When you're in the market for the most dramatic, luscious, and fruity mimosa you can find, enter the Grand Sicilian Mimosa (AKA blood orange mimosa)...it's a real stunner. Blood oranges are believed to have first been cultivated in Sicily, and that gorgeously crimson juice makes for one irresistible drink. Their flavor is sweet, aromatic, and complex. And when combined with some good bubbles and a generous splash of Cointreau, the result is pure mimosa magic.

Grande Sicilian Mimosa served in a champagne flute garnished with a thin wedge of blood orange.

This vampy mimosa is always the variation I prefer whenever blood oranges are available, and it's the perfect accompaniment for an Italian inspired brunch. Just add frittatas and some Dean Martin tunes.

Jump to:

Ingredients for a Grand Sicilian Mimosa
Instructions for a Grand Sicilian Mimosa
Variations
Top tip
Related
📖 Recipe

Ingredients for a Grand Sicilian Mimosa

champagne, cava, or prosecco
blood oranges
Cointreau

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions for a Grand Sicilian Mimosa

Orange half perched on the center of a yellow plastic juicer next to a blood orange half and a knife sitting on a small cutting board.

Prepare the fresh blood orange juice.

Tipping clear liquid from steel jigger into champagne flute next to a bottle of cava.

Pour half of the champagne, cava, or prosecco into a champagne flute (1½ ounces).

Tipping red liquid from a steel jigger into a champagne flute next to a blood orange.

Add the freshly squeezed blood orange juice.

Tipping clear liquid from steel jigger into champagne flute containing red liquid next to a bottle of cava and a blood orange.

Top with the remaining 1½ ounces of champagne, cava, or prosecco.

Tipping clear liquid from steel jigger into champagne flute containing red liquid next to a bottle of Cointreau.

Add the Cointreau.

Garnish with a thin wedge of blood orange, if desired. Serve immediately.

Hint: Blood oranges are typically available from December through April. Choose fruit that feels heavy for its size and has some reddish-orange blush to the rind.

Variations

What makes this mimosa "grand" (and gives it a kick) is the addition of Cointreau. You can also use Grand Marnier, which makes a fine substitute for the Cointreau here. But if you prefer a less boozy version of the drink, you can also simply leave this addition out.

Top tip

Blood oranges boast all sorts of health benefits, and their pulp is super tender and juicy compared to that of a more standard variety like navels. Generally speaking, they also have very few or no seeds at all. So please don't strain your fresh blood orange juice!

Looking for more mimosas and other sparkling things? Try these:

📖 Recipe

Print Pin

Grand Sicilian Mimosa (AKA Blood Orange Mimosa)

Course Drinks

Cuisine American, Italian inspired

Keyword blood orange, brunch, cocktail, easy, festive, quick, spring, winter

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings 1 drink

Ingredients

3 ounces champagne, cava, or prosecco
1½ ounces freshly squeezed blood orange juice
1 ounce cointreau

Instructions

Pour half of the champagne, cava, or prosecco into a champagne flute (1½ ounces).
Add the freshly squeezed blood orange juice.
Top with the remaining 1½ ounces of champagne, cava, or prosecco.
Add the cointreau.
Garnish with a thin wedge of blood orange, if desired. Serve immediately.