I never met a Mimosa that I liked.
The drink that Wall Street Journal cocktail correspondent Eric Felton calls “the semi-alcoholic drink of brunch and, frankly, an ordeal” may have started out glitzy and glamorous back in the ‘30s at the Paris Ritz Hotel. But in the ensuing decades it’s become a trite, tired sidekick to all-you-can-eat steak ‘n’ eggs and an uninspired way to use up cheap “champagne” and frozen orange juice. Don’t believe me? Check out Felten’s 2008 WSJ article.
“By the mid-1970s, the Mimosa was everywhere, its popularity fueled by the fad for brunch. But ubiquity and exclusivity are characteristics difficult to maintain in tandem (just ask Starbucks). By the end of the '80s, the drink had lost the chi-chi sheen it once had. John Sutter, the narrator of Nelson DeMille's 1990 novel "The Gold Coast," finds himself one morning drinking in a shabby Long Island harbor dive called "The Rusty Hawsehole." The clientele is decidedly down-market: "I don't think there was a full set of teeth in the house." Soon he is joined at the bar by a footsore diner waitress named Sally Ann looking to unwind after the night shift. What does she order? A Mimosa.”
But, let me back up. I never met a Mimosa that I liked. Until, that is, the one I made myself recently on New Year’s Eve. I used my favorite Prosecco --- Bellenda DOCG from Conegliano Valdobbiadene – and chilled, freshly squeezed blood oranges.
The crimson-fleshed fruit, thought to be of Sicilian or Spanish origin, has a lively, beguilingly sweet flavor. The Italian sparkling wine, from the region between Venice and the Dolomite mountains, is smooth and light, aromatic and refreshing, and a whole lot of fun to drink. In my mind, it’s Champagne without the attitude; Champagne without the de rigueur genuflections to that wine’s rich complexity and lofty pricetag. I love fine Champagne, too, mind you. But the “occasion” has to be just right. Prosecco fits in at any party, any time of day.
For the best Blood Orange Mimosa, use a stemmed wine glass or a tall, voluminous flute, NOT one of those skinny champagne flutes. This is a cocktail to drink with gusto, not sip demurelyy. Use a ratio of 1/3 or ½ fruit juice (from chilled blood oranges) to ½ or 2/3 Prosecco. Top it all with a splash of sparkling water. The enticing photo here, from Saveur magazine, shows a sparkly Mimosa made with blood orange juice and Campari. I won’t wait ‘til next New Year’s Eve to try that one.
A PROSECCO PRIMER
Once considered an undistinguished sweet fizzy wine, Prosecco has in the past decade achieved great respect and huge popularity.
Sixty percent of all Prosecco is produced in Italy’s Conegliano and Valdobbiadene region. These wines are protected with Italy’s quality assurance stamp, DOCG, guaranteeing the wines are produced within the specified region using defined methods and satisfying a defined quality standard.
Unlike French Champagne, which is produced by the methode champenoise in which bottles must be turned daily by hand, Prosecco is produced by the Charmat method which allows the wine to go through the second fermentation in pressurized tanks rather than in individual bottles. The shorter (and more convenient), tank fermentation is preferable for Prosecco because it preserves the freshness and the flavor of the grapes. It also allows Prosecco to be sold at far lower prices than French Champagne. Very good Prosecco from the Valdobbiadene area is widely available for $13-$16. Mionetto is another respected, widely available brand.
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