The cocktail is named after the bright yellow, fragrant flowers of the mimosa Acacia dealbata.[4] The origin of the cocktail is unclear, and was originally called a "champagne orange".[5] Some credit the Paris Ritz's bartender and cocktail writer Frank Meier for making the mimosa cocktail; however, Meier's 1934 book on mixing drinks, which has a special symbol for his inventions, does not use it for the mimosa.[5] The mimosa can be considered as a variant of the cocktail Buck's Fizz, or vice-versa; Buck's Fizz appears to date from 1921.[5][6] The International Bartenders Association simply says the mimosa is "Also known as Buck’s Fizz".[7] The mimosa became popular in the United States in the 1960s.[5] A news article published in the Sydney Morning Herald wrote about Queen Elizabeth II drinking a mimosa, introduced to her by Earl Mountbatten of Burma after his visit to the south of France.[5]
Variations
Buck's Fizz is essentially the same cocktail,[5][7] said to have been invented in 1921 in London.[6][8] Some sources draw a distinction, saying the Buck's Fizz specifically uses twice as much champagne as orange juice while the mimosa should use equal proportions, that a Buck's Fizz should be served without ice and a mimosa should include ice, or that a Buck's Fizz should be served in a flute or coupe and a mimosa should be served in an ordinary wine glass.[8] However, some sources give instructions for making mimosas that clearly do not fit these characterizations.[3]
The lemosa is lemonade with champagne, with a small amount of blueberry syrup.[9]
The Vermosa is apple cider with champagne, notably served in Vermont, United States.[10] Apple cider with champagne and brandy is called an apple crisp.[11]
The flirtini is made with pineapple juice, champagne and vodka.[12]
The megmosa[13][14] is a similar type of cocktail, composed of equal parts champagne and grapefruit juice.
The sherbet mimosa[15] consists of champagne and a scoop of sherbet, instead of orange juice.
The lychee rose mimosa[15] consists of champagne with lychee and rosewater.
The Hawaiian mimosa[15] consists of rum, champagne, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cherry juice.
Popular culture
"National Mimosa Day" is an unofficial holiday observed on May 16 in the US.[16][17]
^ abcdefMoss, Robert (April 24, 2017). "How the Mimosa Became the Official Drink of Brunch". MyRecipes. Archived from the original on May 13, 2018. Retrieved 2022-04-29. His 1934 cocktail book The Artistry Of Mixing Drinks includes the mimosa among its 300 recipes.... But Meier put a symbol—his initials inside a diamond—next to the cocktails he invented and there's no such mark next to the mimosa.
^ abSchuster, Amanda (2023). Signature Cocktails. Phaidon. Retrieved 25 December 2023 – via londonist.com.
