How to Make the Perfect Mimosa
Perfect Mimosa Recipe – Learn how easy it is to make the BEST mimosas for brunch, holidays, or any occasion! You only need the right combination of sparkling wine and juice to make a large pitcher. Or set up a fabulous mimosa bar with fun garnishes!
Why We Love This Perfect Mimosa Recipe
Well, we love mimosas, so of course, we had to share our favorite no-fail recipe with you! If you’re not familiar, a Mimosa is a classic celebratory cocktail that’s often served at breakfast or brunch. It’s a simple combination of only fresh fruit juice and sparkling wine, but when made properly, the taste is absolutely exquisite!
The “proper” proportions for a perfect mimosa vary quite a bit when you look at recipes. However, we feel the juice-to-champagne ratio should be approximately 1:1 for the best flavor. You still get the bright, perky, bubbly quality of the Champagne, yet the mimosas are a little sweeter and more fruit-forward. Plus, mixing half and half makes it super easy!
Today, we’re showing you two methods to set up mimosas for brunch, breakfasts, wedding showers, Easter, Mother’s Day, or any special occasion… You can make a full pitcher of mimosas, or set up a mimosa bar with bottles of dry sparkling wine, a variety of different juices, and garnishes. Then instruct your attendees to mix half-and-half juice and champagne, garnish, and enjoy!
Ingredients You Need
- Dry champagne – or other dry sparkling white or rosé wine
- Juice – orange juice without pulp, or other pulp-free fruit juices
- Garnishes – orange slices, lemon slices, or fresh berries to compliment your choice of juice
You can also add “floaters” AKA a bit of liquid poured into each glass for an extra kick. We have some fabulous suggestions below for different varieties of mimosas to make with grenadine (nonalcoholic), Grand Marnier, and schnapps.
How to Make a Large Batch of Mimosas
- Set out a large glass pitcher.
- Pour the juice into the pitcher. Then slowly pour in the chilled sparkling wine. Stir well.
- Then garnish several champagne flutes (or juice glasses) with a fresh fruit. Fill each glass with the Mimosa and serve!
Get the Complete (Printable) Perfect Mimosa Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
How to Set Up a Mimosa Bar
Want to impress guests while also taking some work off of yourself? A mimosa bar is the perfect way to host a brunch with some fancy and fun flair!
First, choose what kinds of juices and extra goodies you plan to offer. (We’ve got some great ideas for different types of mimosas to make below!) Keep things simple with classic fresh orange juice and sparkling wine mimosas, with fresh orange slices to the side for guests to add their own garnishes. Or use other fruit juices and include a variety of garnishes, like:
- Whole strawberries
- Slices of grapefruit
- Cranberries
- Blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries
- Slices of pineapple
- Sprigs of fresh herbs like rosemary or mint
- Blood oranges slices
Once you’re ready to serve: Place the champagne bottle in one ice bucket, and a pitcher/bottle of fresh juice in another ice bucket. Or you can set up multiple types of sparkling wine and fresh juices to make the mimosa bar more exciting!
Prep berries, citrus slices, and herbs for mimosa garnishes. Place them in small dishes.
Set out mimosa glasses, i.e., champagne flutes, and line everything up in the proper order for assembly. Then let party guests make up their own brunch cocktails with the perfect ratio of 1:1.
Different Types of Mimosas
There are SO mimosa variations you can prepare with different types of juices. A classic mimosa recipe blends orange juice with dry champagne. However, feel free to use any fruit juice you like and any sparkling wine you like as well – Including sweeter varieties like Prosecco or sparkling rosé.
Here are a few other favorite combinations to try:
- Poinsettia – like we’ve shown here, with cranberry juice
- Lemosa – use sweet and tangy lemonade
- Bellini – swap OJ with peach puree
- Megmosa – made with grapefruit juice
- Vermosa – a delightful fall version with apple cider
- Soleil – more of a summer tropical drink with pineapple juice
- Pomegranate – use pomegranate juice for a nice tart taste
- Sunrise – add a splash of grenadine to the filled glass for a lovely orange-to-red ombre look
- Grand mimosa – swap regular fruit juice with Grand Marnier or Cointreau orange liqueur, Chambord liqueur with berry flavors, or other fruity schnapps for a stronger drink
Frequently Asked Questions
A champagne flute or white wine glass are best because they have a nice long stem to hold. This keeps your warm hand away from the chilled mimosa. Plus… Don’t mimosas just look extra fancy and fun in a fluted or long-stem glass? We think so!
A dry brut or extra dry champagne is traditional to balance the sweetness of the orange juice. However, for a less expensive yet equally tasty mimosa, we suggest using a drier sparkling wine.
For a sweeter drink, use your favorite Prosecco, a Cava, or an aged Chardonnay blend made with a similar aging method as a true French Champagne.
I recommend adding sparkling wine to the pitcher of orange juice just before you plan to serve. This keeps the bubbles nice and, well, bubbly!
Looking for More Delicious Drink Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Champagne Brunch
- Mojito Pitcher Recipe
- Sparkling White Sangria
- Limoncello Spritz
- Kir Royale Cocktail
How to Make a Perfect Mimosa
Ingredients
- 750 ml bottle cold dry champagne or another sparkling wine
- 3 ¼ cups cold orange juice or any juice variety
- Optional Garnish: Orange slice lemon slice, fresh berries
Instructions
Large Batch Method –
- Set out a large glass pitcher.
- Pour the chilled champagne and juice into the pitcher. Stir well.
- Then garnish several champagne flutes (or juice glasses) with a fresh fruit garnish.
- Fill each glass with the Mimosa and serve!
Mimosa Bar Method –
- Set out ice buckets for the bottles of sparkling wine and juice. Place the champagne bottle in an ice bucket and a pitcher/bottle of fresh juice in another ice bucket. (You can set up multiple types of sparkling wine and fresh juices to make the mimosa bar more exciting!)
- Prep berries and citrus slices for mimosa garnishes. Place them in small dishes.
- Set out mimosa glasses, i.e. champagne flutes. Line everything up in the proper order for assembly, and serve!
Oh boy do I love a mimosa! We love making the classic orange juice ones, but now I’m excited to try a pomegranate mimosa! Thank you for this easy recipe!
This pitcher makes the perfect mimosas! The ratio is spot-on. I come back to this recipe time and time again!
This recipe was just perfect for my holiday celebrations! Looking forward to making it again for a little New Year’s Eve party!