Bellini Cocktail Recipe

How to make a Bellini cocktail

This simple summer-loving cocktail is oh-so-easy to make, perfect when hosting friends and family for brunch or lazy afternoons by the pool. This fruity fizz is a delicious alternative to a Mimosa, and an absolute must-make when peaches are in season—May through late September. The original Bellini cocktail ingredients are just a mix of peach purée, Prosecco, and bitters but try our fizzy and flirtatious version with extra peachy magic—we use peach-infused vodka.

For your peach purée, it’s best if you make it fresh, but store-bought is fine too. Just watch the sugar content; you don’t want it too sweet. Keep your glass, bubbles, and other ingredients well chilled for the best Bellini.

How to make a Bellini cocktail with peach purée

A great Bellini requires great quality peaches. Buy peaches in season, peel and blitz them in a blender, then pour into ice cube trays and freeze them. For a neat trick, once frozen, store them in a freezer bag—an ice cube of purée equals a serving.

How to manage the Prosecco foam

Popping and pouring bubbly is a life skill we all need. Don’t quiver at the thought, you’ll get the hang of it quickly! First step, to open the bubbly without losing half of it, just follow our trick—cover the top of the bottle with a kitchen towel, hold the bottle at a slight angle and while gently squeezing the cork in your fist, twist it counter-clockwise until it pops out.

To pour like a pro, aim to have no foam or a little foam. To achieve this, hold your glass at a 45-degree angle (also known as the beer-glass tilt), and allow the bubbly to slowly slide down the sides of the glass. For the ultimate smooth Bellini, pour in the vodka and peach purée before the bubbly, to avoid the foam overflowing. Also, don’t overfill the glass—aim for half to three-quarters.

The best variations and substitutions to our recipe for Bellini

• Use ripe, luscious peaches to gift you a glorious Bellini. Unripe or lousy peaches will give you a dud drink.
• Make it easy by peeling your peaches before the purée —it ditches the need to strain.
• For a store cupboard Bellini, blitz tinned peaches.
• For spiked popsicles, pour your mix into molds and freeze. Add in some chopped peach and mint for Insta-worthy treats.
• For other fruit-flavored Bellinis, try a blushed Rossini for a strawberry version or use mango instead of peach.
• For a super foodie twist, try making a delicious simple syrup with a few slices of ginger and pink peppercorns and adding it to your classic recipe for Bellini. Fresh chili is also a great match for peach, so add a cheeky slice if you dare.
• For a sparkling mocktail version, use sparkling peach flavored water instead of bubbly and add a dash of non-alcoholic fruit infusion instead of the peach bitters