Easy & Elegant Blood Orange Mimosa: The Perfect Winter Brunch Cocktail Recipe

This easy, vibrant, and utterly delicious Blood Orange Mimosa is the quintessential cocktail for your winter brunches and special occasions. Harnessing the unique beauty and flavor of blood oranges, which grace us with their presence only during the colder months, this drink offers a stunning reddish-pink hue that’s simply captivating. It’s not just a refreshing beverage; it’s a visual delight, making it an ideal choice for romantic Valentine’s Day celebrations, fun Galentine’s Day gatherings, or simply to add a burst of color to any chilly winter morning.

What is a Blood Orange Mimosa? A Seasonal Delight

At its heart, a Blood Orange Mimosa is a sophisticated twist on the classic mimosa cocktail. The traditional mimosa, a beloved brunch staple, combines crisp orange juice with sparkling champagne. Our blood orange version elevates this simple concoction by replacing regular orange juice with the distinctively flavored and beautifully colored juice from blood oranges. A touch of triple sec is often added to further enhance the citrus notes, creating a drink that’s both familiar and excitingly new.

What makes this cocktail truly special is its reliance on seasonal ingredients. Blood oranges are typically available in the US from December through April, making this the perfect winter and early spring libation. Their deep red, almost maroon, flesh yields a juice that transforms a standard mimosa into a vibrant, eye-catching drink. This striking color isn’t just pretty; it hints at the unique flavor profile—a less tart, slightly berry-like sweetness compared to common oranges, with a subtle floral aroma.

This cocktail is remarkably simple to prepare, requiring just three ingredients and less than five minutes of your time. Its effortless elegance makes it suitable for a wide array of winter and spring festivities. Imagine serving these gorgeous mimosas for a Christmas brunch (if you can get your hands on the oranges early!), an Easter gathering, a Mother’s Day celebration, or even just a casual weekend get-together. It’s a versatile recipe that scales easily, whether you’re crafting a single drink for yourself or preparing a large pitcher for a crowd.

Why Choose Blood Oranges for Your Mimosa?

Beyond their stunning visual appeal, blood oranges bring a distinctive flavor profile that sets them apart from their common orange cousins. Their juice typically offers a fascinating blend of sweet and slightly tart notes, often with hints of raspberry, cranberry, or even cherry. This complex flavor adds an extra layer of sophistication to the mimosa, transforming it from a simple citrus drink into a more intriguing cocktail experience. The natural pigments that give blood oranges their dramatic color are also rich in antioxidants, offering a little healthful bonus to your indulgent brunch drink!

Furthermore, using seasonal ingredients always yields the best flavor. When blood oranges are in season, their juice is at its peak freshness and intensity, making for a truly superior mimosa. Embracing seasonal produce not only supports local agriculture (if available) but also connects you to the natural rhythms of the culinary world, ensuring the freshest and most vibrant flavors in your homemade drinks.

Blood Orange Mimosa Ingredients

Creating this beautiful blood orange mimosa requires only a handful of readily available ingredients:

• 2 ounces fresh blood orange juice: This is the star of the show, providing the signature flavor and color. One medium blood orange typically yields about 2 ounces of juice.
• ½ ounce triple sec (or another orange liqueur): A subtle addition that boosts the orange flavor without overpowering the delicate notes of the blood orange.
• 3 ½ ounces champagne (or Prosecco or Cava): The sparkling wine component adds fizz and makes it a true mimosa. Choose a dry or brut variety to balance the sweetness of the juice.

Step By Step Instructions to Create Your Blood Orange Mimosa

Making a blood orange mimosa is incredibly straightforward. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Combine the base ingredients: Add the fresh blood orange juice and triple sec to the base of a champagne flute. Gently stir to ensure they are well mixed.

2. Top with sparkling wine: Slowly pour the chilled champagne (or Prosecco/Cava) over the juice mixture. Pouring slowly helps to preserve the fizz and prevent the glass from overflowing. Fill to your desired level, leaving a little space for a garnish.

3. Garnish and serve: Add a fresh slice of blood orange to the rim or drop it into the glass. A twist of orange peel also works beautifully. Serve immediately and enjoy the vibrant flavors!

Essential Equipment for Your Blood Orange Mimosa

You don’t need fancy bar tools to make this delightful cocktail. Here’s what will come in handy:

• Liquid measuring cup: For precise measurements of your juice and liqueur.
• Citrus juicer: To easily extract fresh juice from your blood oranges.
• Champagne flutes: The classic choice for serving mimosas, designed to preserve the bubbles. However, a white wine glass works perfectly well if flutes aren’t available.
• Small spoon or stirrer: To mix the juice and triple sec before adding the sparkling wine.

Recipe Pro Tips for a Perfect Mimosa

Achieve mimosa mastery with these expert tips:

• This recipe is designed with a standard 6-ounce champagne flute in mind. Since flute sizes can vary significantly (some hold up to 10 ounces), you might need to adjust the amount of champagne. For glasses larger than 8 ounces, we recommend increasing the blood orange juice and triple sec by 1.5 to 2 times to maintain the ideal flavor proportions.
• No champagne flutes? No problem! A regular white wine glass makes for a perfectly acceptable and elegant alternative.
• Chill all ingredients thoroughly: For the best tasting and most refreshing mimosa, ensure your blood orange juice, triple sec, and especially your sparkling wine are well-chilled before mixing. This helps maintain the drink’s effervescence and crispness.
• Don’t stir too vigorously: After adding the sparkling wine, avoid excessive stirring, which can cause the bubbles to dissipate quickly. A gentle stir of the juice and liqueur beforehand is sufficient.
• Ratio is key: The classic mimosa ratio is often 1 part juice to 1 part sparkling wine. However, this recipe uses a slightly higher champagne ratio (approx. 1:1.75 juice to champagne) to let the blood orange flavor truly shine without being overly sweet or diluted. Feel free to adjust to your personal preference!

Storage and Serving Tips for Effortless Entertaining

Prepare your mimosas like a pro for any occasion:

• Prepare juice in advance: You can squeeze your blood oranges, mix the juice with any desired sweetener, and combine it with the triple sec up to 48 hours ahead of time. Store this mixture in a sealed container in the refrigerator. This allows for quick assembly when guests arrive.
• Mimosa bar for parties: This recipe scales wonderfully for larger gatherings. Prepare a carafe or pitcher of the chilled blood orange juice and triple sec mixture. Set it out with bottles of chilled champagne, flutes, and a variety of garnishes (blood orange slices, berries, mint). This “make your own mimosa bar” allows guests to customize their drinks and keeps the host stress-free.
• Always serve chilled: Mimosas are best served very cold. Keep your sparkling wine on ice or in the refrigerator right until you’re ready to pour.

• Watermelon Mimosa: A juicy, refreshing option perfect for warmer weather.
• Pomegranate Mimosa: Offers a deeper, slightly tart flavor and rich jewel-toned color.
• Blackberry Mimosa: Sweet and tangy, with a gorgeous dark purple hue.
• Santa Mimosa: A festive red drink, often incorporating cranberry or cherry flavors for holiday cheer.

Final Thoughts on Your Blood Orange Mimosa Adventure

These absolutely delicious blood orange mimosas are more than just a drink; they’re an experience. They are the perfect alcoholic beverage for adding a touch of elegance and festive cheer to any winter brunch, Easter celebration, Mother’s Day meal, Galentine’s Day get-together, or romantic Valentine’s Day. Their captivating gradient of red to orange is naturally stunning and makes a memorable statement.

The star ingredient, juicy blood oranges, provides an exquisite base for this mimosa. Their flavor profile, akin to a traditional orange but with delightful berry-like undertones, is both familiar and exciting. It’s truly their vibrant, dramatic color, however, that sets them apart and makes this mimosa a showstopper.

With a minimalist ingredient list of just three components and a preparation time of only a few minutes, this cocktail defies its complex taste. It’s a surprisingly simple yet sophisticated drink that’s easy to whip up and enjoy throughout the winter season. Just remember to catch those blood oranges while they’re in season to experience this delightful concoction at its best!