Bellini is a cocktail of great elegance, fresh and very fragrant and the forefather of a successful family of cocktails: peach juice and prosecco. Simple recipe, but brilliant: the qualities of sparkling wine, structure, minerality and freshness, are rounded off by the fragrant aromaticity of peaches.
Bellini originated in Venice in 1948, on the occasion of a painting exhibition dedicated to the Venetian artist Giovan Battista Bellini at Palazzo Ducale. Giovanni Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice, was commissioned to create a cocktail to celebrate the exhibition. He was inspired by the purple-pink hues typical of the painter to create this incredible drink, so he decided to mix fresh white peach juice with one sparkling wine typical of the area. His customers were immediately attracted to that refreshing drink called “Bellini” in honor of the show.
Founded in 1931, a stone’s throw from San Marco, Harry’s Bar has been, and still is, a happy place for famous clients: from Hemingway to Truman Capote, from Orson Welles to Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas. Perfect combination of exquisite service and delicious Italian cuisine, Harry’s Bar became the standard of luxury and for over 70 years attracts customers from all over the world. In addition to the Bellini, another great contribution to the Italian gastronomic art of Giuseppe Cipriani was the beef carpaccio.
Cocktail recipe:
3/10 white peach (passed through a sieve with the peel)
7/10 prosecco
Pour the ingredients directly into the glass
Advice from the barman: use strictly seasonal fruit at the right degree of ripeness and clean it very well. Squeeze the fruit with the peel, by hand and gently, add lemon. If the color is too light you can add a few drops of raspberry juice. Glasses must be very cold, such as peach juice and prosecco.
Cheers!
