The Bellini is a cocktail of great elegance, fresh and very fragrant based on white peach juice and prosecco. Simple but brilliant recipe: the qualities of the sparkling wine, structure, minerality and freshness, are rounded off by the very fragrant aromaticity of the peaches
But where does this fragrant recipe come from?
The Bellini originated in Venice in 1948, on the occasion of a painting exhibition dedicated to the Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Bellini at the Doge’s Palace.
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 thought of mixing fresh white peach juice with one typical sparkling wine of the area. His customers were immediately attracted to that refreshing drink called “Bellini” – in honor of the exhibition
Bellini is the progenitor of a successful cocktail family: the common denominator is the use of fresh seasonal fruit and sparkling wine.
Founded in 1931, a stone’s throw from San Marco, Harry’s Bar was, and still is, a happy landing place for illustrious customers: from Hemingway (his table was the one on the far left after the entrance) to Truman Capote, from Orson Welles to Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas. A perfect combination of exquisite service and delicious Italian cuisine, Harry’s Bar became the standard of luxury and has been attracting customers from all over the world for over 70 years. In addition to Bellini, another great contribution to Giuseppe Cipriani’s Italian gastronomic art was the beef carpaccio.
These are the characteristics of the Bellini cocktail to be defined as perfect:
A) White-pink color and not intense yellow. If yellow, it means that yellow-fleshed peaches have been used.
B) The effervescence, which must be present, but not pungent. If not present, the drink will be flat while, if too sparkling, the softness of the peach will be lost.
C) The foam: a Bellini must have a nice foam on the surface.
All that remains is to come to Venice to try it!