Wake up your tastebuds with a zesty grapefruit mimosa and get ready to kick off the day in delicious style! In this simple spin on the classic mimosa recipe, citrusy and refreshing grapefruit juice stands in for orange juice resulting in a drink that is tart, bright, slightly sweet and extra dreamy.
Great for lively brunches, swanky bridal showers, bachelorette weekends and everything in between, grapefruit mimosas are a tried and true crowd-pleaser for any occasion.
Grapefruit mimosa go down easy but have a bit more bite than their sweeter orange juice counterpart, so they’re great with food as well as on their own. Serve them alongside salty brunch fare like bacon, vegetable quiches, fried chicken sandwiches and crispy hash browns, or with textured desserts like pavlova, cookies and crunchy fruit crumbles.
To get the most out of your grapefruit mimosas without having to splurge on a bottle of champagne, opt for a sparkling wine that uses the traditional method. Crémant, cava or any sparkling wine that specifies the traditional method on the label will work.
Reach for grapefruit juice with no pulp to keep the mimosa free of debris. If you can’t track down grapefruit juice with no pulp, or you prefer making your own juice, run your juice through a fine mesh sieve before mixing the drink.
To offset the tartness of the grapefruit juice, the rim of the champagne glass is coated in a small amount of sugar. To give the sugar something to adhere to, run a wedge of fresh grapefruit around the rim of the glass before dipping it into the sugar. The sugar rim will add a hint of sweetness, but it is completely optional.
Make sure your grapefruit juice and sparkling wine are both chilled before making the mimosas.
What You Need to Make a Grapefruit Mimosa
To make a grapefruit mimosa, all you’ll need is sparkling wine made in the traditional method, grapefruit juice, fresh grapefruit, and sugar for the rim. If you’re having trouble tracking down a sparkling wine that uses the traditional method, you can use prosecco in its place.
For the sugar rim, granulated sugar works best, though any type of sugar will work just fine.
Ingredients:
- Sparkling Wine (Traditional Method)
- Grapefruit Juice
- Grapefruit Wedge (optional)
- Granulated Sugar (optional)
How To Make a Grapefruit Mimosa
Strain grapefruit juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove any excess pulp.
Pour 1 tablespoon of sugar onto a plate and shake until evenly distributed.
Run a wedge of fresh grapefruit along the rim of a champagne flute, then dip the rim into the sugar.
Pour chilled grapefruit juice into the champagne flute.
Top off the glass with sparkling wine, letting any excess foam fall down before pouring in more.
Do not shake or stir.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Can I make a non-alcoholic grapefruit mimosa?
Of course! To make a booze free version, use sparkling grape juice, seltzer, kombucha or any other neutral or lightly flavored fizzy drink instead of sparkling wine.
What food pairs well with grapefruit mimosas?
Grapefruit mimosas go great with savory brunch items like bacon, sausage, crispy hashbrowns or vegetable quiches. They also pair well with textured sweets such as granola, pavlova and fruit-flavored macarons.
Grapefruit Mimosa
Ingredients
- 3 oz sparkling wine
- 3 oz grapefruit juice
- grapefruit wedge (optional)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Strain grapefruit juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove any excess pulp.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of sugar onto a plate and shake to evenly distribute.
- Run a wedge of fresh grapefruit along the rim of a champagne flute, then dip the rim into the sugar.
- Pour chilled grapefruit juice into the champagne flute.
- Top off the glass with sparkling wine, letting any excess foam fall down before pouring in more.
- Do not shake or stir. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutrition
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Rebekkah is a food writer, recipe developer and sommelier who is obsessed with all things food and drink. When she isn’t lingering too long in her kitchen, she can be found making music in her apartment or traveling the globe in search of the perfect noodle.