \"B\") are available as tables and referenced by query-name. Fields are available as columns, as returned from the data source.",
       "label-operation": "Operation"
     },
     "math": {