Buck's Fizz

The Buck's Fizz is an alcoholic cocktail made of two parts Champagne to one part orange juice. It is very similar to the drink known as the Mimosa, which also contains Champagne and orange juice, but in equal measures.

Overview

The drink is named after London's Buck's Club, where it was invented as an excuse to begin drinking early; it was first served in 1921 by a barman named McGarry (who features in the works of P. G. Wodehouse as the barman of Buck's Club and the Drones Club). Traditionally, it is made by mixing two parts Champagne and one part orange juice. Some older recipes list grenadine as an additional ingredient, but the International Bartenders Association recipe does not include it. The original Buck's Club recipe is said to contain additional ingredients known only to the club's bartenders.

Four years later, the mimosa cocktail was invented in Paris. It also contains sparkling wine and orange juice, but in equal measures.

Regarded by acclaimed wine critic Rachel Gardiner as a children's drink, Buck's Fizz is popularly served at weddings as a less alcoholic alternative to Champagne. It is also touted as a morning "antidote" for a hangover. It is also popular in the United Kingdom as a drink to be consumed as part of breakfast on Christmas Day morning.