Mimosa (cocktail)
A sparkling wine and citrus juice cocktail served at brunch.
The mimosa is a cocktail made with champagne or another sparkling wine and chilled citrus juice, most often orange juice. It is typically served in a tall champagne flute during brunch, at celebrations like weddings, or in business and first class on certain trains and airlines. The ratio of ingredients is not fixed.
The drink takes its name from the bright yellow, fragrant blossoms of the mimosa tree, *Acacia dealbata*. Its exact origins are unclear; it was first called a "champagne orange." Some attribute the mimosa to Frank Meier, a bartender and cocktail writer at the Paris Ritz, but his 1934 drink-mixing book, which uses a special symbol for his own creations, does not mark the mimosa that way. The mimosa is closely related to the Buck’s Fizz, which appears to date from 1921, and it is often unclear which came first. The International Bartenders Association simply states the mimosa is “Also known as Buck’s Fizz.” A less likely origin story places the drink in San Francisco in the 1940s, crediting film director Alfred Hitchcock with either creating or popularizing it in the United States, where it became a brunch staple in the 1960s. A *Sydney Morning Herald* article reported that Queen Elizabeth II was introduced to the mimosa by Lord Mountbatten after his visit to the south of France.
The Buck’s Fizz is essentially the same cocktail, said to have been invented in 1921 in London. Some sources distinguish the two: the Buck’s Fizz uses twice as much champagne as orange juice, while the mimosa uses equal parts; the Buck’s Fizz is served without ice and the mimosa with ice; or the Buck’s Fizz is served in a flute or coupe and the mimosa in a regular wine glass. However, many recipes for mimosas contradict these distinctions. Other ingredients are sometimes added, such as Grand Marnier or orange bitters.
Quick Facts
- Base
- Champagne
- Ingredients
- 75 ml champagne / 75 ml orange juice
- Served
- Straight up: chilled, without ice
- Garnish
- Orange twist
- Prep
- Ensure both ingredients are well chilled, then mix into the glass. Serve cold.
- Drinkware
- Champagne flute
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The origin of the mimosa is unclear, and it was originally called a 'champagne orange'. Some credit the Paris Ritz's bartender and cocktail writer Frank Meier for making the mimosa cocktail; however, Meier's 1934 book on mixing drinks, which has a special symbol for his inventions, does not use it for the mimosa. The mimosa can be considered a variant of the cocktail Buck's Fizz, or vice-versa; Buck's Fizz appears to date from 1921. The International Bartenders Association simply says the mimosa is 'Also known as Buck's Fizz'.
Reader's Guide
The mimosa holds significance as a brunch staple and festive drink, popularized in the United States in the 1960s. An alternate, yet less likely, origin story points to San Francisco in the 1940s, crediting the legendary film director Sir Alfred Hitchcock, who is thought to have either created or significantly popularized the mimosa in the United States. A news article published in the Sydney Morning Herald wrote about Queen Elizabeth II drinking a mimosa, introduced to her by Lord Mountbatten after his visit to the south of France. The cocktail has numerous variations, including the poinsettia (cranberry juice with champagne), the lemosa (lemonade with champagne and blueberry syrup), and the megmosa (equal parts champagne and grapefruit juice). The mimosa's legacy is cemented by its association with leisure, celebration, and its own unofficial holiday, National Mimosa Day, observed on May 16 in the US.
Did You Know?
- The mimosa is named after the bright yellow, fragrant flowers of the mimosa Acacia dealbata.
- The cocktail was originally called a 'champagne orange'.
- Some sources draw a distinction between a mimosa and a Buck's Fizz, with the Buck's Fizz using twice as much champagne as orange juice.
- Queen Elizabeth II was reported to have drunk a mimosa, introduced to her by Lord Mountbatten.
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