What the hell happened to the mimosa? What could actually be a light, delicate and refreshing morning drink has become the booze of choice for those so hungover they can't choke down anything else without booting. And with very few exceptions, they're consistently terrible. (Maybe it's because they're served by the pitcherful? Anything thing served as an "endless" anything is bound to be awful.)
Fortunately for mimosa lovers, a solution to the issue couldn't be more simple. It just takes a careful look at the drink's three primary components.
It starts with the terrible "champagne" most restaurants use. I get it: None of us have the glue to sit around and spike our breakfast drinks with Veuve, but do restaurants really have purchase their bubbles at CVS? Start with something drinkable, and very dry, and you might end up with a beverage people actually want to savor.
Next add some depth with a liqueur that actually has some character. That cheap Triple sec restaurants add by the tablespoon? All it adds is a little extra booze and a lot of extra sugar. I quit drinking that Triple Sec in college, before I gave up all-you-can-eat buffets. How about some Grand Marnier or Cointreau instead?
Finally there's the OJ. My mom served me reconstituted Donald Duck orange juice in a brown plastic pitcher every Sunday for breakfast when I was growing up. I'd really like to not revisit those memories in adulthood. Use some high-quality juice, and use it sparingly, to accent the sparkling wine instead of beating it into submission.
That's it. Decent bubbles, decent liquor, and really good orange juice. If more restaurants whipped up mimosas like they actually gave a damn, they could charge the same amount for a glass as they've been charging for a bucketful and people could get drunk without having to drink something that goes down like a shitty doughnut.