Practically everyone likes a good mimosa. It’s a very popular and tasty drink made from sparkling wine or champagne (and who doesn’t like the taste of Champagne), orange juice, and triple sec.
Some people prefer Gran Marnier triple sec since it’s a bit sweet. But the big question we get the most is, what’s the best champagne to use to make mimosas?
Naturally, the answer to that question is going to depend on your personal preference and the situation.
But there are certainly some strong contenders for an objectively ideal champagne for making this popular cocktail.
So let’s look at some of the best and most popular wines that are most commonly used by mimosa lovers.
The 7 Very Best Champagnes for Mimosas
The following 6 champagne reviews are based on in depth, professional field research done by experienced champagne tasters and similar experts as well as the opinions of authors for sites like The Spruce Eats, FoodAndWine.com, and others.
Best Value: Pommery Brut Royal Champagne
A great middle of the road champagne selection, Pommery Brut Royal is an affordable champagne that’s not too sweet.
Related: Check out our guide on Brut vs Extra Dry if you are unfamiliar with champagne terminology.
Best Sweet: Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec Champagne
For those of you with a penchant for sweetness, the Veuve Clicquot is a perfect match for the orange juice, offsetting it quite nicely.
Best Rosé: Gratien & Meyer Crémant De Loire Brut Rosé
With delicious overtones of ripe red fruit, the Gratien & Meyer Crémant has a complex finesse and body that won’t be overpowered by the orange juice.
Best Alternative: Graham Beck Brut NV
This mixture of chardonnay and pinot noir is a great choice to bring out the natural flavor of the juice if that’s where your fancy takes you.
Best Low-Dosage: Billecart-Salmon Brut Nature Champagne
This is perfect for anyone who finds that orange juice is sweet enough without the help of a sweet wine.
Best Non-Alcoholic: TÖST Sparkling Non-Alcoholic Beverage
This organically sweetened sparkling tea with cranberry and ginger is the ideal alcohol-free choice and a family friendly alternative for the holidays.
What’s the Best Champagne for Mimosas?
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Our number one pick for the best champagne for mimosas may spark some controversy, but we think it’s a solid choice- the experts agree.
Bodegas Naveran Brut Cava 2018
According to sources, the 2018 Bodegas Naveran Brut Cava is both easy on your budget as well as being an objectively balanced and flavorful foundation for a peach mimosa.
Made in Catalonia, Spain, the Bodegas Naveran was created to be a uniquely value-oriented sparkling wine.
Even vintage bottles of this wine rarely cost more than $25, making it the ideal choice for anyone who wants quality but doesn’t have any desire to break the bank.
It has an ABV of 11.5% and carries notes of orchard fruit, ripe citrus, ginger, and is particularly toasty in character.
This everyman’s champagne can be found on wine.com, at the time of this writing, for just $21 plus shipping.
But, of course, there’s much more to be said about mimosas, and more options for the eager mimosa maker who’s looking for something just a bit out of the ordinary.
For example, consider an alternative to champagne.
The Best Champagne for Your Mimosas Might Not Even Be Champagne
There’s more to mimosas than just the ingredients listed above. If the standard recipe doesn’t sing to you, or if you’d just like to try something different, here are 6 strange ideas that just might catch your fancy.
Sparkling Hard Cider
The rich, fruity, apple flavor and alcoholic punch of a nice hard cider just might be the perfect complement to your orange juice.
It will mellow out the citric tang that some people like least about mimosas. It is also likely to be more affordable than the average champagne, but not always.
Spiked Seltzer
A good seltzer water can be very refreshing.
Some people even argue that it has medical benefits. It’s bound to make your mimosa less sweet, which might be what you’re aiming for. It will also make it more refreshing in the more general sense.
Sparkling Sake
Sake is an alternative to western beers that is well known for being more sparkly.
It’s so sparkly, in fact, that it makes a fine alternative to champagne. It will add substance to your mimosa and is a good choice if you like a fuller beverage.
Miller High Life
This exceedingly popular beer is popular because it’s light and easy to drink.
That makes it a nice alternative to champagne. It will have a similar effect on the cocktail as sparkling sake, but with a more mellow result.
Colt 45
Quite similar to Miller High Life, Colt 45 is heavier, more alcoholic, and sweeter.
It will make the thickest addition to your mimosa of the last three options, and it’s cheap.
Four Luko
Yet another unusual choice, if you like stout malt liquor, then this might be the one for you.
It’s rich with fruity aromas and really speaks to the peach mimosa fan, as it’s a distinctly peach-rich drink.
Best Affordable Champagne for Mimosas
Of course, if you’ve got your holiday shopping out of the way early, you might be a bit strapped for cash when mimosa night arrives.
If you’re a Californian, you may have heard of Charles Shaw, affectionately known as “Two-Buck Chuck.” It’s a very cheap wine that is well worth your two dollars.
So here are some worthwhile champagnes that will feel like a gentle breeze blowing through your bank account.
Villa Maria Bubbly Sauvignon Blanc
This affordable champagne hails from New Zealand and is bursting with melon and lime overtones.
Cupcake Prosecco NV
This indulgent champagne is bubbly, sweet, and very very fruity.
Poema Brut Cava NV
A personal favorite, this delightful champagne has a strong green apple flavor, which is always welcome.
Codorniu Anna Brut NV
A refreshing selection that’s also easy on the pocketbook, and has a low alcohol content.
Campos de Estrellas Brut Nature Cava NV
This champagne is fresh and fruity with a low alcohol content.
Try Prosecco and Cava for your Mimosas
Prosecco and Cava are sparkling beverages similar to champagne.
Prosecco is sweeter than champagne and it has larger bubbles. This gives a very palpable fruity sensation on the palate.
This is part of the reason that we especially want to make sure to get the pulp out of our orange juice when making our mimosas with it. It gives a very pulpy, fruity feeling, something like biting into a very ripe peach. It is downright delightful.
Cava is a culinary brand of champagne from the Spanish region of the Mediterranean area.
It is a popular choice for pairing with Greek and Italian food. It is also known for being particularly flavorful and even somewhat good for your health when enjoyed in moderation. You’ll love the delicate floral aromatics that come through in your Cava mimosas.
Awesome Mimosa Recipes
There are a million ways to make a mimosa. You can take the basic recipe and experiment to no end! But there are some tried and true recipes that we think you really ought to try.
Here are five recipes from AllRecipes.com that we think you’ll love.
Pineapple-Apricot Mimosa
- 1 (12 ounce) can apricot nectar
- 1 (12 ounce) can pineapple juice
- ¾ cup water
- 1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 1 (750 milliliter) bottle Champagne
Christmas Mimosa
- 2 fluid ounces cranberry juice
- 2 fluid ounces Champagne
- 1 splash orange liqueur
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 sugared cranberries
Apple Cider Mimosa
- 1 cup chilled apple cider
- 1 (750 milliliter) bottle chilled Champagne
- 4 cinnamon stick
- 4 dried apples
Cranberry-Pomegranate Mimosa
- 2 tablespoons white sugar, or as needed
- 3 frozen cranberries
- 1 fluid ounce cranberry-pomegranate juice (such as Ocean Spray®)
- 1 fluid ounce orange juice
- 2 fluid ounces champagne
Party Mimosa
- 1 (12 ounce) can apricot-mango nectar
- 1 (12 ounce) can pineapple juice
- ¾ cup cold water
- 1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted
- 1 (750 milliliter) bottle cold champagne
Champagne for Mimosas FAQ
Can I use Prosecco or Cava in mimosas?
Yes. These two mimosa bases are more or less interchangeable. They are not the same, but the choice of which you use is completely up to you.
What champagne is best for mimosas, dry or brut?
The most important difference between these two is sweetness. So, once again, it’s a matter for your preference to decide.
What is the best Champaign for mimosas?
Unfortunately, only your palate, tastes, and the crowd you’re serving can determine this. Refer to the champagne listed above as a guide, be prepared to experiment, and enjoy the process.
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