Mimosa and Buck's Fizz

To conclude this mini-series on mixed drinks with wine, we will look at champagne mixed with orange juice. Buck's Fizz uses one part champagne to two parts orange juice, is named after London's Buck's Club. It was invented as an excuse to start drinking early and was first served in 1921. Mimosa was invented in Paris 4 years later, but contains equal parts of champagne and orange. Mimosa is sometimes mixed using other citrus juice, such as grapefruit, when it will then be a grapefruit mimosa. Popular as wedding reception drinks, both are also offered as morning after hangover remedies.

There is a little more to Buck's Fizz though. The Fizz family of cocktails is based on a sour element and carbonation. Gin Fizz is the best known of the family, consisting of gin, lemon juice, soda and sugar. The variant Diamond Fizz uses sparkling wine instead of soda water. Buck's Fizz moves further away by having the champagne provide both alcohol and bubbles whilst the orange provides both the sweet and sour elements.