A recent vacation a few weeks ago ,reintroduced a special treat that seemed to have fallen by the wayside in my weekend  brunches and “weekend morning starts.”

There is no better start to the relaxing days of a summer weekend ( think Easter brunches) than a Mimosa.

The Mimosa is believed to have been invented circa 1925 in the Hotel Ritz Paris,  France.

A Mimosa is a cocktail composed of equal parts of champagne (or sparkling wine) and a chilled citrus juice.

Orange juice is usually the choice but all juices can be considered.

Think pineapple,(100% pure),blood orange, grapefruit. 

it is served in a tall champagne flute, but regular wine glasses and even Martini glasses are great stand ins.

Basics to remember:

Start with quality sparkling wines, $15 to $25 price range works well.

Consider Cava or Proscecco’s from Spain,Italy, or the USA.

Use the highest quality juices available 

Consider juicing the fruit yourself for brighter colour, vibrant flavours

If you juice, do it at room temperatures, strain it, and chill for a few hours before serving

Serve as cold as possible

Crack the bubbles just before serving to protect effervescence, pour the juice first to avoid excess foaming

Keep the components chilled separately in ice buckets

Proper proportions juice to sparkling can be 50/50, although my preferred ratio is one part juice to 3 parts sparkle.

Keep it creative.

Try garnish the rims with fruit, toss in frozen fruit pieces as garnish, use sparkling wine/champagne ice cubes, even pour sparkling wine over a dollop of sorbet for a striking presentation and treat.

A Martini glass work well for this!

Happy Easter and enjoy those lazy weekends of summer in style!