A Modern Take on Mimosas

Can’t escape the canned wine craze? Everywhere you looked this past summer, there were listicles of “Best Canned Wines To Drink This Season.” The aluminum-encased booze is taking the beverage industry by storm, and Cambridge-based Ohza is upping the ante on what can be canned next. For them, the answer is mimosas.

The idea came to founder Ryan Ayotte two years ago during a trip to Cape Cod. He and his friends tried to mix up a few mimosas while they were cruising around the bay but, as you can imagine, the waves and movement of the boat made it nearly impossible (and very messy). “We thought that there had to be a ready-to-drink mimosa out there we could try, but it turned out there was no good option,” said Ayotte. “I couldn’t believe no one was doing it given how popular mimosas are, so at that point I went full steam ahead.”

He got to work sourcing orange juice (the real stuff, no fake flavors here) and a premium brut sparkling wine from upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region. The end result? A low-ABV concoction (5%) and zero added sugar.

“People don’t realize it, but most champagnes and proseccos have a bunch of sugar, even the dry ones, which adds a ton of calories,” added Ayotte. “With zero sugar from the wine, the only sugar we have comes from the juice.”

Along with a lower ABV and minimal sugar comes a lighter lift on the planet, thanks to conscious sustainability efforts made by the Ohza team.

“Cans are lighter than bottles (saving fuel in shipping), and are infinitely recyclable. Plus, the holder we use for the 6-packs is made of recycled milk cartons,” said Ayotte. “While our cans do have a plastic sleeve on them now, this is also made of recycled material. That said, we will soon have printed cans, at which point our package will use zero plastic and be 100% recyclable.”

Mimosas might be most closely associated with brunch, but Ohza makes it clear that their grab-and-go sippers are perfect for all sorts of occasions including beach days, concerts, tailgates, pool floatin’, campfires, boating (as Ayotte experienced) and more.

So where can you snag one of these canned mimosas to try you might be wondering? Currently Ohza sells their Classic Mimosa six-packs throughout Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Connecticut — take a peek on where to buy here — with plans for further expansion throughout New England and over to New York within the next year or so. Keep your eye out for their mimosas on draft in late October, too, as they roll out their kegs to restaurants.

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