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How many restaurants become famous because of a simple cocktail? Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy is one of them. The Peach Bellini recipe is simple: white peach puree, Prosecco and a bit of raspberry or cherry juice for that signature pink glow.
Peach Bellini Cocktails
In 1931, Giuseppe Cipriani opened Harry’s Bar in a stone building along a canal near Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy. Sometime between 1934 and 1948 he created a cocktail with a distinct pink color that reminded him of the hue of a saint’s toga in a painting by Venetian artist, Giovanni Bellini. Thus the name: Peach Bellini.
I’ve tried many a Peach Bellini Recipe to come up with my favorite (work, work, work 😉 ), and this is it! Many modern versions of the Bellini leave out the raspberry or cherry juice, replacing it with lemon juice and sugar. But I love that classic pink blush! So I skip the lemon juice and sugar and add a few fresh raspberries instead. It’s easy to puree them along with the peaches – they add a pop of color and just the right amount of sweetness.
Prosecco, from Italy’s Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, is the sparkling wine of choice for Peach Bellinis (and for the Campari Spritz). There’s no need to splurge on an expensive variety, but do choose one that’s tasty enough to drink on its own.
White peaches can be a challenge to find. Keep an eye out for them, but know that yellow peaches work well too. The key is that the peaches are sweet and ripe when you’re ready to make cocktails. I like to buy hard peaches a few days in advance and let them ripen on a windowsill. Unripe peaches are sturdier in transit and less likely to be bruised.
Tips on Managing Foam
It’s easy to pour or stir Peach Bellini cocktails too fast, causing the Prosecco to foam over the top. Here are a few tips for controlling the bubbles:
- Make sure that everything is cold: fruit puree, Prosecco, and, ideally, your flute glasses.
- Open your Prosecco 10 to 15 minutes before you plan to pour the cocktails, keeping it refrigerated. This will reduce the foam, but still leave plenty of carbonation.
- If you’re making several Peach Bellinis at once, combine measured amounts of the fruit puree and Prosecco in a glass wine carafe and gently stir. Fill the glasses in a few small pours to maintain the consistency of each cocktail.
More Craft Cocktail Recipes to Try!
- French 75 Cocktail (A super refreshing champagne cocktail!)
- My Blackberry Margarita Recipe (Made with no-cook, fresh Blackberry Syrup.)
- The Last Word Cocktail (Made with herbaceous Chartreuse liqueur!)
- Rhubarb Cocktail (With a rosemary infused simple syrup!)
- Boulevardier Cocktail (Think of a Negroni, but with whiskey instead of gin!)
- Campari Spritz (Another favorite that we discovered in Venice, Italy! Can be made with Aperol instead of Campari.)
How to Make A Peach Bellini
Step 1: Combine diced and peeled raw peaches with fresh raspberries and water in a blender pitcher; Blend until smooth. Strain puree through a fine sieve.
Step 2: Pour 2 ounces peach and raspberry puree into a flute glass, top with a little Prosecco. Stir gently. Top off with more Prosecco. Serve.
Peach Bellini Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ripe peach peeled and diced
- 8 fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 bottle chilled prosecco
Instructions
- Combine diced peach, raspberries and water in a blender pitcher; blend until smooth. Pour puree into a measuring pitcher through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Use a rubber spatula to help the puree move through the sieve. (If possible, cover and chill for an hour or more before assembling cocktails.)
- Pour ~1 1/2 ounces of fruit puree into a flute glass; top with a little Prosecco and gently stir. Once foam has subsided top off with more Prosecco. Serve.
Notes
- Note that foam can be an issue when making these cocktails. Starting with cold ingredients is helpful. If possible, make your fruit puree and chill for hour or more before making cocktails. Opening your Prosecco (but keeping it in the refrigerator) 10 to 15 minutes beforehand also reduces foam.
- The Peach Bellini is on the International Bartenders Association’s list of “official cocktails”. Cheers to that! They recommend a ratio of 1:2, peach puree to Prosecco. My preference is a little less puree – about 1 1/2 ounces to 4 ounces of Prosecco. Try it both ways and adjust to suit your taste! 🙂
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is it possible to bottle the Bellini after it’s made? If so what is the best way to do this?
Hi Phoenix! You can make the peach/raspberry puree up to 3 days in advance (store it refrigerated in an airtight container). I recommend adding prosecco when serving so the cocktails keep their fizz.
Such an outstanding recipe! Will add to our list of go-to drinks for summer.
I love to hear that! Thank you.
I want to make this in a punch bowl for a party. Any suggestions
Hi Virginia! I’ve made pitchers of this, but haven’t served it in a punch bowl. My main concern is that it will lose bubbles quickly. If you do go with a bowl, I’d add the prosecco just before serving and plan to top the bowl up with fresh puree and prosecco once or twice during the party. I hope that helps!
Delicious
Thank Gary!
In the winter, have you used frozen or canned peaches in their own juice?
Thanks!
Hi Sjb! I haven’t used canned, but frozen peaches work great here! Just swap in ~3/4 cup of diced, frozen peaches to replace 1 whole peach.