Champagne wishes and deviled egg dreams: Make a bubbly mimosa bar for Easter brunch

There are few more hospitable greetings at a Southern soiree or Easter brunch than a glass of bubbly and an overflowing bar of juices and garnishes for do-it-yourself mimosas.

To start, it's nice to offer a varied lineup of bubbly including dry cava and sweet prosecco. They both have their places. Real French Champagne is fantastic, but you might not want to spend the extra cash if you're just going to be dumping in some juice.

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Next, you'll want to serve a variety of juices and mixers in fun carafes or pitchers. Orange is perfectly fine, of course, and even expected, but passionfruit, strawberry and even cucumber juices are lovely for the spring. Think outside of the OJ box. 

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Chambord, or French raspberry liqueur, is boozier than juice but creates the lovely concoction known as a Kir Royale when combined with champagne. Try a variety of simple syrups too. 

Also, the ratio is key: the perfect mimosa is about half bubbly, half juice (go lighter on the Chambord), but your preferred strength is subjective.

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Don’t forget that the location of your mimosa bar is also very important. Station your bar in an area where you’d like the flow of traffic to end up, but with enough room for a line to form and pool near a seating area.

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Round out your party’s theme with garnishes. Springtime strawberries add a classically sweet element to a mimosa, cucumbers are delightful and an orange twist is a classic for a reason. Herbs are always a nice touch. Themed straws, umbrellas or flags are always a nice touch.

Serve finger foods like tea sandwiches to soak up the bubbly. Here's the perfect recipe:

Cucumber-dill Benedictine tea sandwiches

Native to Kentucky, Benedictine is a creamy, spreadable dip flavored with cucumber, scallions and dill. It can be served in tea sandwiches, or as a dip for crackers or crudités. 

Serves: 4

Hands on time: 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

6 scallions (green parts only), thinly sliced

1 ounce fresh dill, stripped off stem and chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

White bread, for serving

Instructions

Using a rubber spatula, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Spread between slices of white bread. Cut off the crusts and slice into triangles. Serve.