The Best Mimosa (Plus Tips & Variations!) (2024)

49 Comments

Who wants a mimosa?! My answer is yes, always. Mimosas are supremely simple bubbly co*cktails made with sparkling wine and orange juice. They’re light, fizzy and easy to sip.

I love ordering mimosas at weekend brunch, and serving them to family and friends on holidays—Easter, Mother’s Day, July 4th, Christmas, you name it. Mimosas liven up wedding showers and baby showers. I bring mimosa supplies to football watch parties, and no one complains.

I’ve shared a few variations on mimosas over the years. Today, I’m going to share everything you’ve ever wanted to know about mimosas, plus a basic mimosa recipe and variations.

If you haven’t poured your first mimosa yet, you’ll be a mimosa expert by the end of this post! If you’re a seasoned mimosa drinker, I think you’ll find some new tips here, too.

Mimosa Ingredients

Classic mimosas require just two ingredients: dry sparkling wine, and orange juice. Some recipes will tell you to add Cointreau or orange liqueur. Don’t listen to them!

Sparkling Wine

The best Champagne for mimosas isn’t actually Champagne. For mimosas, opt for less-expensive Cava or Prosecco. Cava is from Spain and Prosecco is from Italy, but they’re both delicious dry sparkling wines that mix well with juice.

Bonus? They’re affordable. A good bottle of Cava or Prosecco will run about $12 to $16. Avoid super cheap sparkling wine (cough, André), unless you want a headache with your mimosas. Don’t waste your pricy bottle of Champagne on mimosas, since we’re diluting those delicate notes with orange juice.

My go-to sparkling wine for mimosas is Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava. It comes in a striking black bottle with gold writing on the label, and generally costs about $12.

Orange Juice

Cold, fresh orange juice is best for mimosas. If you’re buying orange juice at the store, opt for high-quality, not from concentrate, pulp-free orange juice. I don’t mind pulp when I’m sipping orange juice on its own, but the pulp makes a mess when it mixes with bubbly.

If you want to juice your own oranges, juice them in advance so you can chill the juice before using. If you see any pulp floating around, strain the orange juice before chilling. Any member of the orange family will yield delicious juice for mimosas, from navel oranges to blood oranges to clementines.

Mimosa Ratio

The perfect ratio of sparkling wine to orange juice is up to you. My suggestion? Start with the 50/50 ratio suggested below and adjust from there.

I make my mimosas with 2 parts sparkling wine and 1 part orange juice—they’re light, fizzy, and pack a punch. That’s how we made them when I was a bartender.

If you like sweeter, more juicy mimosas, start with a 50/50 ratio and add more orange juice if desired. After some delicious experimentation, you’ll know exactly how you like your mimosas!

How to Make the Best Mimosa

• Start with cold ingredients, and keep them chilled. Warm mimosas are not nearly as refreshing.
• Serve mimosas in Champagne flutes. Their tall design helps retain bubbles. If you don’t have those, use wine glasses.
• Pour in the sparkling wine first. Otherwise, the wine/orange juice mixture might overflow and make a mess.
• When pouring the wine, hold your glass at a slight tilt (like you would when pouring beer) to preserve carbonation.
• Don’t stir your mimosas! The pouring action alone will mix your drink, and stirring them will release more bubbles.
• To garnish or not to garnish? I like my mimosas as simple as possible, so I don’t garnish my drinks. You could, however, dress up the rims of your glasses with an orange twist or a cute little orange wedge, like Ali does here.

Watch How to Make Mimosas

Easy Mimosa Variations

Basic mimosas are made with orange juice, and there’s nothing wrong with a good thing. If you want to change them up, though, choose any of the following juices instead!

• Cranberry juice (“Poinsettia”)
• Grapefruit juice (“Megmosa”)
• Peach purée (“Bellini“)
• Pineapple juice
• Pear nectar
• Pomegranate juice
• Apple cider
• Watermelon juice

How to Make a Mimosa Bar

Since mimosas are so simple, offer a mimosa bar where your guests can combine chilled sparkling wine and juice in their own glasses. To make it even more fun, you could provide orange juice and any of the juices listed above so guests can mix and match.

Mimosa Pitchers

You could pre-mix mimosas in a pitcher. Just combine equal parts sparkling wine and juice. The downside is that you’ll lose some carbonation in the process, so mix them just before the party and store the pitcher in the refrigerator until guests arrive.

Please let me know how your mimosas turn out in the comments! I hope my mimosa tips yield the best mimosa you’ve ever had.

Print