Mimosa Daiquiri Recipe for a Brunch-Ready Cocktail

A mimosa daiquiri combines the rum, lime, and sugar of a classic daiquiri with the orange juice and sparkling wine of a mimosa. The result is a bright, lightly tart cocktail with lively bubbles, served cold in a wine glass or coupe. Shake the still ingredients first and add the sparkling wine last to keep the drink fresh and fizzy.

Ingredients

3 oz (90 ml) white rum
1½ oz (45 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice, from about 1 to 2 limes
1 oz (30 ml) simple syrup
3 oz (90 ml) fresh or good-quality chilled orange juice
6 oz (180 ml) chilled dry sparkling wine, such as brut Champagne, cava, or prosecco
1 cup (140 g) ice cubes, for shaking
2 thin orange wheels, about ½ oz (15 g) total, for garnish

Use a white rum with a clean, mild flavor so the citrus stays in the foreground. Fresh lime juice gives the drink a sharper, more fragrant edge than bottled juice. For the orange juice, pulp-free juice makes the smoothest-looking cocktail, while juice with a little pulp gives it a more freshly squeezed character. Choose a dry sparkling wine rather than a sweet one; the orange juice and syrup already bring sweetness.

Instructions

Get the ingredients ready. Squeeze the lime and measure the rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and orange juice. Chill the sparkling wine until cold, and have two serving glasses ready. Coupe glasses, small wine glasses, or stemmed cocktail glasses work well. You do not need to chill the glasses, but a cold glass helps the drink stay refreshing for longer.
Shake the citrus and rum base. Pour the rum, lime juice, simple syrup, orange juice, and ice into a cocktail shaker. Secure the lid and shake firmly for about 10 to 12 seconds, until the outside of the shaker feels cold. Shaking chills the mixture and combines the citrus and syrup; it also adds a little water from the melting ice, softening the sharpness of the lime.
Strain into the glasses. Divide the shaken mixture evenly between the two glasses, straining out the ice. If your shaker does not have a built-in strainer, use a small fine-mesh strainer to catch stray ice chips or orange pulp. Leave enough room in each glass to add the sparkling wine without overflowing. The base should look evenly mixed, with no syrup sitting at the bottom.
Top with sparkling wine. Slowly pour 3 oz (90 ml) of chilled sparkling wine into each glass. Pour down the inside of the glass or over the back of a spoon if you want to limit foaming. Give each drink one gentle turn with a bar spoon, or leave it layered; do not stir vigorously, because that drives off the bubbles. Taste a small sip and serve right away.
Garnish and serve. Place an orange wheel on the rim of each glass or float it on top. A small lime wedge can be added alongside the orange if you like a more pronounced lime aroma. Serve immediately while the wine is effervescent and the drink is cold. This cocktail contains alcohol and is for adults of legal drinking age; drink responsibly.

Tips

Balance the sweetness to your juice. Orange juice varies in sweetness, so taste the shaken base before adding the sparkling wine. If it tastes too tart, add another ¼ oz (7 ml) simple syrup to the shaker and briefly shake again. If it seems too sweet, add a small splash of lime juice. Make adjustments in small increments: the dry wine will add acidity and bubbles but will not erase a strongly sweet or sour base.
Keep the sparkling wine cold and handle it gently. Warm wine foams more and loses its fizz faster once poured. Open the bottle just before topping the drinks, and pour slowly. Avoid shaking or putting sparkling wine in the cocktail shaker; pressure and vigorous agitation can cause a messy overflow and flatten the wine.
Choose a practical rum substitute if needed. Light aged rum can replace white rum and gives the cocktail a slightly rounder, more vanilla-like note. Dark rum is stronger in flavor and changes the drink’s color, so use it only if you want a richer, molasses-leaning result. Vodka can be used in the same quantity for a milder spirit flavor, but the finished drink will no longer have the recognizable rum character of a daiquiri.
Measure the citrus rather than relying on fruit size. Limes differ considerably in juiciness. Measure 1½ oz (45 ml) of juice so the drink stays balanced from batch to batch. Strain out seeds, and avoid squeezing the lime peel too hard, which can add a bitter note from the pith.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this cocktail as a brunch drink, a sunny afternoon aperitif, or a festive first round before a meal. Its orange aroma and crisp bubbles pair naturally with savory brunch dishes such as eggs, smoked salmon, breakfast potatoes, or a cheese and fruit board. For a lighter spread, try it with toast, yogurt, or pastries that are not heavily glazed. The lime keeps the cocktail from tasting as sweet as orange juice alone, while the rum gives it more body than a simple sparkling-wine mimosa.

Use a glass that holds at least 8 oz (240 ml), allowing space for the shaken base, sparkling wine, and garnish. For a more elegant presentation, strain the base through a fine sieve and use a thin orange wheel. For a casual gathering, small wine glasses are convenient and make the bubbles easy to see. Keep the bottle of sparkling wine chilled between pours, and make individual drinks to order rather than topping a full pitcher well ahead of serving.

Variations

Less-sweet version: Reduce the simple syrup to ½ oz (15 ml), especially if your orange juice is sweet or you are using a sweeter sparkling wine. Taste the shaken base before pouring. A brut or extra-brut wine gives the driest finish; if the drink becomes too sharp, add syrup a teaspoon at a time rather than switching to a sweet wine immediately.

Blood orange mimosa daiquiri: Replace the regular orange juice with 3 oz (90 ml) blood orange juice. It gives the drink a deeper color and a berry-like citrus note. Because blood oranges vary in tartness, keep the lime and syrup quantities as written for the first attempt, then make a small adjustment to taste.

Grapefruit twist: Use 2 oz (60 ml) orange juice and 1 oz (30 ml) pink grapefruit juice in place of the 3 oz (90 ml) orange juice. The grapefruit makes the cocktail more bittersweet and less like a traditional mimosa. A slightly sweeter sparkling wine can soften that edge, but a dry wine will make a sharper, more aperitif-style drink.

Pitcher for a small group: For four servings, multiply the rum, lime juice, syrup, and orange juice by two, then shake the base in two batches so it chills properly. Combine the strained batches in a chilled pitcher and keep it cold. Add 12 oz (360 ml) sparkling wine just before serving, pouring slowly and stirring once, gently. Do not add ice to the pitcher; it dilutes the mixture as it melts. For the freshest bubbles, topping each glass individually is still the better option.

Storage and Reheating

This drink is best assembled immediately before serving. Once sparkling wine is added, the bubbles fade and the cocktail becomes noticeably flatter, so do not expect a stored finished drink to taste like a freshly poured one. If a serving is left out, refrigerate it within 2 hours; discard it if it has been at room temperature longer than that. Reheating is not appropriate for a cocktail, and warming it would make the sparkling wine lose its carbonation.

If you want to get ahead, mix only the rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and orange juice. Transfer the base to a covered container and refrigerate it promptly; use it within 24 hours for the freshest citrus flavor. Shake or stir the chilled base briefly before pouring, since the juices can separate. Keep the sparkling wine sealed and refrigerated separately, and top each serving just before drinking. Do not store the cocktail with ice, because melting ice makes it watery. Discard leftover base that has been refrigerated longer than 24 hours for best flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a mimosa daiquiri shaken or stirred?
Shake the rum, lime juice, syrup, orange juice, and ice together, then strain. Add the sparkling wine afterward and stir only very gently, if at all. Shaking the wine would make it foam excessively and quickly lose carbonation.

Can I make this without a cocktail shaker?
Yes. Put the rum, lime juice, syrup, orange juice, and ice in a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid, then shake for 10 to 12 seconds. Strain through a small sieve into glasses. Do not put the sparkling wine in the jar; pour it into the glasses after the base has been divided.

What sparkling wine works best?
A chilled brut sparkling wine is a reliable choice because its dry finish balances the orange juice and syrup. Cava, prosecco, and Champagne can all work, though their fruitiness and dryness differ by bottle. Use a wine you enjoy drinking on its own, and avoid a very sweet style unless you reduce the syrup.

Can I use bottled lime juice or orange juice?
Yes. Fresh lime juice has a brighter aroma, but bottled juice can be used in the same measured quantity if fresh limes are unavailable. Good-quality chilled orange juice also works. Bottled juices may taste sweeter, flatter, or more pronounced than fresh juice, so taste the base and adjust the syrup or lime slightly before adding the wine.

Can I make a batch ahead for brunch?
Prepare the noncarbonated base up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Shake or stir it before serving, then pour it into individual glasses and top each one with sparkling wine. A pre-topped pitcher loses fizz as it sits, so add the wine only when guests are ready to drink.

Can I make this cocktail sweeter or stronger?
For a sweeter drink, add simple syrup ¼ oz (7 ml) at a time to the base. For a stronger drink, you can increase the rum modestly, but the result will taste less like a balanced mimosa-daiquiri blend and may overpower the fruit. Keep the sparkling wine quantity the same and taste the base before serving rather than making a large change all at once.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).