Few drinks say celebration like the mimosa. Golden, sparkling and unhurried, it is the liquid signature of a slow Sunday and a sunlit brunch. But behind that simple coupe of bubbles and citrus lies a story almost a century old, one that begins in a Paris palace and, fittingly, comes home to the very coast where Maison Giulia is born.
The birth of the mimosa: Paris, 1925
The mimosa as we know it is widely credited to Frank Meier, the legendary head bartender of the Ritz Bar in Paris, who is said to have poured the first around 1925. His idea was elegant in its simplicity: equal parts chilled Champagne and fresh orange juice, a bright and civilised drink made for a languid hotel breakfast. Meier later recorded it in his 1936 book, The Artistry of Mixing Drinks, one of the first times the recipe appeared in print.
A close cousin had appeared a few years earlier across the Channel. In 1921, bartender Pat McGarry of London's Buck's Club created the Buck's Fizz, a similar marriage of Champagne and orange juice. The difference is one of proportion: a Buck's Fizz leans on the Champagne, roughly two parts to one of juice, while the mimosa balances the two in equal measure. The same sunlit spirit, a slightly different accent.
Why is it called a mimosa?
The cocktail takes its name from the mimosa flower, the acacia whose blossoms erupt in clouds of powdery, golden yellow. One look at the drink explains it: that luminous colour in the glass is the very shade of the flower in bloom. It is a name chosen for beauty, and it carries a secret, because the spiritual home of the mimosa flower is not Paris at all.
The flower's home is the Côte d'Azur
The mimosa may have been named in the capital, but its flower belongs to the South. Along the French Riviera runs the famous Route du Mimosa, a 130-kilometre ribbon of gold that winds from Bormes-les-Mimosas through Mandelieu-la-Napoule, the self-styled capital of mimosa, and ends in Grasse. Each winter, from January to March, the hillsides turn the colour of the cocktail, and the towns celebrate with parades and festivals that have run since the 1930s.
That the mimosa flower should bloom most gloriously on the road into Grasse is, for us, more than a coincidence. It is where our story begins.
The mimosa, reimagined without alcohol
Maison Giulia was born on this same coast, in the light and landscape that gave the flower its name. We asked a simple question: everything we love about the mimosa, its effervescence, its citrus glow, its sense of occasion, has nothing to do with the alcohol. So why not pour that golden ritual for everyone?
Our alcohol-free mimosas are crafted in the South of France with natural ingredients, no added sugar and 0.0% alcohol:
- Giulia Mimosa Orange de Sicile, bright with sun-ripened Sicilian oranges. The brunch classic, reimagined.
- Giulia Mimosa Raspberry, fresh and delicately tart with wild French raspberries.
Hosting? The Twins Pack brings both expressions together, made to be shared. And if you would like to know more about the coast and craft behind the bottle, discover our terroir.
A golden ritual for everyone
A hundred years on, the mimosa remains what Frank Meier intended: a small, sparkling act of celebration. We have simply carried it home to the Côte d'Azur and made it a glass everyone can raise. Explore the full Maison Giulia collection, and pour a little Riviera light into your next morning.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented the mimosa cocktail?
The mimosa is widely credited to Frank Meier, head bartender of the Ritz Bar in Paris, who is said to have created it around 1925. He later recorded the recipe in his 1936 book, The Artistry of Mixing Drinks.
Why is the mimosa called a mimosa?
It is named after the mimosa flower, an acacia whose blossoms are a bright, powdery yellow, the same golden colour as the drink. The flower is emblematic of the French Riviera, where it blooms each winter along the Route du Mimosa to Grasse.
What is the difference between a mimosa and a Buck's Fizz?
Both combine sparkling wine and orange juice. The difference is the ratio: a mimosa uses equal parts, while a Buck's Fizz, created in London in 1921, uses roughly two parts sparkling wine to one part orange juice.
Can you make a mimosa without alcohol?
Yes. An alcohol-free mimosa uses a 0.0% sparkling drink in place of Champagne. Maison Giulia crafts ready-to-pour alcohol-free mimosas in the South of France with natural ingredients and no added sugar, in Orange de Sicile and Raspberry.