Best Mimosa (with Prosecco)

Here is the best mimosa recipe! This one is made with Italian Prosecco, orange juice and a dash of Cointreau for the perfect sparkling citrus taste.

Here’s the drink that wins the award for Best Brunch Drink: mimosa! Being cocktail fanatics here, we realized we needed to add our twist to this classic. How do you make a perfect mimosa? Use Prosecco instead of Champagne for a smoother, more nuanced taste. Use with a heavy hand and add a squirt of orange liqueur. It’s tangy, just sweet enough and bubbly on the way out. Here’s how to make this beautiful, shiny Prosecco Mimosa!

What’s in that mimosa?

Mimosa is a classic 2-ingredient cocktail that’s easy to serve without a recipe. But to make the best mimosa: here’s what we do! The mimosa is also on the International Bartender Association’s list of official IBA cocktails. That means there’s an “official” definition of mimosa, which is equal parts orange juice and champagne. Here’s what we did to make this mimosa take over:

• orange juice (Fresh juice or fresh bottled juice without pulp – no concentrate!)
• Prosecco (or any sparkling wine such as champagne or cava)
• Cointreau (Orange liqueur)

Why make a prosecco mimosa

Of course you can use any sparkling wine! Traditional champagne works or the Spanish version of champagne called cava. Prosecco is an Italian version of champagne.

We like to make a Prosecco Mimosa because the wine is slightly sweeter than champagne and has bigger bubbles. The taste is also a bit more nuanced: you get notes of apple, pear and lemon. It’s such a pleasure! You should be able to find Prosecco at your local grocery or wine store, and it’s usually around $15 a bottle. Find out more about Prosecco versus Champagne.

Fancy more drinks with Prosecco? Try our Prosecco cocktail or one of our champagne cocktails.

The ratio for a mimosa

This is indeed a hotly debated topic! The official IBA definition of a mimosa ratio is equal parts champagne and orange juice. However (and a big one at that!) you can find many sources that are happy to use more champagne or prosecco.

Alex and I love tart flavors, so you won’t be surprised: we prefer our mimosa with more Prosecco. This best mimosa recipe uses a ratio of 1 part orange juice to 2 parts champagne/prosecco. Using this ratio is also known as Buck’s Fizz. So that’s what you can call it if you want to confuse your friends and family!

Few more orange juice cocktails? Amaretto Stone Sour, Alabama Slammer and Tequila Sunrise.

Add some Orange Liqueur (Cointreau) to top it off!

What makes it the best mimosa alongside Prosecco is filling the glass with some Cointreau. If you’ve followed our cocktail journey, you know that Cointreau is the secret to the perfect margarita. In fact, the official IBA definition of a margarita is lime juice, tequila, and Cointreau (no sugar!). It is also used in a Cosmo. So maybe you already have a bottle in your cupboard.

Adding a spritz of Cointreau adds a spritz of orange scent that takes this mimosa to the next level. We expressly encourage you to do so!

A tip for pouring this Prosecco Mimosa

You can pour a mimosa in two ways: champagne first or orange juice first. We used to always make orange juice first, but here’s a trick. Pour the Prosecco into the glass first to tilt it and preserve the bubbles. It also avoids overfilling the glass with uncontrollable champagne bubbles! Then you can top up with orange juice and, if you like, Cointreau.

Mix it up: Mimosa variations

There are many ways to blend your mimosa! You can use different fruit juices or a combination of fruit juice and orange juice. Here are a few ideas:

When to serve mimosas with Prosecco

Mimosa is perfect for all occasions of the day: especially as a brunch drink! It’s not often that a mimosa is served in the evening, so be sure to save it for mornings and afternoons. Here are some good times to serve it:

Rather classic cocktails

Here are a few more of our classic cocktails to add to your repertoire:

• Favorite Whiskey Sour Recipe This easy whiskey sour recipe is perfectly balanced and so easy to make! Garnish with an orange zest and a cocktail cherry.
• Best Gin Tonic Here are the keys to the best gin tonic, the most refreshing 2 ingredient cocktail! A few mysteries take over this crunchy, botanical beverage.
• Tom Collins Cocktail This popular sweet and sour cocktail is light and sparkling! Don’t forget the cherry.