Arguably everyone’s brunch beverage of choice, Mimosas have been a cocktail staple for as long as we can remember. Who could’ve guessed that a combination as simple as orange juice and champagne would catch? We have no idea. Which is why we’re investigating the origin story behind everyone’s favorite citrus sip.
According to Wikipedia, Mimosas entered the drink scene in 1925 at the Hôtel Ritz Paris when Frank Meir, the hotel’s lauded mixologist, crafted the first Mimosa out of sheer wit alone – probably naming it after the yellow flower of the same name. Half Austrian and half Jewish, Meier was the Ritz’s first ever bartender and was known for his charming hospitality, and his ability to come up with creative cocktail recipes on the fly. Meier went on to publish what would later become a staple in any cocktail enthusiasts’ collection: The Artistry of Mixing Drinks. The alleged father of the Mimosa was even an unlikely hero during World War II when he continued to run the bar during Germany’s occupation of Paris. In doing so, he was able to covertly help the French resistance and British spies.
Our history of the Mimosa turns speculative when we begin to entertain the alternative tales of a drink called the Buck’s Fizz, which was born out of London’s Buck’s Club four years earlier and was said to have a higher ratio of champagne to juice. The Mimosas’ true history gets even foggier when Alfred Hitchcock gets thrown into the mix, as some say the acclaimed director invented the drink in San Francisco in the 1940’s.
As convoluted as the Mimosa’s history may be, there’s no denying that the brunch staple is still topping cocktail menus across the country and is constantly being reinvented and reimagined. In that spirit, we’ll leave you with a couple of our favorite Mimosa remakes:
The Watermelon Mimosa
Swap the OJ for freshly juiced watermelon and add a few squirts of lime juice. Garnish it with your favorite fruit. Now, you’ve got a refreshing twist that is pretty much liquid summer.
The Grapefruit Beer Mimosa
Not a fan of champagne? This wine-less Mimosa will throw you for a loop. Not as sweet as orange juice, the grapefruit juice in this gives the drink a zesty kick. We love this recipe. We just like to substitute the sugar with a natural sweetner or sugar replacement, such as Swerve Sweetner, coconut sugar or monk fruit sweetner. Cheers!
