Mimosa Beverage Recipe: A Bright, Bubbly Brunch Classic

A mimosa is a chilled brunch drink made by combining sparkling wine with orange juice, usually served in a flute or small wine glass. This simple recipe keeps the citrus bright and the bubbles lively, with an easy-to-scale ratio for a group. It is an alcoholic drink for adults of legal drinking age; enjoy responsibly.

Ingredients

1 bottle (750 ml) dry sparkling wine, well chilled
3 cups (720 ml) fresh orange juice, well chilled, from about 8–10 oranges
12 thin orange twists or small orange wedges, optional, for garnish

Instructions

Chill the ingredients and glasses. Start with cold sparkling wine and orange juice so the finished drinks stay refreshing without ice. If you have room, chill the serving glasses too. This recipe’s 12-minute preparation time assumes the ingredients are already cold; chilling them beforehand is not included in the timing.
Juice the oranges. Wash and dry the fruit, then cut it in half and squeeze enough juice to measure 3 cups (720 ml). Strain out seeds and, if you prefer a smooth drink, most of the pulp. A little pulp is fine, but a heavily pulped juice can make the drink feel less crisp and can settle in the glasses.
Set out the glasses. Arrange 12 flutes or small wine glasses on a tray. Keep the sparkling wine in the refrigerator until you are ready to pour. For a party, pour just before serving rather than mixing the whole batch in a pitcher well in advance; the bubbles fade after the wine meets the juice.
Pour the sparkling wine first. Add about 2½ fl oz (75 ml) sparkling wine to each glass, filling it roughly halfway. Pour slowly down the inside wall of the glass to reduce foaming. The exact amount may vary slightly with the shape of your glasses, so leave room for the juice and a little headspace.
Add the orange juice. Top each glass with about 2 fl oz (60 ml) orange juice, or pour to taste while keeping the wine-to-juice balance close to 1:1 by volume. Add the juice gradually; the bubbles can foam up if it is poured too quickly. The full recipe makes approximately 12 modest servings of about 4 fl oz (120 ml) each.
Garnish and serve at once. Add an orange twist or wedge if you like, and take the drinks to the table immediately. There is no need to stir vigorously. If the color is uneven, give each glass one gentle turn with a bar spoon or a slow swirl.

Tips

Choose a dry wine. Brut sparkling wine is a reliable choice because orange juice already brings sweetness. Prosecco, cava, and other dry sparkling wines all work. Extra-dry or sweet styles will make the drink taste softer and sweeter, so choose them only if that is the flavor you want. Champagne is fine, but it is not required; a reasonably priced dry sparkling wine makes an excellent mimosa.
Use cold ingredients, not ice. Ice melts and dilutes the juice and wine, while thoroughly chilled ingredients keep the drink bright. Chill the unopened bottle and the juice for several hours or overnight if convenient. If you forgot, place the bottle in an ice-and-water bath for about 20 minutes, taking care not to freeze it.
Adjust the ratio to suit the wine and juice. Equal parts is an easy starting point, not a rule. Use a little more sparkling wine for a drier, livelier drink, or add extra juice for a fruitier, gentler pour. Taste a small amount before serving the group, especially when using very sweet juice or a wine with noticeable residual sweetness.
Strain fresh juice and pour gently. Removing seeds and excess pulp gives a cleaner-looking drink, while a slow pour helps prevent foam from overflowing the glass. Do not shake the ingredients together or stir hard: both actions drive off carbonation. If serving a crowd, keep the bottle cold and assemble glasses in small rounds.

Serving Suggestions

Serve mimosas soon after pouring, while the sparkling wine is still lively. A flute holds the bubbles and looks festive, but a small white-wine glass is also practical because it is easier to fill and sip. If guests are serving themselves, place the chilled juice and wine beside the glasses and let each person combine them; this avoids a pitcher of flat drinks and makes it simple to adjust the ratio.

For a brunch table, pair the drink with savory and lightly sweet foods such as an omelet, quiche, smoked salmon toast, fruit salad, or pastries. The orange’s acidity is especially pleasant alongside rich or buttery dishes. Keep garnishes modest: a narrow twist of orange peel adds aroma, while a wedge is easy for guests to recognize and remove. Set out a separate nonalcoholic option as well, such as sparkling water with orange juice, so everyone has a drink they can choose.

Variations

Blood orange mimosa: Replace some or all of the orange juice with blood orange juice. Its color can range from rosy to deep red, and its flavor is often more berry-like. Use the same amount and keep the juice chilled; the finished drink may look darker than a classic version.

Grapefruit or tangerine: Substitute up to half of the orange juice with grapefruit juice for a sharper, slightly bitter edge, or use tangerine juice for a sweeter, more fragrant result. Grapefruit varies in tartness, so taste the juice first and adjust the sparkling wine balance as needed.

Nonalcoholic version: Replace the sparkling wine with chilled sparkling white grape juice or plain sparkling water. Sparkling grape juice makes a sweeter, fuller drink; sparkling water gives a drier, lighter result. Pour gently and serve immediately, just as you would the original.

Make a small pour: For one glass, combine 2 fl oz (60 ml) dry sparkling wine and 2 fl oz (60 ml) orange juice. This keeps the classic equal-parts ratio and makes it easy to prepare a single serving without measuring from the full batch.

Storage and Reheating

Mimosas are best assembled just before serving. Once the sparkling wine and juice are combined, carbonation begins to fade, so a mixed glass is most enjoyable within about 30 minutes. If you have leftover drink, cover it and refrigerate it promptly, within 2 hours of pouring. It will generally remain safe to drink for up to 24 hours when kept cold, but it will be noticeably flatter; the flavor and texture are better fresh. Do not leave a pitcher out at room temperature for a long brunch.

There is no reheating step for this drink. Reheating would remove the carbonation and change its flavor, so serve leftovers chilled or discard them if they have been left out beyond 2 hours. Keep leftover orange juice in a sealed container in the refrigerator and use fresh juice within 2–3 days. Follow the opening and storage directions on packaged juice. Reseal any unused sparkling wine with a sparkling-wine stopper and refrigerate it; it is usually best within 1–3 days, though it will gradually lose fizz. Do not store the mixed drink at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best ratio of sparkling wine to orange juice?
The classic starting point is equal parts, which gives a balanced, easy-drinking mimosa. For this recipe, that is about 2½ fl oz (75 ml) of each ingredient per glass, though the final servings use slightly less juice to match the amounts on hand. Add more wine for a drier drink or more juice for a fruitier one.

Can I make mimosas in a pitcher?
You can, but the bubbles will fade as soon as the wine and juice are mixed, and pouring can cause foaming. For the freshest result, set out the two chilled ingredients and let guests pour their own. If you need to batch drinks, combine only a few servings at a time and serve them immediately rather than preparing the pitcher well ahead.

Should I use Champagne or Prosecco?
Either works, as do other dry sparkling wines. Champagne is made in a specific French region and can be more expensive, but it is not necessary for this drink. Prosecco and cava are common alternatives. Choose a dry style and avoid paying extra for a bottle whose subtle flavors will be overwhelmed by the orange juice.

Can I use store-bought orange juice?
Yes. Choose chilled juice without added sugar if you want a fresh, less-sweet flavor. Pulp-free juice gives the smoothest texture, while juice with pulp makes a cloudier drink. If your juice is sweetened or especially tangy, start with a small glass and adjust the ratio before pouring for everyone.

Can I prepare the orange juice ahead?
Yes. Squeeze and strain it up to a day ahead, then refrigerate it in a clean, covered container. Give it a gentle stir before pouring because natural juice can separate. Keep the sparkling wine sealed and cold until serving, and combine the two only when the glasses are ready.

Why did my mimosa foam over?
Warm ingredients, a fast pour, or filling a narrow glass too quickly can all create excess foam. Chill both ingredients, pour the wine slowly down the side of the glass, and add the juice in a steady stream. Leave a little room at the top; it is easier to add a final splash than to clean up an overflowing flute.

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