Clementine Mimosa

Name: Clementine Mimosa
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 10 glasses
Ingredients: 8 clementines; 750 millilitres prosecco (chilled)

Festive cocktails aren’t just for Christmas – grab a bottle of prosecco and pour yourself a Clementine Mimosa to bring in the New Year!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I say it every year but the last 12 months really have gone incredibly fast. We’ve packed in a fair few adventures including China and New Zealand as well as trips throughout Europe and the UK. We also got engaged at the end of November and I accepted a new job! The excitement never seems to end!

With so many occasions to celebrate its been a year filled with food and plenty of booze. So, it seems fitting that I should end the year on a high with a cocktail recipe.

You could serve this at your New Years Eve party or for brunch on New Years Day!

Mimosa v Bucks Fizz v Bellini

I served this clementine mimosa for boxing day brunch round at my parents house and I was surprised at how much of a debate we got into about whether this was a mimosa, Bellini or even bucks fizz!

Now I feel very strongly that bucks fizz is only made with orange juice and champagne. Plus, a Bellini can ONLY be made with peach! Anything else is just a lie.

A mimosa is more of a “catch all” for any brunch cocktail made with sparkling wine (or in this case prosecco) and any citrus fruit (like clementines!)

It turns out that the difference between mimosas and bucks fizz also has something to do with ratios but that sounds like we’re getting in way too deep.

This is definitely a clementine mimosa. Glad we got that settled…

Something seasonal

I love how the supermarkets really get on board with seasonal fruits and veggies around the Christmas period. Strawberries seem to be available all year round, as are blueberries! They get shipped long distances just so we can enjoy them every month of the year.

But these sweet clementines, leaves and all, only appear in the shops the weeks before Christmas. Which for me, makes them even more special! They also look super pretty!!!

Sweet clementines

I love citrus fruits and all things sour but these clementines give a lovely sweet taste to the usually bitter prosecco.

I’ve gone for a ratio just short of half and half. My clementines were very sweet so I added just a touch more prosecco to balance it out.

Taste a little of the clementine juice before pouring it into your glass to help you decide what proportions you should use.

The recipe

For a proper festive flourish, use a sharp paring knife to cut a spiral of the clementine rind before squeezing out the juice. You can then add this to the glass as a garnish!