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File this under: you can’t go wrong. The Bellini cocktail is simply white peach puree and Prosecco, and it doesn’t even have to be fancy Prosecco. Peaches and bubbles combine to create the very taste of having won — at life, or at least this one little celebratory slice of life. And just because it’s simple doesn’t mean that the Bellini cocktail doesn’t have an illustrious history. The Bellini originated in one of Hemingway’s favorite haunts in Venice, Harry’s Bar, during the summer of 1948 when a robust peach harvest left legendary bartender Giuseppe Cipriani wondering what to do with all these peaches.
Bar Tools
- Shaker
- Paring knife (if using fresh peaches)
- Blender or food processor
To Serve: a champagne flute
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz. white peach puree
- 4.5 oz Prosecco
How to Make
Peach Puree
You can actually buy premade peach puree, and if peaches are not in season, you can use frozen peach chunks. But in Italy, this drink is seasonal for a reason — nothing beats fresh peaches. The original recipe from Harry’s Bar doesn’t call for skinning the peaches, but this does impart a slightly more robust flavor.
Here’s a top tip: with your paring knife, make an X on top of each peach (four peaches per bottle of Proscecco is the usual ratio). Bring some water to boil, dip the peaches for 20 seconds, and the skin will peel right off. Take the peach pit out, puree the pulp in a blender or food processor, and refrigerate before using.
Finishing the Bellini
Pour the peach puree into a champagne flute, about 1/3 full, and top with Prosecco. Make sure both ingredients are well chilled. Leave ungarnished or consider a floral attribute.
Nutritional Facts and ABV
- ABV (alcohol by volume): 8.3 %
- Calories: 134
- Total carbohydrates: 9.5 grams
- Total added sugar: 7.5 grams
History
As famous as Ernest Hemingway was as a writer, he was arguably equally influential as a drinker, so much so that the places he liked to drink (and there were many) became nearly as legendary as his books. Hemingway had great taste in bars, and Harry’s Bar was pretty well-known before Hemingway declared it was his favorite in 1948. Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn, Lauren Becall, Truman Capote, and Orson Welles also drank at Harry’s, an elegant one-room affair on Calle Vallaresso, a block from Piazza San Marco at the mouth of the Grand Canal.
Owner and barman Giuseppe Cipriani was known for his taste, style, and large-heartedness — his bar attracted artists, many of who he helped along from time to time with loans. He also loved white peaches, and according to his son, Arrigo, contemplated for some time how to make a drink from them before finally creating the Bellini in 1948. Cipriani is also the creator of Carpaccio, the thinly sliced raw beef appetizer. The Bellini is named after 15th Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini — the pink hue in one of his paintings reminded Cipriani of the drink he’d created.
FAQs
What kind of Prosecco should I use?
The quality of the peaches is actually more important for a good Bellini, because as odd as it is to say in a cocktail with bubbles — the peaches are the star of this show, and such a dominant flavor that almost any Prosecco will do.
Can I use yellow peaches?
This is a hotly debated topic among Bellini aficionados. Most would say, no, only white peaches will do. They have a more delicate, almost floral taste and are slightly sweeter, while yellow are have a more intense flavor and are more acidic. A yellow peach will still make a Bellini, but it won’t have quite the crispness.
