The world-famous peachy sparkling wine cocktail Bellini, originating from Venice, is a light and easy aperitif. It's very simple to make, as it uses only peach and Prosecco. You'll find the recipe below.
The story goes that a bartender named Giuseppe Cipriani created this cocktail at Harry's Bar in Venice, which he founded in 1948. The cocktail is named after the Italian Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini. Giuseppe Cipriani came up with the idea to name his drink after Bellini because the drink's color reminded him of the pink hue of a toga worn by a saint in one of the painter's works. The original recipe used white peach along with a bit of raspberry or cherry juice to give the drink its pink color.
Originally, Bellini was served only four months of the year, when white peaches were in season. This changed when Giuseppe's son Arrigo came up with the idea of using peach purée instead of fresh peaches. Bellini differs from many other drinks in that it uses fresh white peaches or peach purée instead of juice. Often yellow peaches are used instead of white peaches, as they're more readily available and ripen faster. Versions of the Bellini drink have also been created under the names of other artists, using strawberry purée, mandarin juice, or pomegranate juice.
Bellini is an effortless and quick sparkling wine cocktail that's perfect for any occasion, regardless of the season. It works for brunch as well as dinner, or as an aperitif when welcoming cottage guests or kicking off New Year's celebrations. The classic Bellini uses prosecco, but if prosecco isn't available, champagne works too. When using champagne, the drink often becomes drier, which can work well when the peaches themselves are riper and therefore sweeter.
Bellini
2 cl peach purée
12 cl Soligo Prosecco or Tosti Prosecco
Here's how:
The basic recipe is very simple. Put the peach purée and chilled prosecco in a champagne flute without ice. Stir the drink gently and serve cold. That's it! You can make the drink more impressive by adding a peach slice as a garnish. A good idea is also to freeze the peach used as a garnish. This way the drink stays cool longer and its flavor only intensifies. Ice cubes aren't recommended, as they dilute the drink. Cin cin!
