Contents
Bellini is a low-alcohol cocktail consisting of sparkling wine (prosecco, asti, champagne) and peach puree. The drink is remembered for its original almost fantastic color and mild sweet taste. Due to the availability of ingredients and ease of preparation, it is very easy to make at home.
Historical information
The Bellini cocktail was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani, the owner of the famous Venetian bar Harry’s, where Orson Welles, Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, Humphrey Bogart and other representatives of creative bohemians liked to spend time.
The cocktail is named after the famous Italian artist Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516), who was able to create unique shades of pink on white (the angel’s clothes in the picture). Cipriani was a great admirer of painting. He considered that the color of his cocktail was close to these shades.
The first version of the recipe appeared in 1934. The cocktail needed fresh white peaches, so it was served only during the fruit ripening season. In 1948, the French launched the industrial production of peach puree and Bellini began to be made year-round. The drink became the highlight of the new Cipriani bar in New York, quickly winning the love of Americans.
Classic Bellini Recipe
Composition:
- ripe white peaches – 5 pieces;
- sparkling wine prosecco – 750 ml;
- sugar – 50 grams (optional);
- ice cubes – 100 grams.
Cooking (multiple servings)
1. Cut the peaches in half, remove the pits from them, peel the slices.
2. Punch the pulp with your hands and pass through a sieve to obtain a homogeneous mass.
3. If the puree is unsweetened, add sugar.
4. Cool puree.
5. Mix three parts sparkling wine and one part peach puree in a shaker with ice. Strain the cocktail into a champagne glass (flute) so that the ice remains in the shaker.
6. Decorate the cocktail with a piece of peach or cherry. Serve cold.
Homemade Bellini Recipe
We will replace rare ingredients with more affordable ones, simplifying the cooking technology. It will have little effect on the taste.
Ingredients per serving:
- champagne (dry or semi-sweet) – 100 ml;
- peach juice with pulp (or puree) – 50 ml.
Preparation
1. Cool glass, juice and champagne well.
2. Pour peach juice (puree) into a chilled glass.
3. Add champagne.
4. Gently mix with a teaspoon (foam will appear when stirring).
5. Decorate the cocktail with a slice of peach, cherry or strawberry.
Non-alcoholic “Bellini”
A special recipe for children and teetotalers.
Composition:
- peach juice – 60 ml;
- soda water – 60 ml;
- grenadine (sweet pomegranate syrup) – 2-3 drops.
Preparation
1. Cool all ingredients.
2. Pour juice and soda into a glass.
3. Add a few drops of grenadine and stir.
4. Serve with a straw.
In Italy, the Bellini cocktail is sold in bottles. In 1988, Venetian winemaker Luciano Canella found a way to close his sparkling wine mixed with natural peach juice without preservatives. As a result, the drink retains its original taste.