A fun and seasonal twist on a classic brunch cocktail, these Watermelon Basil Mimosas are an easy drink to whip up for friends- with fresh made or store bought watermelon juice, a quick and easy basil simple syrup, and your favorite Prosecco. Cheers!
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A summertime brunch staple
What's more summery and refreshing than watermelon?
For these brunchy cocktails, I combine fresh made (or store bought) watermelon juice, bubbly Prosecco, and a super easy basil simple syrup for a fruity sip worth celebrating.
Making fresh watermelon juice for the mimosas
While you can certainly buy some ice cold watermelon juice from your local grocery for these, I love the fresh taste of watermelon juice you make yourself. To make your own juice- simply press cubed watermelon through a fine mesh sieve or strainer, and discard the pulp, or blend in a blender on high and strain.
Make-ahead basil simple syrup
They don't call it simple syrup for nothing! All you need to do to make the basil simple syrup for these Watermelon Basil Mimosas is add equal parts sugar and water to a saucepan with some basil leaves. Bring that to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the syrup is cool, strain out the basil leaves and store it in an airtight container or bottle in the fridge until ready to use. If you're not a fan of sugar- you could also use honey or agave!
Serving suggestions
While you can make these Watermelon Basil Mimosas to order, I highly suggest pre-mixing large batches of the juice and simple syrup in a large pitcher or carafe. This way, you can set it out with bottles of chilled Prosecco and let guests serve themselves. It's also a great way to incorporate the Watermelon Basil Mimosas into a mimosa bar with different flavors and combos. I recommend 1 tablespoon simple syrup to one cup of watermelon juice.
What to do with leftover basil simple syrup
If you make a big batch of the simple syrup and have some leftover, might I suggest using it to make my Watermelon Basil Sherbet? It's super easy and refreshing, and requires no special equipment! Get the recipe here.
If you make my Watermelon Basil Mimosa, please be sure to leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Lastly, if you make the recipe and love it, please tag me on Instagram! I love to see your photos!
Thirsty for more fun boozy creations? Check out my cocktails page!
Watermelon Basil Mimosa
Equipment
- blender or fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 1 cup watermelon juice, chilled*
- 1 tablespoon basil simple syrup
- prosecco, chilled
Basil Simple Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup basil leaves
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Make the simple syrup. Bring sugar, water and basil leaves to a boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool completely. Strain cooled syrup into a jar or airtight container and refrigerate. Lasts 2 weeks. 2. Optional: make the watermelon juice. If making your own watermelon juice, either blend cubed seedless watermelon in a blender and strain, pr press through a fine mesh sieve or strainer and discard pulp. 3. Make the mimosa. Add 1 cup of fresh or store bought watermelon juice to a large, stemmed wine glass. Add 1 tablespoon of the basil simple syrup, and stir to combine. Top with desired amount of chilled Prosecco ( I like about ½ cup per glass) and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
*Notes/Substitutions:
I like to use fresh watermelon to make the juice, but store bought juice works well too!
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