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How The Mimosa Became The Go-To Brunch Cocktail

Champagne and orange juice. That's all it really takes to make a mimosa — a cute and classic cocktail served in a champagne flute and garnished with a citrus twist or fresh raspberries. The bubbly and tangy mimosa is a staple for brunch tables worldwide, helping vacationers relax, friends celebrate reunions, honeymooners enjoy alone time, and the girls catch up over eggs Benedict and pancakes. This cocktail — showcasing the best Champagne for mimosas, of course — is a popular, flirty libation that doesn't hit as hard as a fresh Aquavit Bloody Mary or a 50/50 vermouth-and-vodka martini. It's not a shot and not a particularly stiff drink; The mimosa is a cocktail made for sipping over conversation and in between appetizers.

But mimosas weren't popular in America before the 1960's, and when they finally did start to gain some traction, they were a pre-dinner cocktail. It was in 1968 that the tune changed for mimosas, and they were invited to join the bloody mary for Sunday brunch at the Shandy Pub in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. Serving mimosas at brunch was immediately popular, so well-loved that it sparked a nationwide movement toward brunch mimosas. By 1977, mimosas were being served at brunch in homes and at restaurants across America.

Why did mimosas become popular in America?

Hollywood starlets and European elites were the people behind the meteoric rise of mimosas in America. It all started when mimosas were mentioned by a London correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald (via Salon), in 1961, who reported the debut of a new favorite drink among the English Royal Family, writing: "The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Queen Mother all have adopted a Champagne cocktail they call [the] mimosa." It was a combination of fresh orange juice and Champagne and it was the new must-have accessory in Europe. Rich and famous jet-setters brought mimosas to America as they traveled to and from New York. By the late 1960's the mimosa had become popular in America; A favorite drink for politicians, actresses, businessmen, and anyone else who deemed themselves elite.

But the citrusy, bubbly mimosa has more than one origin story, with multiple European bartenders claiming they invented the classic brunch cocktail – long before Queen Elizabeth II ever got ahold of it. The two whose stories were the loudest were Frank Meir in 1925 at the Ritz Bar in Paris, and then the Buck's Club in London, which unveiled the Buck's Fizz (a champagne-orange cocktail) at around the same time. Both claims have been debunked; Reportedly, the French had long before invented the drink and it was simply renamed and marketed by bars in Paris and London.

How to make the best mimosa cocktail

Most mixologists these days say you need a 50/50 mix of chilled Champagne and fresh-squeezed orange juice to make a classic mimosa. Others say you should add a little orange-y Cointreau to the mix. Then, garnish with fresh mint or an orange slice, fresh fruit — or nothing at all. French actress Denise Darcel once explained that mimosas should be made with two parts Champagne and one part orange juice over ample ice. Whatever your style, making a beautiful brunch mimosa at home is as easy as cracking open some OJ and buying some bubbly; A $15 bottle of brut will work just as easily as the expensive stuff.

Invite your friends over to a mimosa brunch bar to elevate your next gathering and pay homage to the star-studded contingent that brought the mimosa to America. You can find mimosa bar kits online, or simply gather a few glass carafes, garnish trays, and champagne flutes. Make your own DIY brunch mimosa bar in honor of the queen of England, Hollywood's glitterati, and out of respect to the two bars who were bold enough to claim invention of the mimosa: The Ritz Bar in Paris and the Buck's Club in London. Maybe the true inventor of the mimosa remains a mystery, but there's no question this is now the official cocktail of the brunch bunch, everywhere.

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