What is it about a fun sparkling cocktail that just makes me feel festive?
I love mimosas. Of any kind. We don’t drink them regularly, but when I do, I am always questioning why I don’t have them more often.
They’re so easy. So delicious. So refreshing. AND most people enjoy them!
I love taking the traditional OJ mimosa and putting some festive twists on it. I’ve done a few fabulous renditions. They are so fun!
My newest mimosa creation is this blueberry lavender beauty!
These are SO good. Light and refreshing with a touch of sweet floral flavor.
If the lavender scares you, I get it. But believe me when I say that it is not at all overpowering here. It is a background flavor to the blueberries. It adds a unique twist, and I love it.
These are not difficult to make, but I do suggest making the blueberry lavender syrup in advance. It needs time to steep, cool, and be blended. You want it to be chilled when you add it to your chilled bubbly.
Again, not difficult but best done ahead of time. When you’re ready to serve Easter brunch this weekend, your cocktails will already be done and ready for you. Victory!
The syrup starts by steeping culinary-grade dried lavender (I buy it online) in a simple syrup until it is fragrant and delicious. Next, we strain out the lavender (it’s done its job at this point) and cook some fresh blueberries in the lavender syrup.
I also like to add in some blueberry preserves to give a sort of backbone to the blueberry flavor, along with a splash of fresh lemon juice to keep everything balanced and not overly sweet. Plus, lemon always brings out the best of berry flavors!
Once the blueberries have cooked down in the syrup, we blend it up! You can take it as smooth or chunky as you like. If you want a SUPER smooth syrup for the cocktails, I suggest running the blended syrup through a fine-mesh strainer and discarding any larger solids. Totally up to you! I definitely think it’s a preference thing.
For me, I don’t mind little bits of blueberry in my cocktail one bit, so I skip the straining part.
Once the syrup is made, you can chill it in the fridge until you are ready to make the mimosas. I would do this a day or two ahead of serving. The flavors will blend better and then, again, you don’t have a thing to do except pour the bubbly when the time comes.
And that’s how mimosas should come to be! They are festive and beautiful and should not require a big fuss.
While these are absolutely perfect for your Easter gathering this weekend, I can definitely see myself sipping on these all spring long!
Cheers!
Blueberry Lavender Mimosas
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Enough for 10–12 mimosas 1x
Description
These Blueberry Lavender Mimosas are a taste of spring! Floral, light, beautiful, and sweet – they make for the perfect toasting cocktail. Flavored with a homemade blueberry lavender syrup and topped off with chilled bubbly – they are easy but festive!
Ingredients
For the Blueberry Lavender Syrup:
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons culinary-grade dried lavender (I buy mine online)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (you can also use defrosted frozen berries)
- 2 tablespoons blueberry jam/preserves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from roughly ½ a lemon)
For One Mimosa:
- 2–3 tablespoons of the blueberry lavender syrup (amount will depend on how sweet you want your drink)
- 4 oz chilled sparkling white wine, champagne, or prosecco (I prefer dry – but use whatever you like!)
- Blueberries or lavender sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
For the Blueberry Lavender Syrup:
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan set over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved in the water, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the lavender and remove the pan from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature – the lavender will steep in the syrup as it cools.
- Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into another small saucepan (discard the strained lavender).
- Add the blueberries, preserves, and lemon juice to the lavender syrup and place the pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the blueberries are bursting and soft.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until completely smooth (do this carefully and be sure to vent the top of your blender since the mixture is hot!).
- I use it just as is, but if a smoother consistency is preferred, you can run it through the fine-mesh strainer one more time and discard any pulp/solids.
- Cool the syrup to room temperature (or chill it) before using. The syrup can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
For One Mimosa:
- Spoon the syrup into the bottom of a champagne flute or wine glass.
- Top off with the chilled sparkling wine and garnish with a couple fresh blueberries and a sprig of lavender.
- Serve immediately while cold.
Notes
Be sure to use culinary-grade lavender. Lavender that is not marked as culinary grade has often been treated with chemicals that are not safe to consume. I like to buy mine online. It lasts FOREVER in the pantry in a well-sealed mason jar!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour (mostly inactive chilling time)
- Category: cocktails
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
These mimosas look amazing, but I MUST know about the stemware you used! Please share the brand and where you got them – they are beautiful!
Thank you! I believe they are the “tour” champagne flutes from Crate & Barrel. We love them! Sturdy but elegant.
perfect mimosa! anti-oxidants too with the blueberries and lavender doesn’t scare me at all, love all of it, thank you!
Great recipe. Thx