Virgin mimosa
Orange juice and alcohol-free sparkling wine in a flute. Bright, light and made for Christmas morning.
- Time
- 2 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Flute
- Strength
- Alcohol-free
How to make a virgin mimosa
- Chill everything. Put the flute, the sparkling wine and the orange juice in the fridge for at least an hour, or the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Pour the sparkling wine. Tilt the flute and pour in the sparkling wine slowly, down the side of the glass.
- Add the juice. Pour in the orange juice. Do not stir: it will mix as it goes in.
- Garnish. Twist an orange peel strip over the glass, then drop it in or set it on the rim.
- Glass
- FluteNo flute? A wine glass.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- A thin orange twistOr: A slice of orange on the rim.
What you need to make a virgin mimosa
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Vegetable peelerFor wide strips of peel with little pith.
Bottles we'd use
- Alcohol-free sparkling wineA dry or brut style balances the sweet juice.Find it on Amazon
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Virgin mimosa variations and swaps
Change the juice and keep the same 60 ml. Blood orange is deeper and a little tarter. Pink grapefruit is drier. Peach nectar gives you a Bellini-style drink, and cranberry juice makes a pink, tart one in the style of a Poinsettia. No alcohol-free sparkling wine? Chilled sparkling white grape juice works, but it is sweeter, so cut the orange juice to 40 ml. Want the alcohol? Use cava, Prosecco or Champagne in place of the alcohol-free bottle. For a crowd, one 750 ml bottle and about 480 ml of juice makes eight glasses.
The virgin mimosa story
A mimosa is orange juice and sparkling wine, usually in equal parts. In Britain the nearest relative is Buck's Fizz, which has more fizz than juice. Both are brunch and Christmas morning drinks.
Keep everything very cold and pour the sparkling wine first, then the juice, so the drink mixes itself and the bubbles stay. Freshly squeezed juice or a good chilled carton with no bits is best.
Virgin mimosa: your questions answered
What is in a virgin mimosa?
A virgin mimosa is made with 90 ml alcohol-free sparkling wine and 60 ml orange juice. Garnish: a thin orange twist.
Is this virgin mimosa alcohol-free?
Yes. This virgin mimosa is made without any alcoholic ingredients, though alcohol-free spirits and sparkling wines can still contain a trace of alcohol, so check the label if you need to avoid it completely.
What glass do you serve a virgin mimosa in?
Serve a virgin mimosa in a flute. No flute? A wine glass.
