Travel may be a little tricky these days, but you can still traverse the globe with these delicious drink recipes to try at home.
Today's cocktail hails from Paris, France – Mimosa.
What is it?
Simple yet undeniably chic, this classic breakfast cocktail seamlessly transforms the morning meal into a bona fide event.
Origins
Named for the golden Australian flower reputedly introduced to Europe by British explorer Captain Cook, the first mimosa was purportedly served at The Ritz, Paris in 1925 by head barman Frank Meier. However, the recipe may have been pilfered from London’s Buck’s Club, at which the first Buck’s Fizz (which uses the same ingredients but with a higher ratio of orange juice) was poured in 1921. Whatever its true origin the fact remains that, in the words of the Duke of Edinburgh, “Champagne and orange juice is a great drink.”
You’ll need
1½fl oz (40ml) freshly-squeezed orange juice (or fresh blood orange juice for a zesty alternative)
½fl oz (15ml) Grand Marnier or a dash of orange bitters (optional)
4fl oz (120ml ) Brut Champagne or dry sparkling wine
Method
Step 1: Add orange juice and, if using, Grand Marnier or bitters, to a champagne flute.
Step 2: Top with Champagne or sparkling wine.
Tasting Notes
Solving the age-old crisis of what to order when it’s perhaps a little too early in the day for a Champagne toast, but too special an occasion not to make one, the mimosa has rightly earned its title as the queen of chic boozy breakfast beverages. The hue of morning sunshine, this simple yet sophisticated tipple balances a sweet vitamin C hit with carbonated pep to provide the ultimate wake-up call. Word has it director Alfred Hitchcock was responsible for introducing the mimosa as a US weekend brunch staple in the 1940s, and to this day, few can deny that Sunday is as important an occasion as any to warrant a mimosa toast – wherever in the world one is breakfasting.
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This article was originally published in April 2020 and updated in September 2020.
