Last Updated on March 20, 2024 by Laura Teso
The Bellini cocktail is an iconic Italian sparkling drink that combines the fizzy charm of Prosecco with the sweet, sun-ripened flavor of white peaches.
When and where was the Bellini cocktail invented?
In the summer of 1948, Giuseppe Cipriani, the owner of the renowned Harry’s Bar in Venice, was commissioned to create a new cocktail for the grand opening of an exhibition dedicated to the artist Giovanni Bellini at the Doge’s Palace.
Inspired by the pink hues in Bellini’s artwork, Cipriani decided to blend ripe white peach pulp (which has pink tones when the peaches are just right) with Prosecco, a local wine.
The cocktail quickly became a sensation at Harry’s Bar in Venice. Its popularity eventually led to its introduction at the Harry’s Bar in New York, made possible by a French entrepreneur who shipped the peach puree from Italy to the Big Apple. Today, it remains a popular choice for brunches in New York.
What are the ingredients of a Bellini cocktail?
The wonderfully simple Bellini requires just two ingredients:
- Prosecco and
- white peach puree.
The recipe comes from Harry’s Bar itself: combine three-quarters of Prosecco with one-quarter of peach puree (you can crush the peaches with their skin using a Chinese strainer or a potato masher—because let’s face it, who actually has a Chinese strainer at home?).
If you have a juicer, that works too. However, it’s best to avoid a mixer since it introduces too much air. Another tip is to add the wine right at the end, and remember that it’s best enjoyed fresh daily.
Bellini cocktail Variations
There are many delightful variations of this cocktail, such as the Bellini Royal, which uses champagne instead of Prosecco, or the Mimosa, which incorporates fresh orange juice. For a non-alcoholic alternative, you can substitute soda in place of the wine.
Moreover, after the success of the Bellini, Cipriani was inspired to create several seasonal variants, replacing peaches with other fruits. Here are a few to try:
- Rossini, made with strawberries and named after the composer of Il Barbiere di Siviglia. As the drink is red, it aptly features the word “rosso,” meaning red in Italian.
- Tintoretto, crafted with pomegranates in honor of the iconic Venetian painter.
- Tiziano, made with strawberry grapes, named after another beloved Venetian artist. There’s even a color in Italy called Rosso Tiziano, or Titian red, often seen in the hair of women in his paintings.
- Puccini, which features tangerines, named after opera composer Giacomo Puccini, famed for works like La Bohème, Turandot, Madama Butterfly, and Tosca.
The Invention of Carpaccio
Following the immense popularity of the Bellini, Cipriani turned his creativity to another culinary invention—carpaccio. Introduced in 1950, this dish consists of thinly sliced raw beef sirloin served elegantly on a plate, drizzled with a yellow sauce resembling a Kandinsky painting. Interestingly, this dish is not named after the abstract painter; instead, it honors Vittore Carpaccio, a Venetian artist known for his beautiful works displayed at the Accademia Galleries in Venice.
