I Asked 5 Bartenders To Name the Best Sparkling Wine for Mimosas—They All Said the Same Thing

About a year ago, my family and I spent a weekend at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

The Sunday brunch had the freshest fruit platter, the homemade baked goods were swoon-worthy, and the guitarist playing tunes on the patio had a gorgeous voice. With lush views of the golf course, it was one of the most enchanting brunches I’ve ever enjoyed.

The highest of the high points for me were the mimosas. These sparkling cocktails were the absolute best I’d ever had, so I had to ask our server what type of bubbly they were using. His answer shouldn’t have surprised me since I absolutely loved this sparkling wine when I lived in Spain.

Well, the five bartenders I interviewed for this story gave me the same answer, and the type of sparkling wine they recommend is easy to find and also easy on your pocketbook.

The 5 Bartenders I Asked

• Daniel Beres: Mixology consultant and owner of Lost Whale, a craft cocktail bar in Milwaukee, and Odyssea Sangria, a canned cocktail company
• Lauren Zeoli: Owner of Authentic Cocktails, a California farm-to-bar cocktail catering company
• Rogelio Galicia: Bartender at Jaleo by José Andrés in Chicago
• Gerry Baker: Advanced Sommelier from Court of Master Sommeliers and brand manager of AHD Vintners in Detroit
• Tyler Smith: Co-owner of Gilly’s House of Cocktails in San Diego

The Best Sparkling Wine for Mimosas According to Bartenders

The best sparkling wine to make mimosas is cava. Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine, and in Spain, it’s used to make a Spanish cocktail called Agua de Valencia—it’s made with orange juice, gin, and vodka—the name a nod to Valencia oranges. So, cava is a natural pairing with orange juice, a key ingredient in mimosas.

Cava is made using the méthode champenoise or the traditional French method of making champagne. “That’s why they taste so similar to a champagne made in France,” says Beres. “It might not taste like one of the super premier cru champagnes where they only make 500 cases a year, but cava’s right up there with the same quality as most commercial champagne houses.”

Also, a good cava will run between $8 and $15, so it won’t break your bank account. “The best thing about cava is that you can purchase a high-quality bottle for a fraction of what champagne costs,” Zeoli says. “Cava is light with citrus notes, which pairs perfectly with [orange juice for mimosas].”

Fresh orange juice has a higher acidity than many other juices, says Galicia. “That’s one of the things you have to consider when you’re making a mimosa,” he says. “And cava is one of the lowest acidities [of sparkling wines], so that enhances the mimosa.”

Cava is more versatile than some other sparkling wines, Smith says. “It also has a fruity profile, so it pairs really well not just with mimosas but also other cocktails,” he says. “It also has smaller bubbles like champagne, but it’s a better price, so it makes sense from a practicality standpoint.”

“Cava is typically drier than a lot of other sparkling wines in the same price range,” says Baker. “I don’t like mixing sweet things with my orange juice. Some people use prosecco in their mimosas, but cava has more carbonation to it, so you have a fizzier mimosa, and I don’t want my mimosa to be flat.”

More Tips To Make a Great Mimosa

Each bartender agreed the number one tip, after using a good cava, is to use fresh orange juice. “Any juice that’s been pasteurized doesn’t have the same brightness as fresh juice because it doesn’t have the same level of acidity,” Beres says. “It’s not going to be as vibrant. And you don’t even have to use a commercial juicer—you can just cut an orange in half and squeeze it into a pint glass.”

“The sugar content is higher in pasteurized juices, and often, other acids are added to adjust it,” Smith says. “They’re not as crisp as fresh juice.”

Use a ratio of about one ounce of orange juice to four ounces of cava. “You want to keep that cava flavor in the cocktail,” Galicia says.

Zeoli and Smith also advise home bartenders to try juices other than orange juice. “Definitely switch up your juice,” Zeoli says. “I love cranberry, pineapple, or guava in place of the traditional orange juice.”

“I like to use pears or peaches in season,” Smith adds.

Mimosas are traditionally served in champagne flutes, but coupe and white wine glasses also work well. “I like using a small white wine glass because it coasts your palate bit more,” Baker says. “I also always give the drink a little stir after I pour the cava and the juice into it.”

Though mimosas don’t need a garnish, a twist of orange or a twist of lemon can be elegant. “I sometimes look for dimension in the garnish, so lemon is a simple way to do that,” Baker says. “That way, you’re not orange on orange. Just a touch of lemon can go a long way.”

Beres says there’s a trick to pouring the perfect mimosa. “If you’ve never made a mimosa with freshly squeezed orange juice if you don’t pour it correctly, it’s a science experiment waiting to happen because it will explode out of the glass,” Beres says.

Here’s what you do: 

First, pour the cava directly into the middle of your glass. “Let your cava head up nicely to expel the excess carbon dioxide,” he says. “If you pour it wrong, the moment you pour your freshly squeezed orange juice in, it will foam all over the place. But if you pour it like you would a Guinness, then let carbon dioxide expel, it will be perfect.”