Melon Mimosa Champagne Cocktail

The Melon Mimosa is basically – you guessed it – a Mimosa with Midori instead of orange juice. With the exception of a touch of lemon juice and simple syrup, this one is all alcohol. No mixers here.

The original recipe for this drink calls for Midori, champagne and 1/4 ounce of sour mix. You can certainly use sour mix if you like it. (Some people really despise it – your mileage may vary.)

But I changed it to call for a teaspoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of simple syrup. Pro-tip: if you don’t like sour mix in a drink recipe, you can always swap it for a 50/50 mix of lemon (or lime, or even grapefruit) juice and simple syrup.

You can also make your own sour mix and keep it in a bottle to use like you would a bottle from the store. I actually prefer to just use fruit juice and simple syrup because I never have any leftover mix with an unknown expiration date.

The combination of melon and champagne flavors works well, particularly with a dry type of champagne. The Midori provides plenty of sweetness on its own, so a nice Prosecco or brut is just perfect.

And there’s no need to spend a lot on your champagne, either, although it should taste good. When you’re using it in a cocktail like this, you want something drinkable, not something memorable.

The mellow honeydew flavor of the Midori is brightened by the sharper notes in the champagne. The bubbles make the texture more interesting too.

Midori has a flavor I sometimes find overwhelming. The sweetness and the intensity of the melon flavor can be just a little too much on its own sometimes. Yes, I know many of you love to drink it straight.

However you feel about Midori, in this drink, the champagne along with the touch of lemon juice cuts that sweetness and blends into something delicious.