Best Mimosa (with Prosecco)

Here’s the best mimosa recipe! This one’s made with Italian Prosecco, orange juice, and a dash of Cointreau for the perfect bubbly citrus flavor.

Here’s the drink that wins the award for best brunch drink: the mimosa! Since we’re cocktail fanatics over here, we realized we needed to add our spin on this classic. How to make a perfect mimosa? Use Prosecco instead of champagne for a sweeter, nuanced flavor. Use it with a heavy hand, and add a dash of orange liqueur. It’s tart, just sweet enough, and bubbly as all get out. Here’s how to make this beautiful and bright Prosecco mimosa!

What’s in this mimosa?

The mimosa is a classic 2-ingredient cocktail that’s easily served without a recipe. But to make the best mimosa: here’s what we do! The mimosa is actually on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails. This means that there’s an “official” definition of the mimosa, which is equal parts orange juice and champagne. Here’s what we’ve done for this mimosa to take it over the top:

• Orange juice (fresh juice or bottled fresh juice with no pulp — not from concentrate!)
• Prosecco (or any sparkling wine like champagne or Cava)
• Cointreau (orange liqueur)

Why to make a Prosecco mimosa

Of course, you can use any type of sparkling wine you’d like! The traditional champagne works, or the Spanish version of champagne called Cava. Prosecco is an Italian version of champagne.

We like making a Prosecco mimosa because the wine is little sweeter than champagne and has bigger bubbles. The flavor has a little more nuance too: you’ll get notes of apple, pear and lemon. It’s such a treat! You should be able to find Prosecco at your local grocery or wine store, and it’s usually about $15 per bottle. Read more at Prosecco vs Champagne.

Want more drinks with Prosecco? Try our Prosecco Cocktail or any of our Champagne Cocktails.

The ratio for a mimosa

This is actually a topic of great debate! The IBA official definition of a mimosa ratio is equal parts champagne and orange juice. However (and a big however!), you’ll find many sources that like 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 called a Buck’s Fizz. So you can call it that if you want to confuse your friends and family!

A few more orange juice cocktails? The Amaretto Stone Sour, Alabama Slammer, and Tequila Sunrise.

Add orange liqueur (Cointreau) to top it off!

What makes this the best mimosa aside from the Prosecco is topping off the glass with a little Cointreau. If you’ve been following along with our cocktail journey, you’ll know that Cointreau is the secret to the perfect margarita. Indeed, the IBA official definition of a margarita is lime juice, tequila and Cointreau (not sugar!). It’s also used in a Cosmo. So perhaps you have a bottle in your cabinet already.

Adding a splash of Cointreau adds a hint of orange perfume flavor, which takes this mimosa to the next level. We highly encourage it!

A tip for pouring this Prosecco mimosa

You can pour a mimosa one of two ways: champagne first, or orange juice first. We used to always do orange juice first, but here’s a trick. Pouring the Prosecco into the glass first lets you hold it at an angle and preserve the bubbles. It also avoids overfilling the glass with out of control champagne bubbles! Then you can top it off with the orange juice and if desired, Cointreau.

Mix it up: mimosa variations

There are lots of ways to mix up your mimosa! You can use different fruit juices, or a combination of fruit juice and orange juice. Here are some ideas:

• Peach puree: with peach puree it becomes the Bellini!
• Mango puree: with mango puree it becomes the Mango Mimosa
• Strawberries: try a Strawberry Mimosa
• Cranberry juice: try a Cranberry Mimosa or Poinsettia (holiday variation)
• Pineapple juice: try a Pineapple Mimosa
• Apple cider: try an Apple Cider Mimosa
• Pomegranate juice: try a Pomegranate Mimosa
• Grapefruit juice: it becomes the Megmosa
• Lemon juice: it becomes the Lemosa
• Virgin: with ginger ale it’s a Non Alcoholic Mimosa

When to serve mimosa with Prosecco

The mimosa is perfect for any daytime occasion: especially as a brunch drink! It’s not often that a mimosa is served in the evening, so make sure to save it for the morning and afternoon. Here are some great times to serve it:

• Brunch drink (Mother’s Day, etc)
• New Year’s Day drink
• Bridal shower drink
• Bachelorette party drink
• Luncheon drink

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More 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 peel and a cocktail cherry.
• Best Gin and Tonic Here are the keys to the very best gin and tonic, the most refreshing 2-ingredient cocktail! A few secrets take this crisp, botanical drink over the top.
• Tom Collins Cocktail This popular sweet sour cocktail is light and bubbly! Don’t forget the cherry.