Sunshine and warm weather, the perfect ingredient for a summer brunch date. With everything going on in the world, many of us are spending much more time at home, so brunch had to be taken into our own hands. What is the secret ingredient to a fantastic brunch? Mimosas of course! 


Mimosas and I are pretty much best friends. I also am having a love affair with fresh basil. I have two plants currently overflowing from their pots with fragrant leaves, just waiting to be used in some sort of fabulous creation. It’s June, which in Massachusetts also means it’s strawberry season! Brunch, basil, strawberries…that is the inspiration behind my next cocktail experiment. While enjoying breakfast one day, which included a side of strawberries, my eyes drifted over to my basil plants. I thought to myself, what am I going to do with all of this basil? A lightbulb appeared over my head, cartoon style with a little ding, and I decided to research strawberry basil mimosas. 


I found a few variations to try including one that used orange juice, one that was more Bellini style with peach juice, and finally I experimented on my own just using fresh strawberries pureed with basil. I first made one with muddled strawberries and basil, then shaken over ice with a little fresh squeezed O.J. The second was similar but you use peach juice (I picked up one from Goya at the local grocery store), and I pureed the strawberries and basil for this one. For the last one, I just used pureed strawberries and basil, chilled and strained. Then to take it up a notch I used a sparkling Rosé. This version was my favorite, as it gave you the flavor profile of the two main ingredients, without watering it down too much. The flavor of the rosé also really enhanced the strawberries natural flavor. Feel free to try it a few ways yourself, see which version you prefer. Experimenting is half the fun! The other of course, is drinking it. Cheers! 

Strawberry Basil Mimosa
3-4 sliced strawberries

5-6 basil leaves (If you want to use more go for it!)

1 oz fresh squeezed orange juice 

6 oz Prosecco or sparkling Rosé


In a shaker, place the cut up strawberries and basil. If you are muddling, take the muddler and work it into the ingredients for a good solid 1-2 minutes, to get all of the juices and flavors out of them. If pureeing, I used an immersion blender into my cocktail shaker, but you can use a blender or whatever pureeing device you have. 

Next either use a juicer to get the fresh squeezed orange juice or just squeeze by hand until you have 1 ounce. Pour into the shaker and give it a little swirl. Chill these ingredients in the freezer for about 1-2 minutes. 

Strain the ingredients into a champagne flute. Top with 6 ounces of Prosecco or sparkling rosé. Toast over brunch with someone you love. 
Cheers!