As much as we love a classic mimosa for brunch, it's also fun to switch it up. These pretty rainbow mimosas deserve their own table!
Poinsettia
Our rosy red mimosa calls on cranberry juice for a festive red hue. It’s a 4:1 champagne-to-cranberry juice ratio, with a splash of citrusy triple sec to bring the cocktail back to mimosa territory. If cranberry juice feels too wintery for your season, replace it with blood orange juice or grenadine and call your cocktail a “velvet mimosa” instead. We love these strawberry mimosas too!
Cranberry Mimosa
Sure, you can serve regular mimosas for your orange offering and call it a day, but we’re taking this opportunity to get a little more creative. Instead of straight orange juice, we puree the quintessential mimosa ingredient in a blender with cranberry juice, creating a gorgeous coral color. Pour a little on the bottom of each flute glass, and top with champagne. Everything swirls together beautifully, mimicking the peak gradience of a sunrise. There’s the name option too: sunrise mimosa! Mango juice, papaya juice or peach nectar is a great alternative to orange juice.
Pineapple Mimosas
Pineapple juice even tastes like the color yellow, so this syrupy-sweet tropical juice was our instant go-to for a summery yellow mimosa. It’s equal parts champagne and pineapple juice, so it’s a super-easy mimosa to throw together on a whim. Garnish the beverage with a pineapple wedge, and keep the rind on the wedge so it’s sturdier when pierced on the glass. Not a fan of pineapple? Try passionfruit juice, lemonade or pear nectar. Give the yellow mimosa a cute name, like “summer mimosa” or “daffodil mimosa,” if desired.
Green Mimosa
Midori (melon liqueur) imparts its green hue and smooth, velvety sweetness to this mimosa. There’s still orange juice, too, for the citrusy flavor we expect from mimosas—no matter the color. The garnish is the best part: a rainbow sour belt and two mini marshmallows held together with a toothpick to mimic a rainbow, nodding to our theme and doubling as a great St. Patrick’s Day cocktail come March. Instead of Midori, feel free to use kiwi juice, but omit the orange juice or your mimosa will turn brown. Give this drink a cute cocktail name like “lucky mimosas” or “pot of gold mimosas.”
Blue Lagoon Mimosas
Our blue lagoon mimosa is hued with curacao—a liqueur made with dried peels of a bitter orange—for that ocean blue color. Lemonade replaces the usual orange juice, so the blue can really shine. Between the sweet lemonade and bitter orange, it’s super citrusy and bright, and a curled lemon peel is the perfect finishing touch. I love “blue lagoon mimosa,” and I think “mermaid mimosa” could be cute for summer too.
Blackberry Mimosas
Blackberry mimosas are made with—you guessed it!—blackberries. Blackberry juice isn’t something readily available at the store, so you will need to take an extra step with this mimosa recipe. (Spoiler: It’s worth it.) Just blend blackberries in a blender until smooth, strain the juice to discard the seeds and it’s ready to use! Add a little to each flute glass, and top it with orange juice and champagne for an upgraded mimosa. I think “potion mimosa” is a fun name for this one, especially with edible glitter swirled in.
This pink mimosa is just as easy to make as a classic mimosa. So, how do we turn it pink? Pink lemonade takes the place of orange juice, and that’s it! It has all the same sweet, citrusy flavors but is tinged with a pink hue. What could be easier? I love to freeze raspberries (lay them out individually on a parchment-lined sheet so they don’t stick together) and use them as ice-cube-like garnishes. For something not as sweet as lemonade but just as pink, grapefruit juice is a great alternative. I’d call this “blush mimosa” or “pretty in pink mimosa.”
Rainbow Mimosas FAQ
What are the best juices for mimosas?
The best juices for mimosas are orange, cranberry, mango, peach, pear, papaya, passionfruit, pineapple, blood orange, grenadine, pink lemonade or grapefruit. Some are sweeter than others, so make a test mimosa before solidifying your ratio (twist my arm!). Start with a 1:3 ratio of juice to champagne, then add more juice as needed. Don’t forget: You can totally mix complementary juices to create your own signature blend.
What should I have to create a mimosa bar for rainbow mimosas?
To create a mimosa bar for rainbow mimosas, set out bottles of sparkling wine, more than enough champagne flutes, an array of juices and other mix-ins presented in pretty carafes, all kinds of cocktail garnishes and written-out ratio suggestions for each mimosa. I like to label everything so no one has to guess. It’s also nice to have a mocktail option for those abstaining, so set out a bottle of sparkling apple cider or sparkling grapefruit juice. If it’s a particularly hot day, make sure there’s a bucket of ice with ice tongs.
How can I make a layered rainbow mimosa?
To make a layered rainbow mimosa, add the liquids to the flute glass in order of density, starting with the densest at the bottom and the lightest on top. Start with a small splash of grenadine, then gently pour in pineapple juice over the back of a spoon. Do the same with blue curaçao, and top off the glass with champagne. The primary colors automatically create secondary colors (orange and green) once they’re gently layered.
