I love a mimosa! They’re so easy to make, serve and enjoy. I remember the first time I ever had a mimosa… I was at Easter brunch at a big, fancy hotel in Miami with my then boyfriend – it was a tradition in his family and I was happy to go along for the all you can eat waffles. The waiter offered me a mimosa and if I’m completely honest, I really didn’t understand. At that time I had never heard of anyone drinking that early in the day or on Easter at all. It’s not something we did at home, but the idea of Champagne was too fancy to resist. The mimosa was a game changer, with freshly squeezed orange juice and good Champagne in a beautiful crystal glass. I was completely smitten with this delightful concoction! Of course being about 19 at the time, my love affair was brief as Champagne required mega money that I didn’t have to spend on such frivolity, however I never forgot much I loved it and now when I host Easter at my home, I always serve some kind of mimosa when guests arrive.
A few years ago I saw someone on Instagram using various frozen things to keep Champagne cold in the glass and it’s such a great idea! I’ve been freezing various tidbits from berries to juices ever since because if there’s one thing I hate it’s a warm cocktail. Novelty ice cube trays are a dime a dozen and not terribly expensive. I got mine at TK Maxx, but there are loads to choose from on sites like Etsy, Amazon and elsewhere.
While the pineapple shapes are so cute and can add a little something to an occasion, they’re not at all required. Any shape of ice cube will work just fine and if you’re using anything other than a coupe glass you might want to use something smaller so they’ll fit. The crisp coolness of the ice cubes melting delicious pineapple flavour into the sparkling wine is the point really – shapes are cute, but don’t let them prevent you from making this gorgeous cocktail.
Now I understand more than anyone the challenges of ice in the UK. Some of us (myself included) have shockingly small freezers. Some people make ice using the little partitioned plastic bags – I’m not sure how they’d work for this. If ice is the challenge, then just forget about it. A pineapple mimosa is still delicious and you can just chill both the juice and the wine in the fridge and pour them into the glass. Job done and no need to let stress ruin a perfectly delicious cocktail.
If you do choose to use the pineapple juice ice cubes it’s important to understand that it’s impossible to know how many you will need if you’re planning to have more than just one mimosa. Figure on at least 1 per person, but they will melt at different rates and some people will guzzle more quickly than others, so I’m not giving you any measurements here. If you’re just doing one, figure on enough sparkling wine for one glass per person and enough juice to make one ice cube per person plus some extra to pour over for anyone who likes it a bit more juicy than bubbly. If you’re literally just making one or two for yourself, amazing – try finding the single serving bottles of prosecco or cava so you don’t have to use a whole bottle for just yourself if you’re not sure you want to.
If you’re lucky enough to have leftover pineapple ice cubes, then you’re in for a treat. Pop them into your morning orange juice, a glass of sparkling water, a ginger ale or even a lemonade (like 7-up or Sprite – not American lemonade). You can also use them in cocktails for a fun, tropical touch or blend them into your morning smoothie. So many options!
Ingredients
- Pineapple juice
- Champagne, prosecco or sparkling wine of your choice
Method
- The day before you plan to serve, pour the pineapple juice into an ice tray and pop it into the freezer. If you’re chilling your sparkling wine in the fridge, do this now also if it suits to save yourself any hassle at serving time. It will be nice and cold after sitting in the fridge all night.
- When you’re ready to serve, place a pineapple ice cube into the glass of your choice and pour sparkling wine over it. It’s as easy as that. If you want it to be a little less strong, you can also pour in some unfrozen pineapple juice at this time, but what’s the fun in that?
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