Virgin Mimosas

A Virgin Mimosa is the non-alcoholic star of brunch. Learn how to make the best drink with the perfect ratio.

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Easy Virgin Mimosa recipe

Who said bottomless mimosas had to be boozy?! A Virgin Mimosa can be just as tasty as the champagne version. I promise you won’t even miss the alcohol!

When mimosas are on the menu, or if you’re serving a mimosa bar with different juice options and alcohol, it’s always a nice idea to add some non-alcoholic sparkling mixers into the mix.

In fact, it’s always a good idea to offer a mocktail option for your guests. The mimosa fits the bill perfectly, and people of all ages can still enjoy it without the booze.

Let’s dive into the recipe and discover all the ways you can make a non-alcoholic mimosa for delicious results every time.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Virgin mimosas are the perfect brunch drink to go with blueberry muffins or a pancake in a mug. They are also a great mocktail for special occasions like baby showers and bridal showers. Here’s why people love them:

• A non-alcoholic mimosa is the perfect mocktail for kids and non-drinkers. It’s a crowd pleaser for sure!
• The virgin mimosa is fully customizable with different juices and champagne alternatives.
• It’s just as good — if not better — than a traditional mimosa.

What is a mimosa?

The mimosa is a classic cocktail, a sparkling beverage of orange juice and champagne. Orange juice is classic, but it can be made with other types of juices and, of course, without alcohol.

This bubbly drink is usually the star of brunch, supported by its savory friend the Bloody Mary (which can also be a mocktail. It’s called the Virgin Mary!) It’s not uncommon to see “bottomless mimosas” on the menu.

Mimosas get their name from the mimosa flower, which is a pretty orange color.

Sometimes orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau, are added for extra orange flavor — but, below, I have a non-alcoholic version for this step that you are going to love.

Ingredients

You technically only need to grab two ingredients from the grocery store to make these virgin mimosa drinks, but there’s a third ingredient you can add.

Orange juice

If you have the time and the tools, squeezing your own orange juice will go a long way and provide the freshest flavor.

You can use navel oranges, but I like cara cara oranges for their sweet flavor. Blood oranges also make some tasty juice but with a deeper, reddish color.

Most oranges produce a few ounces of juice, which is all you need for one mimosa.

However, if you are making a lot of drinks or bottomless mimosas, then you will probably want to pick up a bottle.

If you juice your own, you can use an electric juicer or a citrus squeezer. I also really like these juicers with vessels underneath to collect the juice from hand squeezing the oranges. Be sure to strain out the pulp!

If you purchase your orange juice, then you should grab one that has no pulp or low pulp. If there is pulp, even just a little, the champagne will force it to float to the top. Totally fine, just not as pretty.

Non-alcoholic bubbly

For an alternative to champagne, there are lots of bubbly options.

Non-alcoholic champagne does exist, but it’s a bit drier and therefore not a great choice if you’re serving these delicious drinks to kids. You may wish for a sweeter option for them!

What you’re looking for is a somewhat clear-colored drink with lots of carbonation to get that bubbly, champagne-like effect.

Try one of these great options:

• sparkling apple cider
• sparkling lemonade
• ginger beer
• ginger ale
• lemon-lime soda
• sparkling white grape juice
• club soda or seltzer

Club soda and seltzer are going to be drier and less sweet than the other options on this list. They are great choices if you are in need of a skinny mimosa mocktail recipe.

It all comes down to personal preference as to what makes the perfect virgin drink. If you’re serving a crowd, you might opt to serve one of the sweeter options, like sparkling cider or ginger beer, along with club soda.

You could even use a non-alcoholic beer similar to a lager to make a virgin beermosa.

Whatever you use, make sure you store it in the fridge prior to serving so it’s super cold, which helps to activate the carbonation. (For a party, a cooler with ice cubes works fine too.)

(I used sparkling apple cider for the virgin mimosas in these photos.)

Non-alcoholic triple sec

If you want to take your non-alcoholic mimosas up a notch, you can add a splash of non-alcoholic triple sec. It’s not totally necessary but it adds an extra layer of flavor.

How to make a non-alcoholic mimosa

This easy mimosa mocktail is super simple to put together.

First, add the orange juice to your champagne flute. Fill it about a third-full or half-full.

If you’re using the triple sec alternative, add that next. Then, slowly, top with your choice of sparkling cider, ginger beer or club soda.

When you add the bubbly last, you are better able to control how quickly it will bubble up.

If you like, garnish it with an orange slice, then enjoy it immediately!

Variations and substitutions

If you’d like to try a virgin mimosa mocktail without orange juice, there are lots of fruit juice options!

Try one of these alternatives to try different flavors of mimosas:

• pomegranate juice
• lemonade
• apple cider
• grapefruit juice
• cranberry juice
• guava juice
• strawberry purée
• pineapple juice
• limeade
• peach juice (aka peach nectar)

In fact, serving a few types of juice is a great way to serve large gatherings and let guests build their own drinks.

More non-alcoholic drinks

• Virgin Moscow Mule
• Virgin Mint Julep
• Virgin Mojito