This Women’s Day cocktail is a variation on the classic Mimosa. Though, of course, we are using prosecco instead of champagne…
International Women’s Day is a global celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. It has its roots in early 20th-century socialist movements in Eastern Europe, with the first IWD being observed in Germany in 1911.
It didn’t become popular in the West, however, until the 1970s.
In Italy, the Festa della Donna was first held in 1946, organised by the feminist UDI (Union of Italian Women), and its popularity today is such that it’s become something of a de facto unofficial public holiday – for women.
And, unlike many festivals, it’s one of those rare events that is celebrated throughout the country. So, if you are a woman in Italy on the 8th of March, wherever you are, there’s going to be a party happening somewhere nearby.
The only downside, if you consider it such, is that you’ll have to leave your husband or boyfriend in the hotel or the local bar.
The other tradition that comes with the day is eating out. Go anywhere in Italy on the 8th of March, and the restaurants will be filled with women.
You’ll be hard pushed to see a man anywhere unless he’s carrying a plate or a bottle of wine. The tables are filled with friends, sisters, aunts, cousins, daughters, mothers, grandmothers and even great grandmothers.
Italians generally tend to drink cocktails before dinner – never with, and seldom after. And so, this Women’s Day cocktail is ideal for a pre-dinner tipple.
As with all good Italian cocktails, these are not particularly alcoholic and are intended merely to whet the appetite.
This is a variation on the classic Mimosa cocktail, which is originally champagne and orange juice in equal measures. (A Buck’s Fizz is two parts bubbly to one part orange juice.)
Being Italian, we are of course using prosecco instead of champagne, and we are reversing the proportions, so it’s one part prosecco to two parts fruit juice.
Women’s Day cocktail | Cocktail della festa della donna
➤ SERVES: 4-6
➤ PREPARATION: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- ½ a bottle of Prosecco
- 500ml apricot juice
- 250ml freshly squeezed orange juice
Instructions:
- Mix the apricot and orange juices together in a glass, then top up with prosecco.
TIP: Make sure that both the prosecco and the apricot juice are chilled in advance for this cocktail.
Find more recipes in our archive
Words and recipe by Mario Matassa