The mimosa is a classic for a reason: orange juice and champagne are a two-ingredient drink that nails the brunch toast every time. The Tropical Fantasy keeps that same easy energy and adds two more notes on top: amaretto for body, pineapple for a sunnier citrus edge.
The trick is the amaretto. Two ounces of an almond-and-vanilla liqueur gives the drink shoulders. Amaretto sits underneath the citrus and lets the champagne stay dry, so you taste pineapple first, then the almond round-out, then the champagne carries the whole thing off.
The brunch toast with a tropical-almond round-out.
The other thing worth knowing: pineapple juice from a can is great here. Canned pineapple juice has a consistent sweetness and a neutral fiber profile that behaves predictably in a build like this, which means you get the same drink every time. Save the manual juicing for cocktails where a fresh hit really matters.
The sub for amaretto, if you don’t have it, is Frangelico. Different nut (hazelnut instead of almond) but the same weight class. The drink tips a little more autumnal, less almond-cookie and more roasted-nut-and-vanilla, but it holds together beautifully. What you can’t do is swap the amaretto for an orange liqueur and call it the same drink. The almond depth is doing real work.
Why this works
The classic mimosa is built around two top-notes: bright citrus and crisp bubbles. The Tropical Fantasy keeps both and adds a bass note. Amaretto fills the lower register, giving the drink structure that holds up at temperature and survives a long brunch. The pineapple juice does double duty: it sweetens (which means you don’t need any added sugar) and it brings tropical-fruit notes that bridge the amaretto’s almond toward the OJ’s brightness. The champagne is the carbonation, the cold, and the social signal; it’s the volume, not the flavor.
Tips & variations
- Canned pineapple juice is the right call here. Consistent sweetness, no fiber, no surprises. Fresh-juiced pineapple is great for a piña colada and overkill for a build-and-go champagne drink.
- Brut champagne or skip it. Demi-sec, extra-dry, or sweet styles push this drink into dessert territory. The amaretto + pineapple + OJ are already sweet, so the bubbles need to be dry.
- Scales easily for a pitcher. Pre-mix amaretto + pineapple + OJ in a pitcher in the fridge; top each glass with champagne at the table. Six servings, one pour-over per glass.
Make it in Spritz
The Spritz iOS app holds the recipe and scales the pitcher to 6 or 8 in one tap; the app does the math and adds anything you’re missing to a grocery list.
Open this recipe in Spritz →
