Mimosa
Equal parts orange juice and sparkling wine. There is nowhere to hide, which is why the juice matters more than the wine.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a flute and both ingredients thoroughly.
Pour the orange juice into the flute.
Top slowly with chilled sparkling wine, in two pours, letting the foam settle.
Do not stir. Garnish with an orange twist if you like.
A thoughtful finish
- Squeeze the oranges and strain the juice. Bottled juice is the difference between a good Mimosa and a sweet, slightly stale one.
- Juice first, wine second. Adding juice to wine foams it over; adding wine to juice does not.
- Brut, not demi-sec. The orange juice brings all the sugar this drink needs.
Common mistakes
- Bottled or from-concentrate orange juice.
- Using an expensive Champagne. At equal parts with orange juice, nuance is wasted — a good brut Cava or Prosecco is the sensible choice.
- Pre-batching a jug, which is flat before the second glass is poured.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between a Mimosa and a Buck's Fizz?
Ratio. A Mimosa is equal parts; a Buck's Fizz is roughly two parts sparkling wine to one of orange juice, so it is drier and stronger.
Which sparkling wine is best?
A dry Cava or Prosecco. Cava is closer to Champagne in character and usually better value; Prosecco is softer and fruitier. Save the Champagne for drinking on its own.
Can I make a pitcher for brunch?
Squeeze and chill the juice ahead, then pour each glass to order. A pre-mixed pitcher loses its carbonation within fifteen minutes.
Should it be blood orange?
It is excellent with blood orange when they are in season — deeper colour, slightly more tart. Not traditional, but a clear improvement on a mediocre navel orange.
Variations
- Buck's Fizz — Two parts sparkling wine to one of orange juice.
- Bellini — White peach purée in place of orange juice.
- Poinsettia — Cranberry juice in place of orange.
- Soleil — Blood orange juice and a dash of orange liqueur.
Where it comes from
c. 1925 · Paris, France · Frank Meier · Ritz Paris
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
The Mimosa is usually credited to Frank Meier at the Ritz Paris around 1925, and named for the yellow mimosa flower. The documentation is thin, and the drink has an older and better-recorded near-twin: the Buck’s Fizz, created at the Buck’s Club in London in 1921, which uses roughly two parts Champagne to one part orange juice. The Mimosa’s equal-parts build is the main distinction. Given how obvious the combination is, independent invention in several places is more likely than a single origin.
Sources
- Ritz Paris, Bar Hemingway house history, current (venue)
- Buck's Club, London, house history, current (venue)
- IBA Official Cocktails list, current (standards body)
Strength. About 0.5 US standard drinks at an estimated 5.2% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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