Mimosa – A Beautiful Mess

Since you only need two ingredients for this cocktail, making a Mimosa is fast, easy, and you can make a bunch at once, so they are great for parties and showers. Sweet tangy orange juice paired with the bubbly crisp champagne or sparkling wine, well, it’s the perfect paring with your eggs benedict and croissant and it just wouldn’t be a proper brunch without one.

You can control the sweetness level with the choice of champagne you buy and opting for fresh orange juice will take your Mimosa to the next level.

Related: Peach Bellini, Orange and Coffee Moscow Mule, Orange Mango Margarita, Sparkling Hibiscus Sangria, Cranberry Spritz, French 75

What champagne or sparkling wine is best for Mimosas?

While it’s up to your personal sweetness level, many choose to use a Brut Champagne or Spanish Cava option for Mimosas as the dryness balances well with the sweetness of the orange juice. If you like your drinks a little sweeter, you can opt for Prosecco or something that’s a little less tart.

What is the ratio of champagne to orange juice for Mimosas?

The classic ratio for Mimosas is 50% champagne and 50% orange juice. There are certainly some who prefer more champagne or more orange juice in their glass, so check with your guests to see if they have a ratio preference.

How do you make Mimosas in a batch for a crowd?

If you want Mimosas to be self-serve or to have a pitcher of them handy for refills, rather than pouring them one by one into individual glasses, you can add your whole champagne bottle to a pitcher and gently stir in the orange juice so you have a batch of them ready to go.

Mimosa Ingredients

• Orange Juice: While fresh orange juice is definitely the way to go, you can also use store bought as well in a pinch. Just opt for no pulp versions as you want your Mimosa to be as smooth as possible.
• Champagne (or sparkling wine): The champagne is what gives this bubbly drink its lightness, so opt for your favorite option on the sweetness scale to pair with your OJ.

Mimosas are classically served in a champagne flute (these stemless ones are fun!) as the design shape helps maintain carbonation.

Directions

Fill your champagne flute almost halfway with chilled champagne. Top off the rest of the glass with orange juice and enjoy!

Tips for Making

• If using fresh orange juice, make sure to strain your juice so you get a smooth liquid for your drink.
• Chill both your champagne and orange juice to get the perfect chilled cocktail (don’t add ice to chill it, that will negatively affect how bubbly your drink is).
• If you don’t have champagne flutes, wine glasses are the next best drinkware option.
• When pouring your champagne, let the drink pour down the side of the glass rather than pour it aimed at the bottom of the glass. Pouring it along the inside will help maintain carbonation.
• Add an optional garnish of an orange wedge or strawberry slice to the rim of the glass.

Mimosa Variations

• Grand Mimosa: Add a tablespoon of Grand Marnier to your glass before the other ingredients to enhance the orange flavor in your Mimosa.
• Sherbet Mimosa: Simply add a small scoop of fruity sherbet to the top of your Mimosa and you have a cool and delicious summer treat!
• Strawberry Grapefruit Mimosa: Add grapefruit juice and sliced strawberries in a cocktail shaker. After shaking, let the strawberries flavor the juice for a few hours before pouring into a glass and topping with champagne.
• Lemosa: Use lemonade instead of orange juice for a fresh take on the classic.

Serve these with our favorite brunch items!