Buck's Fizz
Two parts Champagne to one part fresh orange juice. A brunch classic and a Christmas morning one.
- Time
- 3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Flute
- Strength
- 1.2 UK units
How to make a Buck's Fizz
- Chill everything. Keep the bottle and the juice in the fridge for at least two hours, and chill the flute too. Warm ingredients will make it foam up and go flat.
- Pour the juice first. Add the orange juice to the flute. It should fill about a third of the glass.
- Top with sparkling wine. Tilt the glass and pour the Champagne slowly down the side until the flute is full. It should mix by itself.
- Serve straight away. Do not stir, or the bubbles will vanish. It should look pale gold with a small head of foam.
- Glass
- FluteNo flute? Any small wine glass.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- None, or a strip of orange peelOr: A thin orange slice on the rim.
What you need to make a Buck's Fizz
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Bottles we'd use
- A dry sparkling wineCava or a brut prosecco is ideal. Save the good Champagne for drinking on its own.Find it on Amazon
- Fresh orange juiceSqueeze your own, or buy the freshly squeezed chilled kind and avoid concentrate.Find it on Amazon
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The Buck's Fizz story
Buck's Fizz is usually traced to Buck's Club in London in 1921, where the barman is said to be Pat McGarry. A Mimosa is the same idea with more orange juice, roughly equal parts, and is usually linked to the Ritz in Paris a few years later. The British version is the drier one: two parts Champagne to one part orange juice.
Because there are only two ingredients, the juice matters. Squeeze it fresh and keep it cold. Pour the juice in first, then the sparkling wine, so the bubbles do the mixing. A cheaper dry sparkling wine such as cava or prosecco works well here, and there is no need to spend Champagne money.
Buck's Fizz: your questions answered
What is in a Buck's Fizz?
A Buck's Fizz is made with 100 ml Champagne and 50 ml fresh orange juice. Garnish: none, or a strip of orange peel.
How strong is a Buck's Fizz?
Made to this recipe, a Buck's Fizz contains about 1.2 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Buck's Fizz in?
Serve a Buck's Fizz in a flute. No flute? Any small wine glass.
