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Looking for a festive Christmas cocktail? This 5-minute, bubbly cranberry-orange mimosa features winter holiday flavors and is crowned with sugared rosemary, a lemon-peel twist, fresh cranberries, and a zesty sugar rim.
Christmas Morning Mimosa
This winter cocktail will absolutely elevate your Christmas morning brunch spread and pairs beautifully with breakfast staples like my sweet potato frittata, my very popular blueberry lemon bread with lemon glaze, or a fan-favorite ham and broccoli frittata; it's also fantastic with my new, savory breakfast puff pastry egg tarts with prosciutto and asparagus. And - drumroll - I'll soon be sharing a full Christmas breakfast spread that's stunning and easy to put together. The best part? You can make this Christmas Cranberry Mimosa in a big batch ahead of time: mix the cranberry juice, Cointreau, and bitters, chill, top with bubbly right before serving, and garnish with festive additions.
Why You'll Love Christmas Cranberry Mimosa
- Naturally bright and balanced - no heavy syrups required.
- Winter flavors in every sip: tart 100% cranberry, zesty orange (Cointreau + bitters), and crisp bubbles.
- Make-ahead friendly: batch the cranberry-Cointreau base, chill, and top with champagne or prosecco to serve. Perfect for entertaining and hosting.
- Festive garnishes (sugared rosemary, orange twist, fresh cranberries) that feel restaurant-quality with minimal effort.
- Perfect holiday cocktail for Christmas morning brunch and New Year's Eve toasts - light, colorful, sparkling, and crowd-pleasing.
Key Ingredients You Need and Why
- Cointreau. You can use any orange liqueur like Triple Sec, but we love Cointreau as it's of great quality.
- Orange Bitters. We also experimented with adding orange bitters, which turned this mimosa into a whole other level. The aromatic lift enhances the cocktail and makes it feel even more holiday-inspired. With bitters added, the cocktail definitely leans more towards a sparkling aperitif and less like a brunch mimosa. Skip if you don't have them; or sub a small strip of orange peel expressed over the glass.
- Champagne, Prosecco, or Sparkling Wine. For the absolute best Mimosa, use Champagne. Its dryness balances the tart cranberry and the sweetness of the Cointreau, yielding a clean, elegant finish. You can absolutely use Prosecco instead, but it does make Mimosas softer and more fruit-forward. Or, use your favorite dry sparkling wine.
- 100% Cranberry Juice is a must, not a cocktail blend or juice mix with too many sweeteners and other mix-ins. Pure cranberry gives this cocktail its deep colour and refreshing tartness. You can switch up the base juice. Try pomegranate or blood orange juice instead!
How to Make Christmas Mimosa
- Start by prepping your garnishes so assembly is effortless: sugared rosemary, an orange twist, and a few fresh cranberries.
- Make zesty sugar rim: Combine granulated sugar with a bit of fresh orange zest on a small plate. Run an orange wedge around the rim of the glass. Then dip and gently twist the rim in the zesty sugar to coat evenly. Lift, tap off any excess, and let it sit a minute while you build the cocktail.
- To build the cocktail, add Cointreau, 100% cranberry juice, and a few dashes of orange bitters to your prepared, rimmed glass. Give it a gentle stir with a cocktail spoon, then top with well-chilled champagne or prosecco (pour down the side to preserve bubbles).
- Add garnishes: Top the cranberry mimosa with the sugared rosemary, the orange twist, and cranberries. Serve immediately. Cheers!
Best Orange Liquor for Cranberry Mimosa
I used Cointreau (½ oz) - I like Cointreau for its clean orange flavor. You can sub with Triple sec (sweeter), Grand Marnier (richer, cognac-based), or orange curaçao. For zero-proof: use non-alcoholic orange aperitif or ½ oz orange syrup.
Best Bubbly for Mimosa
I recommend Champagne, Prosecco, or another dry sparkling wine. I prefer Brut Champagne for the cleanest, most elegant flavor - its dryness balances the tart cranberry and the sweetness of Cointreau. Prosecco makes the mimosa softer and more fruit-forward, which I like for brunch, but I don't like overly sweet styles here. Cava is a budget-friendly option. For a mocktail, I recommend well-chilled sparkling cider or non-alcoholic prosecco.
Tips for Success
- Chill everything well. A good Christmas Mimosa should be ice cold, so chill the champagne and juice in advance. For an extra-crisp finish, chill your glasses, too.
- If you're serving a crowd, mix the cranberry juice and Cointreau in a jug, then top glasses individually with chilled champagne.
More Cocktails
If you're like me and already planning your holiday cocktail menu, then this colorful Christmas Cranberry Mimosa will become your new go-to signature winter cocktail - it's sparkling, simple, and packed with winter flavors and colors! If you love creative drinks, you might like my other cocktails, too:
Christmas Cranberry Mimosa
Ingredients
For the cocktail
- ½ ounce Cointreau or Triple Sec
- 3 ounces cranberry juice
- 3 dashes orange bitters optional
- 3 oz champagne or prosecco to top up
- fresh cranberries to garnish
For the sugared rosemary
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar (garnish)
- rosemary sprigs
For the orange twist
- thin strip of orange peel
For the sugared rim
- small orange wedge
- zest of ½ a small orange
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (garnish)
Instructions
Make the sugared rosemary:
- In a small saucepan set over a medium heat, add ½ cup water and ½ cup granulated sugar. Heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then leave to boil for a couple of minutes until visibly thickened and syrupy-looking.
- Place the rosemary sprigs in the sugar syrup and turn them a few times to ensure all the leaves are coated.
- Remove to a sheet of parchment paper and leave to dry for one hour. Add the remaining ½ cup of sugar to a shallow bowl, add the rosemary, and toss so that the sugar coats the sticky rosemary. Set aside to dry.
Make the orange twist:
- Use a vegetable peeler to cut a long strip of peel from an orange. Next, use a pairing knife to cut the strip into thinner strips. Wrap the thin orange strips around a straw, then secure each end (we use clothes pegs!). Place in the freezer for an hour. When you're ready to use it, simply slide the orange strip off the straw, and you will be left with a perfect orange twist!
Make the sugared rim:
- Add the sugar to a shallow bowl, then add the orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar. Use an orange wedge to rim the edge of your glass, then press the glass into the zesty sugar in the bowl. The sugar will stick to the rim.
Make the cocktail:
- Add the Cointreau, cranberry juice, and orange bitters to the cocktail glass you prepared earlier. Use a cocktail spoon to stir together, then top up with champagne or prosecco.
- Garnish with the sugared rosemary, fresh cranberries, and an orange twist.
- Serve immediately. Cheers!
Notes
- If your cranberry juice is unsweetened, I add ½-1 teaspoon simple syrup per glass. If it's sweetened, skip.
- Rub the outside of the glass rim with an orange wedge so the sugar sticks without falling into the drink.
- Can I make this as a big batch? Yes. Stir together cranberry juice, Cointreau, and bitters in a pitcher, then chill for up to 24 hours. When ready, pour 3-4 oz base into each glass and top with 2-3 oz chilled bubbly so it stays fizzy.
- Can I skip the orange bitters? Absolutely. They add complexity, but the drink works without them. A fresh orange twist expressed over the glass is a great substitute.
- Note: the calorie count DOES NOT include garnishes or sugar rim.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
What's Christmas morning without Christmas Morning Mimosas? This very festive cocktail, with its bright, tart fruitiness and gorgeous ruby-red color, will be the perfect start to a very special day! I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know in the comments below how it turned out for you! Wishing you Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas. Julia.
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