Spicy ginger and earthy sage combine with orange in the upscale twist on a mimosa. This Ginger & Sage Mimosa is so good, it may replace all my homemade mimosas.

Ginger & Sage Mimosa layered with orange pulp and juice towards bottom and a gradient to more sparkling wine on top. Served with candided ginger and orange rind on a steel pick with ginger root, sliced orange and sage leaves surrounding the glass.

Mimosas are an iconic brunch drink. While I do love mimosas, sometimes I want some more interesting flavors. So this Ginger & Sage Mimosa was my take on a mimosa that does not stray too far from the classic. Truthfully the ginger and sage addition to the mimosa was to help this drink pair with the Carrot Pancakes with Herbed Yogurt Sauce. But, once I tried this, I honestly wanted to drink it no matter what I was eating!

The base is the classic orange juice and sparkling wine. I typically use Cava or Prosecco because I can find them for cheaper, but champagne works real well too. Then I added an infused simple syrup made with orange rind, fresh ginger and sage that infuses overnight (for best results). The ginger adds a beautiful spice that balances the sweet and acidic orange. The sage then adds depth with its earthiness and slight bitterness. This depth acts as a beautiful base note that ties everything together. It is the touch of intrigue that I find is sometimes missing from a classic mimosa.

Recipe Notes & Substitutions

Sparkling Wine– I spoke a little about the difference between Prosecco, Cava, Champagne and other sparkling wines in this post. It also includes these links to external sites that go further into the difference, this page by Wine Folly, and this one by Tasting Tables. At the end of the day, choose what you enjoy most. I typically go with Prosecco or Cava because it is cheaper than Champagne. When making a cocktail I will use a bit of a cheaper bottle (although not too cheap otherwise the hangover is REAL). Also, for the amount of Sparkling wine to orange juice, use what you like. People enjoy everything from a splash of orange juice for color to a splash of champagne in the orange juice. There are no wrong ratios, go with what you like.

Vodka– Use whatever vodka you like. I typically use Tito’s when mixing, but there are many a great vodka brands out there.

Fresh Ginger– I use fresh ginger for this and always prefer fresh ginger when cooking. However, you could use dried ginger for this. Dried ginger lacks some of the ginger bite, it will still be good but fresh is better for these Ginger & Sage Mimosas. The other nice thing about using fresh ginger is you can make candied ginger to garnish the drink.

Orange Zest– Use whatever oranges you can get. Valencia or navel, it does not matter. As long as the fruit looks good, go with that. If you prefer to use orange juice rather than juicing your own that is fine, just remember to grab an orange for the rind in the simple syrup. You can skip the orange rind in the syrup if you want, but I find it adds a beautiful brightness. Another great thing with using fresh orange rind is you can add some candied rind as a garnish for serving.

Sage– Use fresh sage for this recipe. You could try dried but it just won’t work out quite as well, so just use fresh. If you don’t like sage you could try some rosemary, mint or basil. All will work, but the flavor will be different and you will need to adjust amounts.

Sugar– I use cane sugar for this recipe. Brown sugar will darken the drink and add a molasses flavor that would not be ideal for this.

Ginger & Sage Mimosa in a champagne flute behind the Carrot Pancake and Herbed Yogurt food bite topped with an egg.

Why this Ginger & Sage Mimosa Food Pairing Works.

First off, this pairing brings together quite a few classic combos. Orange and Carrot. Ginger and Carrot. Sage and Carrot. Orange and Ginger. Sage and Orange. Orange and Sparkling Wine. Sparkling Wine and Food. Did I mention it was quite a few classic combos? The flavors of the simple syrup with orange, ginger and sage all work to balance the flavors of carrot in different ways. Orange adds sweetness, some acidity that matches and balances the sweetness of carrot. The orange acidity helps to cut through some of the richness of the food bite, without being overbearing. Ginger spice brings some heat that counterbalances the sweetness of carrots.

Sage brings additional earthiness that balances the sweetness of the carrots and works well with the natural earthy flavors of carrots. The sage also pairs well with all the herbs in the yogurt sauce bringing out a beautiful burst of herbal flavor in the drink. Furthermore, sparkling wine is a perfect match for food because the carbonation helps cleanse the palate after each bite. The nice part about this with the bite, is the yogurt and runny egg yolk can leave a heavy coating on your tongue. By pairing with sparkling wine, these heavy fats are lifted/scrubbed away to cleanse and get you ready for another bite. Finally, the acidity from the sparkling wine, just like the orange, helps to cut through the fat from the food.

This Ginger and Sage Mimosa paired with the Carrot Pancakes with Herbed Yogurt Sauce is guaranteed to elevate your next brunch experience. Enjoy!