Blood Orange Mimosa

With a beautiful rosy color, sweet flavor and bubbly effervescence, a Blood Orange Mimosa is a fun and festive cocktail.  Instructions for an extra fruit option and a non-alcoholic mimosa included.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone. Take a look at the giveaway below for your chance to win some of these great products.

Blood Orange Mimosas

Nothing starts a party quite like a tray of mimosas.  They bring a festive elegance to any event–and just the right amount of indulgence. A traditional brunch drink, mimosas are at home at all kinds of gatherings.  You don’t even need to say “it’s five o’clock somewhere!” 

And courtesy of a beautiful box of fruit from Melissa’s Produce, I decided to do something special with my mimosas today.  Besides an abundance of colorful blood oranges, I had petite kumquats (did you know you eat a kumquat peel and all?) and striking dragon fruit and I knew these would be special in a cocktail. 

Melissa's Produce Box

So, I did two versions—one straight and one with added fruit.  Yum and yum!

Blood Orange Mimosa with Fruit

What is a Mimosa?

The Britannica Dictionary describes a mimosa as an alcoholic drink made with champagne and orange juice”. Often served at festive brunches like Easter or Mother’s Day, they are right at home at other elegant daytime events like garden parties and showers.

And today I decided to shake things up and go with the beautiful and vibrant juice from the blood orange.  After a long winter a vibrant burst of color couldn’t be more welcome!

two blood orange mimosas

Why You’ll Love This!

Tasty.  The sweet tart flavor of the juice and the mellowing bubbly champagne makes for a tasty and popular cocktail.

Easy.  The blood orange syrup (or juice) is ready in minutes.  And if you prepare it ahead of time, you just need to pour some out and top with champagne at your even.  This means you won’t miss a minutes of conversation!

Festive.  What’s more fun than a sweet bubbly mimosa, especially at brunch!

blood orange mimosas

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

  • Blood orange juice. This deliver the bulk of the flavor and the beautiful color.
  • Simple syrup or sweetener.  This sweetens the juice and balances any bitterness. Amounts will vary.  You can use sugar and water instead if needed.
  • Champagne.  This is provides the bubbles and a little boozy kick. Use fizzy water or 7-up style beverage for alcohol free.
  • Optional fresh fruit balls or slices.  If you’d like to add fruit to your drink.

Special Tools

  • You’ll need a blender to puree the blood orange juice.

Step by Step Directions

Prepare the fruit if using.

cut up kumquats and dragon fruit

Juice the oranges.

juice the blood oranges

Blend syrup with the simple syrup or sugar and water if using, until pulp is mostly broken up and sugar (if using) is dissolved.  If you are not using any sweetener, blend anyway to break up the pulp.

blend juice with sweetener

Fill the glass ¼ -1/3 full with juice mixture.  If you are using fruit, add it here.

add juice to glass

Top with champagne

top with champagne

Serve immediately.

How to Serve

A blood orange mimosa is best served in a champagne glass.  A first choice substitute would be a wine glass. 

I’d serve mimosas at any casual-elegant daytime event.  Besides the de rigueur brunches (yes, this is a perfect Easter or Mother’s Day brunch cocktail), occasions such as garden parties, showers and graduation celebrations come to mind.

A Blood Orange Mimosa delivers a welcome color burst in the nascent spring and would be beautiful as a Valentine’s Day or holiday cocktail too.

blood orange mimosa

Variations and Special Diets

For variety—or if blood oranges aren’t available–you can always go with a classic mimosa using regular orange juice and champagne.  Or for the holidays, mix cranberry juice and champagne for a poinsettia. I would omit the sweetener for these options.

For a slightly tipsier, more intensely orange beverage, consider adding a half ounce (1 Tablespoon) of orange liqueur such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier to each glass.

And for other fun champagne drinks consider my Downton Abbey Christmas Champagne Cocktail, Sorbet and Champagne Cocktail (match your sorbet color to the occasion!) or Refreshing Peach Bellini.  And in case you’re wondering, the Bellini is a cousin to the mimosa with pureed fresh fruit (usually peach) and Prosecco.

A Blood Orange Mocktail

Now I don’t like to leave out kids or teetotalers from any of the fun, so I have some options for a Mimosa Mocktail.  For the easiest option, just top the blood orange juice with a sweetened or diet carbonated beverage like 7-up. 

For a more natural sparkling mocktail, top with fizzy water. In this case you may need to double check the sweetness of the drink.

blood orange mimosa

Preparation and Leftovers

You can juice the oranges and make the syrup ahead of time as a time-saving tip.  This will keep sealed in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 

And if you have leftover juice, you can dilute it with plain or sparkling water for a breakfast juice.

The champagne should be well chilled and opened just before serving.  This will present it at its sparkling best.  Plus no one wants to miss the dramatic “pop”! 

two mimosas

Tips & FAQs

If you are doing the fruit version and want to make dragon fruit balls, you can use a melon baller.  But if you don’t have one even a rounded metal measuring spoon can work. 

 Blood oranges can vary in intensity and bitterness depending on the variety of orange and your personal sensitivity to bitter flavors.  So, adjust the level of sweetener to your tastes or omit it if it isn’t needed. 

A classic mimosa can use up to a 1:1 ratio of juice to champagne.  Since I find the blood orange juice to be more intense, I like to work with a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio.  

Your yield will vary based on the size of your champagne glasses.  While not as wildly varied as martini glasses, I occasionally come across a champagne glass that’s almost double the standard size.

When you add the champagne to the glass, pour it in slowly to keep it from bubbling up and overflowing.  A well-chilled champagne will minimize this. 

blood orange mimosa with fruit

blood orange mimosas

Blood Orange Mimosa

With a beautiful rosy color, sweet flavor and bubbly effervescence, a Blood Orange Mimosa is a fun and festive cocktail.  Instructions for an extra fruit option and a non-alcoholic mimosa included.
Author: Inger
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Course Beverage
Servings 8
Calories 124 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cup blood orange juice from about 6-8 oranges.
  • 0-½ cup simple syrup or sweetener or 1/3 cup each water and sugar, or to taste (see note)
  • 1 bottle champagne well chilled, substitute fizzy water or 7-up style drink for alcohol free
  • Optional fresh fruit balls or slicies.

Instructions
 

  • Juice the oranges.
  • Prepare the fruit if using.
  • Blend syrup with the simple syrup or sugar and water if using, until pulp is mostly broken up and sugar (if using) is dissolved.
  • Fill the glass 1/4 -1/3 full with juice mixture. If you are using fruit, add it here. Top with champagne

Notes

Blood orange juice will vary in sweetness and bitterness, so adjust sweetener accordingly. Calorie count uses full 1/2 cup of simple syrup.  It may sound like a lot but it's really just 1/2 ounce per serving.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 19mgPotassium: 189mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 93IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Wednesday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes

We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.

Welcome to #SpringSweetsWeek 2023 hosted by Heather from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks! The sun is shining, the weather is getting warmer, and we are celebrating the beginning of spring with plenty of spring sweets and a fun giveaway! This year 20 food bloggers from around the country are sharing over 75 sweet recipes that are perfect for spring. So get ready to enjoy amazing spring treats like cupcakes, cookies, pies, jams, and even a few beverages! Thank you to our #SpringSweetsWeek sponsors that are helping us give away some great prizes. Thank you to Melissa’s Produce, Anolon, Taylor and Colledge, and Selefina Spices for your generosity and support. We have an incredible giveaway with four amazing prizes and would love it if you would take a moment to read about it and the prizes that you can win!

Prize #1:  A Fresh and Dried Organics Basket from Melissa’s Produce.

A box of fresh and dried fruits.

One winner will enjoy an abundance of fruit with Melissa’s Fresh and Dried Organics Basket. This hand-woven basket holds a delicious combination of fresh and dried Organic fruits and is carefully wrapped with cellophane and finished with a colorful ribbon. Melissa’s Produce has everything from common apples and bananas to exotic passion fruit and kumquats. 

Prize # 2:  A $30 Gift certificate to Selefina Spices.

3 spice jars and a spoon with spices on it.

One winner will enjoy a $30 gift certificate to buy all their favorite spices for cooking and baking! Selefina Spices sells an assortment of spices gathered using dedication and care with which we’ve curated their online tea collection. With our decades of experience sourcing products and establishing global connections their mission is to be able to bring you fresher, higher-quality spices and seasonings at lower prices. 

Prize #3:  A selection of 4 extract pastes from Taylor and Colledge.

Five tubes of extract pastes

One winner will receive a selection of extracts to include almond, lemon, organic vanilla bean, and lavender. In 1897, Taylor & Colledge won its first award for excellence in vanilla. Since then, the Taylor & Colledge commitment for unsurpassed quality has earned its reputation as one of the world’s finest producers of vanilla.

Prize #4:  AnolonPro Bakeware 2 Piece Set of Half Sheet Cookie Pans.

2 cookie sheets

One winner will win a 2-piece set of 13-inch x 18-inch half sheet baking pans for cookies!  These aluminized steel professional sheet pans deliver unmatched durability and heat conduction for incredibly reliable results and are oven safe to 550°F.  You’ll be able to bake all your favorite cookies to perfection. Anolon Pro Bakeware gives you professional grade bakeware at affordable prices.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This recipe is intended for individuals ages 21 & up. Please drink responsibly.

Thank you #SpringSweetsWeek Sponsors: Selefina Spices, Anolon, Melissa’s Produce, and Taylor and Colledge for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #SpringSweetsWeek giveaway is open to residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older.   All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Four (4) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #SpringSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #SpringSweetsWeek posts or entry.

14 thoughts on “Blood Orange Mimosa

  1. Raymund

    5 stars
    The color and flavor sound amazing. And the option to add extra fruit is a nice touch too. I can’t wait to try this out at my next brunch or party!

    1. Inger Post author

      Isn’t the color amazing? I usually freeze citrus whole–it’s so easy to do!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating





css.php