Midnight snack? We’re all about the Midnight Mimosa.
About the cocktail
You don’t have to drink a Mimosa in the morning but, like pancakes for dinner, it feels a little wrong post-brunch. But a Midnight Mimosa? Well, that’s a different story. The Midnight Mimosa is essentially a twist on an old classic called El Diablo – a tequila-based cocktail with lime, cassis and, traditionally, ginger beer. Here, our cocktail experts have given the old El Diablo a Mimosa-style twist, subbing out ginger beer for sparkling wine. The result is a little less sweet and spicy than the El Diablo, and a lot more complex – and evening-worthy – than the Mimosa. Think of it like a blackcurrant tequila Mimosa, or even a souped-up version of the Champagne and cassis Kir Royale. Flavour-wise, the Midnight Mimosa is bubbly and sharp from the sparkling wine, fruity from the cassis, and a little earthy, thanks to reposado tequila. It’s balanced, juicy, fizzy and bright – a perfect blend in our books. Considering its easy-going flavour profile and fancy Champagne flute (or coupe) serving style, we reckon the Midnight Mimosa is a perfect celebration or holiday cocktail – think evening aperitifs, birthday drinks or family get-togethers. And yes, of course you could also whip this up for brunch like a classic Mimosa – just make sure the food matches the Midnight Mimosa’s elevated style.
Midnight Mimosa ingredients
30mL reposado tequila 15mL lime juice 15mL cassis 60mL sparkling wine Glass: coupe or flute Garnish: lime wheel and blackberry
Method
Add tequila, lime juice and cassis to a cocktail tin Add cubed ice and give it a short, sharp shake Add the lime wheel to your glass, fill with ice and strain the drink over Top with the sparkling wine Garnish with a skewered blackberry
Dan’s top tips
There’s not much to making a Midnight Mimosa, which is a big part of its appeal. You do have some choice when it comes to the ingredients, though. The first is sparkling wine. Generally, anything labelled as ‘brut’ will work well, as these wines are usually quite dry with bright acidity, which makes a great foil for the sweet, fruity cassis. Of course, if you prefer things on the sweeter side, definitely go for whichever sweeter style of sparkling wine is your go-to. In these cases, a little extra lime juice can help balance the sweetness, too. The other choice is tequila. Any quality reposado tequila will work well here, but you could also go for a blanco style if you want to dial back some of those woody tequila notes. That’s totally up to you. And when it comes to the cassis, this is a blackcurrant liqueur that is often labelled ‘creme de cassis’. You should be able to find it without too much trouble but, if not, a blackberry or other dark berry liqueur should work well in a pinch.
1. What is the Midnight Mimosa cocktail?
The Midnight Mimosa is a cocktail made from reposado tequila, lime juice, cassis and sparkling wine.
2. What is the best tequila for the Midnight Mimosa?
Any good quality reposado tequila will work well here, so use your favourite. You can also use blanco tequila if you like.
3. What does cassis bring to the Midnight Mimosa cocktail?
Cassis is a blackcurrant liqueur, which brings sweet berry flavours to the Midnight Mimosa.
