The BEST Mimosa Recipe (2024)

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Learn how to make mimosas with this classic mimosa recipe. Plus, tips on how to customize your drinks (including a non-alcoholic mimosas option) and make pitcher mimosas for a crowd.

Alright, I couldn’t send you off into the biggest brunch weekend of the year without one more recipe to add to your spread. And a special bubbly one at that. Because after years of sharing variations on this classic brunch co*cktail (here’s lookin’ at you, Mimosa Sangria, Tequila Sunrise Mimosas and Tropical Mimosa Smoothies), it has come to my attention that this site has been missing a recipe fortheoriginal2-ingredient recipe:

Classic mimosas.

I’ve been a big fan of them for years. But I’ve gottasay that our mimosa game has been kicked up adelicious notch since moving to the land of cava itself, where you can purchase a fantastic bottle of bubbly at any little convenience store for less than 10€. (Yep, take away all of those export fees, and high-quality wine is crazy and wonderfully cheap here.) Spain definitely loves its cava. And, we’ve found, its mimosas. Whichthis brunch-loving expat considers a total win-win.

That said, wherever in the world you may find yourself, I feel like we could all do with a bubbly celebratory co*cktail this weekend. So today, I have a bunch of tips for you for how to make the best mimosas quickly, affordably, creatively, and — most importantly —deliciously.

So grab a bottle of bubbly, and let’s make a round!

How To Make Mimosas | 1-Minute Video

Mimosa Ingredients:

The classic mimosa recipe calls for two simple ingredients:

1. Dry Sparkling Wine:In my opinion, dry or semi-dry sparkling wines work best when it comes to wine for mimosas, in order to balance out the sweetness of the orange juice. I prefer sparkling wines from Spain (Cava), Italy (Prosecco) or the United States, since they are usually much more affordable than their French (Champagne) counterparts. And since we will be mixing the wine with a strong fruit juice, there’s no need to splurge on a fancy bottle of sparkling wine for mimosas. A mid- to lower-priced bottle will work great!
2. Orange Juice:You definitely want to use freshly-squeezed or store-bought 100% orange juice for mimosas, preferably pulp-free so that it does not tangle with the bubbles.

That said, if you want to have fun and customize your mimosas a bit, here are a few of my favorite add-ins:

• St. Germain:Ilove adding in a little splash of elderflower liqueur to my mimosas. It adds a very subtle depth of flavor (and extra kick) that friends always comment on and love.
• Grenadine:A little splash willgive your mimosas a lovely gradient “sunrise” effect.
• Orange Liqueur:If you want to kick your drinks up a notch without straying from the orange flavor, feel free to add in some Cointreau or Grand Marnier.
• Rose Water or Orange Blossom Water:These non-alcoholic add-ins can add a lovely floral note toyour mimosas.
• Fresh Herbs:A sprig of fresh sage or lavender or rosemary can also add a lovely herby note to your mimosas.

Or, of course, if you want to completelychange up your mimosas, you can make them with various other kinds of fruit juices (cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, pomegranate juice, etc.) or mix in other alcohols (tequila, gin, vodka, etc.). But technically, that has us straying into completely different co*cktails. I’ll keep things to the basics orange juice and sparkling wine combo for this post. :)

Mimosa Glasses:

Alright, to begin,let’s talk glasses.

Since sparkling wine is involved, mimosas are traditionally served in champagne flutes, which helpsto preserve the bubbles and dry taste of the wine. You can go with the classic stemmed glasses, or stemless glasses. Or if you don’t have any champagne flutes at home, any glasses with a narrow opening (such as white wine glasses) will work well too.

Here are a few I recommend (affiliate links):

• Classic Champagne Flutes: most affordable, higher-quality
• Stemless Champagne Flutes:most affordable,higher-quality
• ModernChampagne Flutes:love these, these, and these
• Recyclable Plastic Champagne Flutes (for a party): these

Gather your glasses and have them ready to go before serving. (And if you really want to impress your guests, pop them in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving so that the glasses are nice and chilled.) Then gather your ingredients, and let’s get to mixing!

How To Make Mimosas:

Alright, once your glasses and ingredients are all chilled and ready to go, it’s time to mix!

Simply tip your champagne flutes at an angle and pour your desired amount of sparkling wine, careful not to let it fizz and foam too much on top. (We want to preserve those bubbles!) Then top with orange juice. Garnish your glass with a little orange slice, if you would like, and serve!

How To Make A Mimosa Pitcher For A Crowd:

Or, if you would prefer to make a largepitcher of mimosas for a crowd, simply repeat those steps in a large glass pitcher. Add the sparkling wine and orange juice. Then pop it in the fridge for up to 10 minutes before serving. Pour…and serve!

Granted, anytime you stir or transfer sparkling wine between glasses, you will lose a significant portion of the bubbles. So the pitcher method will not be quite as fizzy. But if you’re looking to save a step while entertaining, the pitcher methodis a great option.

Sparkling Wine to Orange Juice Ratio

This is always the big question with mimosas, and the answer is simple: it’s totally up to you!

I prefer my mimosas to not be overly sweet, so I’ve alwaysopted for 2 parts sparkling wine and 1 part orange juice. But the classic ratio calls for 1 part sparkling wine and 1 part orange juice. So feel free to experiment and go with whatever sounds best to you and your guests! The beauty of pouring individual servings is that you can easily customize each drink to taste.

Mimosa FAQ:

Why add the sparkling wine first?Thiswill help preserve some of the bubbles (especially if you pour the wine slowly with minimal foam). And — more importantly in my book — it will avoid that sticky mess that can sometimes happen if you pour champagne on top of the orange juice and accidentally overflow your glass. The bubbles are much easier to control when you add the orange juice to the sparkling wine, instead of vice versa.

Do you need to stir the drinks? Definitely not. The bubbles in the wine will help this drink to mix on its own, so avoid stirring in order to preserve those delicate bubbles.

Do you need to add ice?Nope. Just have your orange juice and sparkling wine nice and chilled before mixing, then serve immediately.

Can I make these non-alcoholic?Sure thing! Just use non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice.