This classic mimosa recipe is made with bubbly sparkling wine instead of expensive champagne, adding one more reason to toast “cheers” to lazy weekend brunches or any special occasion.
The Ultimate Brunch Cocktail? I Think So!
There’s no better way to say “cheers” than with a little bubbly spiked with a dash of something sweet. Bubbly and fizzy, light and bright, a classic mimosa is the ultimate brunch cocktail for adding festive flair to any celebratory occasion.
It’s the perfect companion to a quiche Lorraine, bagel brunch, or eggs benedict. I make my mimosa recipe with crisp, sparkling wine instead of expensive champagne, making the cha-ching of dollars dropping into your hand one more reason to toast “cheers!”
My family and I visited where legend has it the mimosa was created, at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, so naturally I imbibed and took notes on how to make the perfect cocktail.
Heidi’s Tips for the Perfect Mimosa
- If you’re of the adventure-seeking type, mix and match flavors by using peach nectar (to create a bellini), pomegranate juice, mango juice, pineapple juice, or cranberry cocktail as I did in my DIY Mimosa Bar.
- Because this classic brunch cocktail is served without ice, be sure to use chilled sparkling wine and cold orange juice. (I try to chill the sparkling wine for at least 3 hours before serving.)
- Never stir a mimosa! Stirring disrupts the bubbles in the champagne and makes them go flat.
You Need Just These 2 Ingredients …
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
The list of mimosa ingredients is short and sweet:
- Champagne
- Orange juice
Heidi’s Tip: Authentic champagne comes from grapes grown only in the Champagne region of France, making it so other regions can’t call their sparkling wines “champagne.” It’s expensive, and because mimosas are a blend, I suggest you save the champs for celebrations on their own and use a less spendy sparkling wine instead.
How to Make Mimosas at Home
Heidi’s Tip: You can add the juice either before the sparkling wine or after, but either way be careful of it overflowing! (Which in my experience means 1 out of 5 glasses likely will 😅)
- Pour the orange juice into a champagne flute, then top it off with sparkling wine.
- Once the bubbles have subsided, top off your glass with more sparkling wine as desired.
- Serve your homemade mimosas as is, or garnish with your favorite fruits, berries, or herbs.
My Preferred Mimosa Ratio
Mimosas should never taste overly sweet, so I like to use the ratio of ⅓ juice to ⅔ sparkling wine, or about 2 ounces of orange juice per drink.
Delicious Garnishes to Try
Leave the mimosa as is or garnish with fresh fruits like:
- pomegranate seeds
- raspberries
- blueberries
- strawberries
- blackberries
- fresh herbs like mint, basil, rosemary sprigs
- orange slices
- pineapple wedges
- kiwi rounds
FAQs
Choose a dry or semi-dry sparkling wine from California, Oregon, or Washington at about $12-15 a bottle.
A Spanish Cava or Italian Prosecco are also fine choices. The dryer wine balances out the sweetness of the juices making mimosas more drinkable.
If you want to flaunt and impress with champagne, choose a dry Brut.
For every 750 ml bottle of sparkling wine, plan on getting 6-8 mimosas.
I like to use a pulp-free, high-quality orange juice and make sure it’s chilled. (Fresh orange juice is best, but a good quality store brand also works great.)
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Perfect Mimosa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 750 ml bottle of chilled sparkling wine, Cava or Prosecco , (makes about 8 mimosas)*
- 16-20 ounces pulp-free orange juice , (2 ounces per drink)
Instructions
- Open the bottle of sparkling wine.
- Pour 2 ounces of orange juice into a champagne flute then slowly add the champagne until the glass is full. Once the bubbles have gone down a bit, add more champagne as desired. Do not stir.
- Garnish with fresh fruit if desired. Cheers!
Notes
Nutrition
Cocktail Variations To Try
- For even more orange flavor, add a dash of Grand Marnier or Cointreau
- For a hint of raspberry, add a dash of Chambord
- Elderflower syrup would lend a lovely floral note to your mimosa
- Grapefruit juice or blood orange juice are excellent alternatives to regular navel orange juice
- Fresh strawberry purée would also be tasty instead of juice
More Champagne Drinks to Brunch With
My Favorite Glasses for Mimosas
The narrow top of a champagne flute provides less surface area to keep the wine’s bubbles going strong and the carbonation bubbling. The narrow top also brings the drink’s aroma closer to the nose.
From stemmed to stemless, I have quite the collection of champagne flutes. Most flutes you’ll find come in 8 to 9-ounce sizes, with plenty of space for bubbles to rise, fall, and sip, including:
- These basic champagne flutes are sturdy and you won’t feel bad if someone accidentally breaks (shown above).
- I love my modern-looking stemmed beauties I used for my version of the French 75 Champagne cocktail.
- I probably use these stemless flutes most often (plus they’re cheap).
- Or, if you don’t have a set to show off, these plastic champagne flutes will do the trick. Avoid the plastic flutes that come in two pieces and attach the base—they never stay on.
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Pat
Thanks, I am visiting my daughter in Chicago for Easter and she wants to bring the mimosa fixings. Your suggestions and visuals helped.
What a great way to spread the love, and the mimosas! Thanks Pat!
ty
ty
YW Deborah :)
John
Good column, except for the mention of Prosecco. Typically Prosecco is way too sweet for a proper mimosa. An excellent twist would be to substitute a Dry Cider instead of Champagne or Sparkling white. Definitely go for the drier options. My two cents.
Jeanette
I love a splash of Chambord in my mimosa
John
This is the classic Mimosa. Most other recipes I’ve seen call for Grand Marnier. Whats your take on that?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I do prefer this classic recipe.