Sparkling Cranberry Mimosa
The first splash of sparkling wine can send cranberry foam climbing right over the rim if you pour too fast. I build each Sparkling Cranberry Mimosa in its own glass,…
By Ava
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Reading time: 6 min
Tip: save now, make later.
The first splash of sparkling wine can send cranberry foam climbing right over the rim if you pour too fast. I build each Sparkling Cranberry Mimosa in its own glass, so the bubbles stay lively and every pour gets the same balance of tart fruit and dry wine.
Cranberry juice cocktail brings sweetness along with its bright, tangy flavor, while brut sparkling wine keeps the drink crisp instead of syrupy. Both ingredients need to be chilled before you start; cold liquid foams less and makes a refreshing glass. Pour the wine gently, then serve while the bubbles are still dancing.
Kitchen Note
Take your time with the sparkling wine, especially as the glass begins to fill. A slow, steady pour gives the foam room to settle and leaves more space for the drink itself.
Save this Sparkling Cranberry Mimosa for a bright, bubbly toast with a crisp brut finish and ruby-red color.
Why These Mimosas Are Better Built Glass by Glass
A pitcher seems like the quickest way to serve a round of mimosas, but sparkling wine starts losing its fizz as soon as it’s opened and mixed. Pouring each glass separately keeps the cranberry juice and wine from sitting together while you get the rest of the drinks ready. That matters here: the crisp bubbles are what keep the fruit-forward juice from drinking heavy.
Building the drink in the flute also makes the proportions easy to repeat. Each glass starts with the same measured pour of cranberry juice cocktail, then gets its share of the chilled bottle. There’s no guessing at the bottom of a pitcher, where juice can settle and make the last glasses taste different from the first.
Use the glasses you plan to serve in, and pour just before the toast. You’ll get an even color in every flute and a fresh layer of bubbles on top, without stirring or shaking away the sparkle.
What the Cranberry Cocktail and Brut Each Bring
- Cranberry juice cocktail — Choose the cocktail, not unsweetened cranberry juice. The cocktail has a softer sweet-tart character that plays well with dry sparkling wine; unsweetened juice is much sharper and changes the balance. A familiar grocery-store brand works well, so there’s no need to seek out a specialty bottle.
- Brut sparkling wine — Brut gives the drink its dry, crisp finish and keeps the cranberry from tasting cloying. Chill the bottle before opening, and pick a bottle you’d enjoy drinking on its own; an expensive one isn’t needed for a mixed drink. Stick with brut for the intended balance, since a sweeter style will make the finished glass taste sweeter too.
Pouring Each Glass Without Losing the Bubbles
Start with Both Ingredients Chilled
Have the cranberry juice cocktail and brut sparkling wine cold before you assemble the drinks. Chilled ingredients make a refreshing mimosa and help keep the wine from foaming aggressively as it meets the juice. Set out eight champagne flutes where you can reach them easily. Open the sparkling wine when you’re ready to pour, rather than letting it sit open on the counter.
Measure the Cranberry Juice into the Flutes
Pour 1/4 cup of cranberry juice cocktail into each of the eight glasses. Measuring straight into the flutes keeps the servings consistent and avoids an extra pitcher to wash. If you splash juice on the rim, wipe it away before topping the glass so the finished drink looks neat. Keep the glasses upright and leave room for the sparkling wine.
Top with Brut and Serve Right Away
Slowly divide the chilled bottle of sparkling wine evenly among the glasses. Pour in a steady stream and pause briefly if foam rises toward the rim; rushing the pour is the easiest way to lose drink to overflow. The cranberry and wine will combine as they enter the glass, so there’s no need to stir. Serve immediately, while the carbonation is lively.
Simple Ways to Adapt the Cranberry Mimosa
Make a zero-proof version
Replace the brut sparkling wine with a 750 ml bottle of nonalcoholic brut sparkling wine, keeping the cranberry juice cocktail the same. The dry style preserves the crisp contrast, though the exact sweetness and bubbles vary by bottle.
Choose a more tart cranberry cocktail
Cranberry juice cocktails differ in sweetness from brand to brand. Choosing one with a tangier taste gives the mimosa a sharper finish while keeping the same two ingredients and the same measured pour.
Storage and Serving
- Refrigerator: Keep the juice and unopened sparkling wine chilled separately. Once mixed, the drink quickly loses its bubbles, so serve it right away.
- Freezer: Don’t freeze the mixed drink or the sparkling wine bottle. Freezing dulls the carbonation and can cause a bottle to crack.
- Serving: Assemble the glasses just before serving rather than preparing a batch in advance. If you open more wine than you use, reseal the bottle with a sparkling-wine stopper and refrigerate it; it will gradually lose fizz.
Questions That Come Up When Making These Mimosas
Sparkling Cranberry Mimosa
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pour 1/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail into each of 8 champagne flutes.
- Slowly divide the bottle of sparkling wine evenly among the glasses and serve immediately.