Buck’s Fizz Recipe – Mimosa Vs. Buck’s Fizz

The History Of The Buck’s Fizz.

The Buck’s Fizz was invented at the Buck Club in 1921 in London by Barman Malachy McGarry. The earliest printed recipe for Buck’s Fizz I can find is from the 1937 Cafe Royal Cocktail Book. While the mimosa was invented in 1925 as a less boozy variation of The buck’s fizz, the buck’s fizz remained more widespread until the 1960s.

So how did the Buck’s Fizz fade from memory and the Mimosa become universally known? Hollywood, of course. Alfred Hitchcock’s favorite cocktail was the Mimosa. In a 1966 interview for the London Express, the author noted he met Alfred Hitchcock “In fine form, drinking mimosas and smoking an eight-inch cigar.” Other celebrities followed suit, and in no time, the Mimosa became the Cosmopolitan of the late 1960s.

What Is The Difference Between A Buck’s Fizz And A Mimosa?

The difference between the buck’s fizz and the mimosa is just the ratio of orange juice to sparkling wine. The buck fizz is 2:1 sparkling wine to orange juice, and the mimosa is 1:1 sparkling wine to orange juice. That’s all. I rarely ever see anyone make a 1:1 mimosa. The buck’s fizz ratio of 2:1 is preferred, but the name mimosa is so ubiquitous that the cocktail is always called a mimosa regardless of the proportions.

The History Of Buck’s Club London

The Buck Club was founded in 1919 by Herbert Buckmaster of the Royal Horse Guard. Herbert Buckmaster intended Buck’s Club to be an upper-class club with less of the stuffiness of other elite London clubs. One of Buckmaster’s requirements for the club was it should have an American-style bar. Not uncommon in hotels that served guests from overseas, but the idea of an American Bar in a prestigious invite-only boys club was unheard of. Buckmaster hired Pat MacGarry to head his American Bar. MacGarry never published his own cocktail book, but he is credited with having invented the Buck’s Fizz and the side-car. To this day, Buck’s Club is still an all-boys, invitation-only club.

Recipe Resources

• 1937 Cafe Royal Cocktail Book- Tarling