Bellini Recipe: White Peach and Prosecco

Ingredients

3½ oz prosecco ice colde.g. Mionetto · Martini · La Marca · Zonin · Valdo
1¾ oz white peach purée fresh, from ripe white peaches

Garnish: Optional thin peach slice · Ice: Served up, no ice

Method

Peel and stone ripe white peaches and purée them until smooth; strain for a finer texture and chill well.
Pour the peach purée into a chilled flute.
Slowly add the cold prosecco, tilting the glass to preserve the bubbles.
Stir gently once with a bar spoon to combine.
Serve right away, optionally with a thin peach slice.

Watch it made

Bellini

Taste

Juicy, floral white peach with fine bubbles and a soft, slightly creamy texture. Delicate, fruity and low in alcohol.

History and origin

The Bellini was created at Harry's Bar in Venice by its founder, Giuseppe Cipriani, sometime between the 1930s and the late 1940s. He named it after the 15th-century Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini, as the drink's soft pink tone reminded him of a colour in one of the artist's paintings.

Originally it was a seasonal drink, made only when white peaches were available in summer. It became world famous as Harry's Bar attracted writers, artists and celebrities, and the Cipriani family later helped spread it through their restaurants. The International Bartenders Association lists the Bellini among its "Contemporary Classics", with prosecco and white peach purée in a 2:1 ratio.

Bartender tips

White peaches are key: yellow peaches make a heavier, less fragrant drink.
Add a few drops of lemon juice to the purée to keep it from browning.
Pour the prosecco slowly onto the purée, not the other way round, or it will foam over.