Classic cocktail · Guided recipe
Mimosa
Start makingEqual parts chilled orange juice and sparkling wine — brunch’s greatest invention. Keep both cold and pour gently.
In the glassOrange juice · Champagne
See exact amounts
What goes in
Ingredients
Set up before you pour
Use a champagne flute.
The narrow bowl slows the loss of bubbles and keeps sparkling cocktails bright for longer.
- Standard size
- 180 ml6 oz
- Ice & serve
- Chill it first; serve without ice.
- If you don’t own one
- Use a small white-wine glass if a flute is unavailable.
- jigger or measuring spoon
- Champagne75 ml
- Orange juice75 ml
From bottle to glass
Method
- 01
Measure and pour Pour 75 ml orange juice
Orange juice
- 02
Top gently Top with 75 ml champagne
Champagne
- 03
Finish the drink Finish it — add an orange slice
Know your drink
About the Mimosa
Buck's Fizz came first
London's Buck's Club was pouring orange juice into champagne in 1921, two parts wine to one part juice, and calling it a Buck's Fizz. Four years later Paris had its own version at the Ritz, usually credited to head barman Frank Meier. Name comes from the acacia that flowers bright yellow in Mediterranean February, which is roughly the color you get if the juice is fresh.
Navel oranges are the wrong fruit here. Cut open, their juice turns bitter within an hour or so as limonin develops, which is fine over cereal and awful against dry wine. Valencias are what commercial juicers use and they hold up. Squeeze into a pitcher, strain out the pulp so it doesn't kill the bubbles, and pour while it is still cold.
Common questions
Mimosa FAQ
What is the right mimosa ratio?
Equal parts is classic; sparkling-wine-heavy (2:1) is livelier. Pour the bubbly first, tilt the glass, then add the juice slowly — it self-mixes without stirring the fizz away. Everything must be fridge-cold; a mimosa is never served over ice.
What sparkling wine should I use for mimosas?
An inexpensive dry (brut) cava or prosecco is ideal — orange juice buries the subtleties of good Champagne. Save real Champagne for toasts; spend the difference on fresh-squeezed juice, which matters far more here.
What ingredients are in a Mimosa?
A classic Mimosa calls for 75 ml (2.5 oz) Orange juice, 75 ml (2.5 oz) Champagne. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.
How strong is a Mimosa?
A standard Mimosa is roughly 6% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it a relatively light, sessionable drink — similar in strength to a beer.
Is a Mimosa shaken or stirred?
A Mimosa is built directly in the glass over ice — no shaker required. Add the ingredients in order and give it a brief, gentle stir.
What glass do you serve a Mimosa in?
Serve a Mimosa in a champagne flute, well chilled — this drink is served without ice, so a cold glass keeps it cold.
How many calories are in a Mimosa?
One Mimosa has approximately 140 calories, estimated from the standard spec above. Bigger pours, extra syrup or sweetened mixers raise that number quickly.
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Skills used in this recipe
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