Cooking Lesson #296: Mimosa Cocktails

…from the Perspectives Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? Spring has sprung and in SoCal it’s time for those great backyard brunches with fresh berries and fruit, yeasted waffles and Hawaiian French Toast (made with King’s Hawaiian Bread). But don’t forget the libations.  For these occasions, there is nothing better than a Mimosa.
 
A Mimosa Cocktail is composed of dry, sparkling white wine and chilled, fresh orange juice. It is traditionally served in a tall champagne flute at brunch, at weddings, or as part of business or first class service on some airlines.
 
What is the best Champagne for Mimosas? Well it isn't actually Champagne. For Mimosas, I opt for a less-expensive Cava from Spain or Prosecco from Italy. They're both delicious dry sparkling wines that mix well with citrus juice.
 
Let me warn you… Bottomless mimosas should be approached with caution. People often don't realize that they are getting drunk, due to the champagne being mixed with orange juice, but it eventually hits them and hits them hard.
 
Prep time:  3 minutes
Yield:  1 serving
 
Ingredients
5 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice, well chilled
3 ounces Cava, Prosecco or Champagne, well chilled
Garnish: orange wheel, cherries or fresh strawberry
 
Directions

1. Pour the orange juice into a well-chilled Champagne flute.
2. Top off with sparkling wine glass without ice—no need to stir or shake.
3. Garnish with an orange wheel, cherry, splash of grenadine (called a Sunrise Mimosa) or a fresh strawberry.

 
ChefSecret:  There are several wonderful variations on this bar standard and they don’t all involve OJ.

• There’s the Buck's Fizz. This is a similar type of cocktail, invented a few years earlier in London, which has twice as much Champagne as orange juice.
• Then there’s the Poinsettia. It consists of cranberry juice with Champagne. It also can be made with vodka and/or Cointreau).
• Ahhh, the refreshing Lemosa. Made with champagne—substitute the orange juice with fresh-made lemonade.
• Tip your hat to Johnny Appleseed with a Vermosa. This is made with apple cider with Champagne. Sometimes seen on the menu as an Apple Crisp. Why the name? It was invented in Vermont
• When in Hawaii I love a Soleil--made with pineapple juice. It seems that Champagne and almost any fruit juice are exciting.

 
Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Cracking the code to Covid-19 to produce effective vaccines was not easy, but rather complex. Leaning into the complexity of things rather than fighting them can be the fuel to spark ingenious solutions."
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