Cranberry Mimosa

Liven up your holiday parties with this festive cranberry mimosa! Made with simple ingredients like bubbly champagne and tart cranberry juice, this cheerful holiday cocktail will surely bring some fresh and fizzy excitement to your holiday get-togethers this year!

Note: that links to products you find in this post are Amazon affiliate links which means I do make a small amount of money when you click and make purchases. 

When we bid farewell to autumn and the winter months arrive, my mind drifts to happy memories of festive holiday parties. My family and I have many traditions during the holidays and we cherish all of them.

One of my favorite traditions during this season is serving cranberry cocktails, such as a cranberry mojito or cranberry and champagne cocktails to my party guests. You can even make them nonalcoholic if you have guests who are pregnant or choose not to imbibe!

I’ve made these for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other seasonal events. I also think they’re a great option for winter bridal showers, girls' nights, and even as a unique alternative to “wine and cheese” night. 

These cranberry mimosas are fun and colorful yet elegant and sophisticated. With their bright red hue and the sweet taste of cranberries, no one will be able to resist this seasonal spin on a classic mimosa.

You won't believe how easily they come together, too. You can whip these up in under five minutes, which will free you up to tend to other things like making the green bean casserole, wrapping that last-minute gift, and making sure Fluffy doesn’t try to steal a piece of turkey off the counter! Just don't forget to grab a mimosa for yourself (you deserve a treat). 

For those of you like myself that like to keep the prep factor low, but the WOW factor high, you’re going to love this simple, yet elegant cranberry mimosa recipe.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Equipment
• How to Make Cranberry Mimosas
• Variations
• Storage
• Expert Tips and FAQS
• More Festive Drink Recipes
• Cranberry Mimosa

Ingredients

This festive cocktail comes together with just a few ingredients! To make this recipe, you will need:

Champagne: 

• Dry or “Brut” champagne: This is the one most people automatically think of when it comes to sparkling cocktails. Champagne is the most expensive option with a wide flavor profile with a bit of minerality and a strong lingering finish.
• Prosecco: One of my favorite sparkling wines for mimosas. It is light on the palate with a crisp finish and fruity profile.
• Cava: This sparkling wine from Spain is earthy like Champagne, but has a less acidic finish.

Cranberry juice: Gives the drink a sweet, tart taste and balances the Champagne.

Fresh cranberries: Fresh cranberries are always the best option.

Fresh rosemary: This garnish is optional, but I highly recommend it for a bright pop of herbal green color that works great with the red drink.

See the recipe card for quantities of each ingredient.

Substitutions

Here are some simple swaps you can use when making cranberry mimosas!

• Dry or “Brut” champagne: You can use sparkling water or sparkling grape juice as a non-alcoholic option.
• Cranberry juice: For a sweeter mimosa, use cranberry cocktail juice.
• Fresh cranberries: You can garnish the rim with an orange slice.
• Fresh rosemary: I love garnishing mimosas with fresh herbs like rosemary because it gives a hint of herbal earthiness which offsets the sweetness of the mimosa. If you don’t like (or have) rosemary, fresh sprigs of thyme or mint would be a great substitute.

Equipment

• Champagne Flutes: You don't need anything super fancy but I have this set of Amazon flutes and love them. There are lots of options available these days and you can choose a stemless option as well.
• Wine chiller or Ice bucket: These cranberry mimosas would be perfect to serve at a winter holiday cocktail party. When I serve these at a party, I love placing the bottle of champagne in an ice bucket to keep things cold for my guests.

How to Make Cranberry Mimosas

These cranberry cocktails are super easy to make. Your guests will think you’re a master mixologist in no time!

1. Start by filling your champagne flutes halfway with the chilled cranberry juice. 
2. Next, fill the rest of the glass with your champagne, leaving room for the garnishes.

3. Drop a few fresh cranberries into the champagne flute and top with a sprig of rosemary. Voila! You’re ready to serve!

Serving Cranberry Mimosas For A Crowd

Mimosas are the perfect easy cocktail to serve at parties because you can set out the ingredients and allow guests to make their own.

I like to set out the sparkling wine bottles in a wine chiller or ice bucket and place glasses out with a small bowl of garnishes on the side.

Alternatively, you can make them in a pitcher using the 50/50 ratio of sparkling wine to juice. Just make sure you have a large stirring utensil because the juice will settle to the bottom of the pitcher. 

Variations

Here are some ideas for jazzing up this holiday cocktail!

• Add a splash of orange juice for a cranberry-orange mimosa.
• Use sugar-coated cranberries for garnish.
• Dip the rim of the glass in sugar.
• Sweeter flavor. If you’re serving this mimosa with dry or brut champagne, you can offer your guests the option to add a small dash of honey to make it sweeter.

If you love holiday mimosas, check out this pomegranate mimosa and strawberry mimosa! Any of these mimosa options will make your holiday brunch a hit!

Storage

If you are lucky to have any leftover cranberry mimosa ingredients, it is best to store them separately.

When champagne is properly sealed, it will keep its bubbles for up to 48 hours. It won’t last that long if it is premixed with cranberry juice. 

Expert Tips and FAQS

• Adjusting the sweetness. For a dry mimosa, use 100% cranberry juice while if you want it sweeter, use a cranberry juice cocktail.
• Serve immediately. The sparkling wine loses its bubbles as it sits.
• When serving for parties, it's a good idea to provide a nonalcoholic option that's kid-friendly or works for adults who don't want to drink.

More Festive Drink Recipes

Did you try this recipe?  Please leave a star rating in the recipe card right below! You can also write a review in the comment section further down the page I always appreciate your feedback. And don’t forget to tag me @freshcoasteats in your photos on social media, I'd love to see your results!