A cranberry mimosa is the holiday version of the brunch classic, a mimosa with cranberry juice in place of most of the orange, topped with chilled Prosecco or dry champagne. It’s our go-to pour from Thanksgiving through Christmas. This one is tart and crisp, not sugary. The difference is the juice. We skip the sweetened cranberry cocktail and use pure cranberry juice, with a splash of fresh orange juice to take the edge off.
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If you’ve heard of a Poinsettia, that’s a close cousin that includes an orange liqueur. Ours skips the liqueur and keeps its brunch credentials.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
The complete ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.
- Cranberry Juice: We use Lakewood Organic Pure Cranberry, but any pure cranberry juice that’s not from concentrate will work. Just skip the everyday Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail. On its own, pure cranberry juice is quite tart. A splash of orange juice balances it, so you don’t need extra sweetener.
- Sparkling Wine: We use either Prosecco or champagne. Choose a dry bottle, since the orange juice already brings some sweetness. Look for “brut” on the label. Bottles marked “extra dry” are, confusingly, a touch sweeter than brut.
- Orange Juice: Fresh-squeezed juice has a brighter flavor than carton juice, and the recipe calls for only a couple of ounces, so you won’t spend all your time squeezing oranges.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Split it evenly. We like half juice and half sparkling wine. For a sweeter drink, add a little more orange juice. For a tarter one, add more cranberry.
- Mix the juice ahead. Combine the cranberry and orange juice in a pitcher up to 24 hours ahead and keep it in the fridge. When guests arrive, fill each glass halfway with the juice mixture and top with sparkling wine. Adding the wine at the last minute keeps the bubbles lively.
- Make it alcohol-free. Swap the sparkling wine for sparkling white grape juice or an alcohol-free sparkling wine.
More Holiday Cocktails to Try
Looking for more holiday cocktail recipes? Try these other favorites:
- Cranberry French 75 – Our holiday spin on the classic, with gin, lemon, and cranberry simple syrup topped with champagne.
- Cranberry Aperol Spritz – Aperol meets cranberry and fresh orange juice, topped with Prosecco for a slightly more bittersweet twist.
- Cranberry Moscow Mule – The classic mule with a holiday makeover, thanks to pure cranberry juice.
- Apple Cider Mimosa – The fall version of a mimosa, made with apple cider, a splash of bourbon, and a cinnamon sugar rim.
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Cranberry Mimosa
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Ingredients
- 4 ounces cranberry juice, pure, not from concentrate
- 2 ounces orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 6 ounces Prosecco or dry 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 around the rims of two champagne glasses, then dip the rims into the sugar to coat.
- In a small pitcher, combine chilled cranberry juice and orange juice. Pour half of the juice mixture into each glass.
- Top each glass with chilled sparkling wine, pouring slowly to preserve the fizz.
- Drop a few frozen cranberries into each glass. Garnish with an orange slice and a sprig of rosemary.
This is an awesome recipe.