Mix It Up

Meet the mimosa and make this brunch favourite your way

Read Time 8 Minutes

Posted 07 Jul 2023

Whatever your preferred ratio, make the bubbles-based mimosa cocktail your go-to for celebrations – fruity, fizzy and fabulously easy to make, it’s a drink you can get behind any time of day.

When it comes to cocktails, there’s arguably nothing more simple than the mimosa – a drink that can attribute its name to its sunny golden hue, which mimics the equally vibrant mimosa flower. Made with Champagne or prosecco and orange juice, this zesty tipple has made itself a firm favourite in the brunch scene, particularly in New York where it’s favoured over almond lattes and green juice. Some say equal parts juice and fizz is the go – others prefer a lot of OJ or just sparkling with a splash. We recommend a ratio closer to 1:3, but whichever way you pour it, it’s not hard to see why this easy but impressive cocktail is much-loved worldwide and has become a fixture at many a morning-based affair.

How to make mimosas

Ingredients (serves 2)

200mL Botter Prosecco DOC
90mL pulp-free orange juice
Orange slices, to serve (optional)

Method

Divide the prosecco between Champagne flutes.
Top with orange juice. Garnish with orange, if using.

Mimosa vs Buck’s Fizz

Like many cocktails, the origin story of the mimosa is up for debate. Most believe that the first can be traced by to the cobbled streets of Paris, specifically the suavely styled halls of the Ritz Paris where bartender Frank Meier conjured it up and dubbed it a ‘Champagne orange’ in the 1920s. But the mimosa wasn’t the first to market – in fact it’s a take on the English favourite Buck’s Fizz, born back in 1921 in London.

The key ingredient in a mimosa recipe

While traditionally it’s Champagne that has been splashed among the orange juice of the Mimosa, prosecco is fast surpassing it in terms of popularity. Do they taste different? Absolutely. The Italian prosecco embraces the tank method, its bubbles are larger and considered more coarse than the fine flavoured French Champagne, so it stands up to the texture of the orange juice. Prosecco tends to be sweeter than Champagne, not to mention a far friendlier price point. Our pick is Botter Prosecco DOC, a crisp and delicate drop with fruity tones of peach, green apple and lilac.

Now you know your mimosas, here’s what to make next

The mimosa (and the Buck’s Fizz for that matter) aren’t the end of Champagne or prosecco-based cocktails that you can whip up for your next celebration at home. There is of course the Bellini, a blend of fruit puree and bubbles, which is just as adored at the brunch table (and beyond). The original was born at a Venice bar frequented by the likes of Hemingway, and while it traditionally embraces prosecco, and melds it with a white peach puree, the world is your oyster when it comes to combinations of wines and fruit flavours. Try Bellini 3 ways and find your new favourite.

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