A Mimosa is the official drink of a Sunday brunch, and though it’s originally made with Champagne, there’s an inexpensive sparkling wine that tastes better than Champagne when mixed with orange juice . That wine is from Spain, and it is called cava.
There’s two great Mimosas. The first one is simply orange juice and sparkling white wine, and the second adds a touch of Cointreau or other orange liqueur.
2 ounces fresh orange juice
Mimosa
2 ounces fresh orange juice
4 ounces Spanish cava, Champagne, or other white sparkling wine. The brut variety is recommended, while the extra dry style will give you a slightly sweeter drink.
Orange peel, for garnish
— Add the orange juice to a champagne flute or white wine glass. Gently pour in the white sparkling wine. Garnish with an orange peel in the drink, or a thin orange wheel on the rim of the glass.
The recommended cava wine is Jaume Serra Cristalino, which is terrific and inexpensive, too. Dibon Cava NV Reserve, Freixenet Sparkling Cordon Negro Brut Cava, Segura Viudas Brut Reserva or Rondel Brut are also recommended.
Mimosa de Luxe
1 1/2 ounces orange juice
1/4 ounce Cointreau, triple sec, or other orange liqueur
3 1/2 ounces Cava, Champagne, or other sparkling white wine
Thin orange wheel half, for garnish
— Add the orange juice and orange liqueur to a flute or white wine glass. Gently pour in the sparkling white wine. Garnish with an optional orange wheel half, in the drink.
Fresh orange juice or bottled not-from-concentrate orange juice is recommended.