Ripe white peach has a floral, almost honeyed scent that yellow peaches lack, and that is the heart of this drink. Topped with cold, dry bubbles it turns into a soft, pale apricot fizz that tastes of late summer.
1¾ oz
white peach purée chilled
¼ oz
lemon juice
3½ oz
alcohol-free sparkling wine dry style, well chilled
Garnish: Peach slice (optional) · Ice: Served up, no ice
Virgin Bellini
Soft, fruity and fragrant, with ripe white peach, a light acidity and fine bubbles. Gently sweet, never heavy.
The Bellini comes from Harry's Bar in Venice, where Giuseppe Cipriani mixed white peach purée with Prosecco. The drink is usually dated to the 1940s and named after the Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini, whose use of soft pink tones reminded Cipriani of the colour in the glass. It was a seasonal drink, made only when white peaches were available.
The alcohol-free version simply swaps the Prosecco for an alcohol-free sparkling wine or, in simpler bars, for sparkling water with a little lemonade. The quality of the peach purée matters even more here, because there is no wine to carry the aroma.
White peach purée topped with alcohol-free sparkling wine, with a few drops of lemon juice for freshness.
Yes, but the drink turns more orange and tastes less floral. Add a little extra lemon to balance the sweetness.
From Harry's Bar in Venice, where Giuseppe Cipriani created it with white peach and Prosecco.
The perfect sound
A soft peach glow over the canals of Venice.
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