Our festive Cranberry Mimosa transforms the classic brunch cocktail into a refreshing concoction of effervescent champagne and tart cranberry juice, a perfect winter-inspired cocktail for your holiday brunches or afternoon get-togethers.
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If you love seasonal cocktails with a festive flair, you’ll want to try our cranberry Moscow mule for another cranberry-forward drink, or our apple cider mimosa for more brunch-worthy bubbly cocktails. You’ll also want to check out our Thanksgiving charcuterie board to create the perfect holiday spread alongside these seasonal drinks.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Cranberry mimosas are simple yet elegant and are perfect for holiday gatherings.
In the printable recipe below, you can find a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
- Cranberry Juice: We are using a high-quality, unsweetened cranberry juice that’s not from concentrate. This is not your everyday Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail. If you do substitute this with a cranberry cocktail, double the amount you add, and you’ll probably not need any additional sweetener. The cranberry flavor won’t come through as clearly, so it may be worth buying the real thing.
- Sparkling Wine: Traditionally, champagne is used in mimosas, but you can also substitute Prosecco or Cava. It is really a personal preference. We recommend using a dry sparkling wine, as the apple cider is already sweet.
- Orange Juice: Use fresh-squeezed orange juice for the best flavor. Store-bought orange juice from concentrate will also usually contain added sugar, which would make this drink too sweet.
How to Make a Cranberry Mimosa
Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.
Pro-tip: Chill your glasses in advance. This will help to keep your cocktail cold and refreshing. You can chill your glasses by placing them in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before serving.
Cranberry Mimosa: Place sugar on a small plate. Wet the rims of two champagne glasses with orange juice, then dip them into sugar to coat evenly. In a small pitcher, combine the cranberry juice and orange juice, then pour half of the juice mixture into each prepared glass, leaving it about one-third to one-half full, depending on your preferred juice-to-champagne ratio. Pouring slowly to preserve the fizz, top each glass with chilled sparkling wine or champagne. Garnish the cocktails with cranberries, orange slices, and a rosemary sprig.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- You can adjust the amount of cranberry juice and orange juice to your own taste. If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, add more orange juice. If you prefer a more tart cocktail, add more real cranberry juice.
- For a more festive presentation, you can rim the glass with sugar before adding the sparkling wine.
- To help keep your cocktail cold and prevent your hands from warming up the glass, use a wine glass with a stem.
- If you’re looking for a non-alcoholic option, you can substitute sparkling apple cider or sparkling grape juice for the sparkling wine.
More Holiday Cocktails to Try
Looking for more holiday cocktail recipes? Try these other favorites:
- Apple Cider Whiskey Sour – A twist on a classic cocktail that combines the flavors of fall with the warmth of whiskey, with apple cider and brown sugar cinnamon simple syrup.
- Cranberry Aperol Spritz – A seasonal spin on the classic Italian cocktail. Combining Aperol, cranberry juice, and fresh orange juice with effervescent prosecco, it is a refreshing drink perfect for holiday celebrations.
- Christmas Holiday Margarita – The perfect holiday cocktail. It is sweet, tangy, and tart, combining tequila, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, and bitters for a festive drink.
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Cranberry Mimosa
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Ingredients
- 4 ounces cranberry juice, not from concentrate
- 2 ounces orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 6 ounces champagne, or other sparkling wine
- 2 tablespoons sugar, for the rim of the glasses
- frozen cranberries, for garnish
- orange slices, for garnish
- rosemary sprig, for garnish
Instructions
- Run an orange slice on the rims of two champagne glasses and then dip the rims into granulated sugar to coat.
- In a small pitcher, combine cranberry juice and orange juice. Pour half of the juice mixture into each prepared glass.
- Top each glass with chilled sparkling wine or champagne. Pour slowly to preserve the fizz.
- Drop a few frozen cranberries into each glass for a festive touch. Garnish with orange slices and rosemary sprig.
This is an awesome recipe.