Now is the time of year when brunch hits full steam. And with brunch comes Mimosas. Now, not everyone wants to wait for an hour or more to have brunch at the hottest spots in town, nor do you want to go to the place that “always has a table” as you pretty much know what you’re in for in that kind of environment. If you plan on doing something more intimate by dining al fresco at home, here is our guide to creating the ultimate Mimosa bar for entertaining your guests!
Don’t Skimp on the Bubbles
It doesn’t need to be Veuve, but it sure shouldn’t be Cooks. Also, not too sweet, the drier the better, let the juices do the magic. Prosecco, California Sparkling, or inexpensive Brut or Extra Brut Champagne will do nicely.
The Juice Program
Have a wide array of fresh squeezed juices or fresh natural juices from your local shop. Fruit purées are great as well. You can get super creative here based on your flavor preferences, but the best recommendations are:
- Orange Juice (Navel, Cara Cara, Blood Orange, you can juice it, you should Mimosa it!)
- Grapefruit Juice
- Kiwi Juice
- Watermelon Juice
- Passion Fruit purée
- Pineapple Juice
- Strawberry purée
- Blackberry Juice
- Apple Cider (not juice)
- Pomegranate Juice
Garnish
Have some sliced fruit and herbs available for a beautiful presentation and secondary flavors. Think of each glass as a micro-sparkling-sangria:
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Mint
- Sage leaf
- Pineapple cubes
- Orange wedges
- Strawberries
- Thyme sprigs
- Rosemary sprigs
- Apple slices
- Lemon twists
- Lime twists
- Brandied Cherries
Service Items
Obviously you will need stemware, either coupe glasses or flutes for the beverages to be built in are preferable. Keep in mind that some of the ladies might not want to re-apply lipstick in full, so have straws available as well. For the juices and purées you will need some sort of glass receptacle, you may even need some form of indicating what is what, small cards or hanging tags for each are a huge help. For fruit garnishes, have small tongs or forks and spoons to keep people from sticking their grubby fingers in the stash and offending other guests. And if you are building for your guests, you might need a service try of some sort, transporting 4+ mimosas at once, especially if they are in coupe glasses is borderline impossible, and insane.
Additionals
This part is up to you. Tablecloth for a ‘serve yourself’ station? Sure. Risers of some sort for presenting the items in the back in a way they don’t get obstructed by objects in the front of your beautiful display? Absolutely, why not!? Flowers, air plants, or any combination of both to add life to your staging area? If that is your thing, definitely! Really, at this point you know how much room you have to work with, how much you want to protect the surface below the juices and purées, and what your guests demographic is! Dress the station to impress, and you have the Ultimate Mimosa Bar!