If you're hosting a baller brunch, you should probably know how to make mimosas. Some brunch cocktails—read: the strong ones—can feel like overkill for an early-morning get-together, which is where the mimosa comes in—TL;DR: a mimosa is traditionally just orange juice and champagne, which makes it feel like a semi-appropriate way to start a day. Hey, it's just juiced-up juice, right?
Sometimes mimosas are too weak, though, and they make you wonder if you should've just stuck to straight-up orange juice. We've got the right bubble-to-juice ratio to get you just buzzed enough for a weekend morning, but not so tipsy that your day is shot after breakfast. And, if you're down to mess with a classic, we've got some swaps that can up your mimosa game pretty easily. Here's how to make mimosas that aren't boring—or weak.
1. Start with OJ
To make six mimosas, start by adding 3 cups of chilled orange juice to a pitcher (or whatever large-format serving container you'd like). That's about 9 oranges if you're squeezing them at home, which would be delicious—if you're going store-bought, though, try to pick the fresh-squeezed variety if possible. It's usually more flavorful than its pasteurized counterpart, and flavor is important in a cocktail with so few ingredients. Also you'll want to go for pulp-free, or strain the pulp yourself, so your guests aren't chewing away at their drinks.
2. Add Champagne
To the pitcher, add 1 chilled 750-ml bottle champagne (or another dry sparkling white wine). If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, go for a sweet wine—if you like it drier, find some dry bubbles at your wine store.
3. Mix and serve
Now all that's left to do is give the pitcher a gentle stir and serve up your mimosas in champagne flutes or pretty glass coups. If you want your brunch drinks to feel a little more interactive, you can set up a mimosa bar with a selection of juices and sparkling wines (and garnishes, like citrus wheels and edible flowers) for your guests to assemble themselves. Try setting out smaller carafes of grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, ginger syrup, kumquat juice, and pomegranate juice so that folks can customize the flavor to suit their taste in late-morning refreshment.
Here's the recipe—ask your five favorite friends over for brunch, stat.
