Mimosa is a simple, elegant crowd pleaser that somehow manages to go perfectly with anything from weddings, to Saturday brunches, to in-flight drinks, to just lounging on the patio with your dog. It’s equal parts refreshing and fancy, pretty much the best start to a warm spring day.
This post may contain affiliate links. This post is meant for those of legal drinking age.
What is mimosa ?
The exact recipe for mimosa will vary according to taste, but I’ve seen that the best version is actually a 1:1 ratio of sparkling wine (or prosecco) and orange juice. I’ve seen mimosas with store-bought and freshly squeezed orange juice and there is a difference, one I’ve also re-tried when I made this drink.
Mimosa
Ingredients
- 1 bottle prosecco 750ml
- 750 ml orange juice preferably freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Build in a champagne flute, starting with the prosecco filled halfway.
- Top with the orange juice, taste and adjust.
- No stirring required, just build and serve !
Notes
- The orange juice you use is key here. Freshly squeezed orange juice takes time but makes a mimosa that much better.
- If you want to spruce it up, consider adding 1 oz of curacao/triple sec/Cointreau per flute, or your favorite orange liqueur (I prefer triple sec).
- To make just one mimosa, you need 3 oz prosecco to 3 oz orange juice.
When is this drink best ?
Mimosas honestly go great with everything. There is no wrong time for a mimosa, if you ask me. The orange and sparkling wine go great with the cold season since everything feels so festive and no one is very serious. The warm season also brings out the fun in most people and a mimosa is a great way to get a good vibe going.
Also I feel there’s no wrong time of day either. Mid-morning mimosas on a Friday off ? Sunday evening mimosas ? Mid-afternoon mimosa waiting for your food to arrive ? All of these sound just fine.
I’ve seen mimosas served at the office Christmas party twice, once at a cabin in a woodsy setting, and once in an upscale downtown lounge. I’ve seen mimosas at weddings, and I’ve had mimosas with my husband on a lazy Saturday morning making homemade pizza.
My thoughts on mimosa
Can you tell I love them ? They’re refreshing due to the orange juice, and the sparkling wine gives you a nice buzz without taking it too far. You can dress mimosas down or up, depending on how you’re feeling, and still get a good drink.
The orange is not overpowering, but does make this a very easy to drink cocktail. So it could be easy to go overboard with these, though you’d need 4-5 to really start to embarrass yourself.
All that being said, I do like to add a shot of triple sec to my mimosa sometimes, not necessarily for the added alcohol but to round out the flavor. I feel like the extra sweetness and orange from the triple sec brings it home for me. But that’s just me, I like my flavors pretty strong, so if you’d like to keep your mimosas lighter in flavor you can skip the triple sec.
If you like mimosa, you might also like…
Hugo – a refreshing mix of sparkling wine, mint, and elderflower.
Screwdriver – one of the basics, vodka and orange juice.
Aperol Spritz – Aperol, champagne, and sparkling water
Brass Monkey – a Screwdriver with added dark rum
Notes, substitutes, and tips
Freshly squeezed orange juice really elevates a mimosa. Indeed it takes time and you’re going to have a messy kitchen while you’re doing this, but it makes all the difference. It may not be as sweet as store-bought, but the fruity note of a fresh orange is really hard to compete with.
You need about 3.5 lbs/1.6 kg of oranges to get the 750ml of fresh orange juice. That’s about 12 medium oranges.
If you’re worried about pulp from your fresh oranges, strain the orange juice before pouring into the flutes.
Dry sparkling wine or prosecco work best in a mimosa, but if sweetness is an issue consider getting sweet or semi-sweet.
