The Ratio You Need For Perfect Mimosas Every Time

With just two perky, effervescent ingredients, mimosas are refreshing, relaxing, a little bit luxe, and always feel more like a proper cocktail than the simple mixed drink that they are. Believe it or not, mimosas only began bubbling up as the go-to brunch cocktail around the 1960s, and today they join eggs Benedicts, French toast, and chilaquiles everywhere. But their proportions of orange juice and dry sparkling white wine (or, less likely, Champagne) can vary wildly, depending on where you're sat.

If you've ever made mimosas for a crowd at home, you've probably fulfilled requests where "just a splash" can go either way, seemingly too boozy or too fruity with every pour. So we tapped Will Patton, partner and beverage director at Press Club in Washington, DC, for an exclusive final answer. And Patton is, as you might expect from a hospitality pro, forgiving of the mix. "I think the balance of a mimosa or a Bellini is the guest's preference," he says. "Personally, I only add orange juice to bubbles for the vitamin C. Mostly, I want the sparkling flavor." That means that, if Patton's pouring, your drink will shine a little brighter. "Lots of sparkling wine. Splash of orange juice. You want the glass to be translucent, not opaque," he says. Such a mimosa's sum would land somewhere around five parts sparkling to one part orange juice, at the most.

Whichever orange juice dilution you choose, mimosas are an ample occasion to skip the spendy Champagne and reach for a nice cava or Prosecco instead. It just isn't worth adulterating the good stuff with even a tip of Tropicana. And remember that Prosecco will probably be the sweetest of the three if that's a flavor you'd rather suppress. On the zero-ABV side, pulp-free orange juice presents better in a flute than the alternatives.

You should also add the bubbly last. "It's been a minute since I worked a brunch shift but if I recall, pouring the orange juice over the bubbles will make the glass overflow," Will Patton says. The same goes for switcharoos like pineapple juice, which while less traditional, can give your mimosa a vacation vibe. And, should you wish to skip the juice entirely, a Kir Royale or an Aperol spritz would be similarly appropriate day drinking alternatives.