Peach Bellini Cocktails

The Mimosa jockeys at brunch for Star Reckoning, but don’t overlook the sweet potential of the Bellini cocktail. While the two have a very reduced ingredient list – only two ingredients – I would argue that the Bellini is the more complex and flavorful drink. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to make a large batch to serve to guests at your next brunch.

Where do the Bellini come from?

The Bellini cocktail can be traced back to Harry’s Bar in Venice in the 1940s. Head bartender Giuseppe Cipriani added this drink to the menu as a seasonal item, inspired by the remarkable scarcity of white peaches, which were only available 4 months of the year.

As peach pulp became commercially available year-round, the drink became a popular favorite at the New York branch of Harry’s Bar. The drink was nicknamed “Bellini” because Italian Renaissance painter Giovani Bellini used a blushing color in his paintings. Sometimes a few drops of raspberry juice were added to the drink to give it a more pink color. However, blending the fresh white peaches with their skins also adds a subtle blush color to the drink.

Peach nectar is a great sub for this cocktail!

Although fresh peaches were the reason the drink was created – as Cipriani wanted to showcase their flavor in a drink – you can also use peach nectar as a successful substitute. Just keep in mind that nectar gives your drink a more yellow color, so you may not get that “Bellini” blush look.

Get the best out of your peaches

To get the most out of your peaches, here are a few tips:

• Stay tuned the skins! There’s no need to peel your fresh peaches before pureeing them. Once mixed, the skins are just tiny specks in the mix and don’t disturb the texture, so save yourself the headache of peeling them! For this batch recipe, core and roughly chop 5-6 medium peaches, then puree in a blender.

• You can use fresh frozen peaches if you like. For the best flavor and texture, you don’t want to take an old bag out of the back of the freezer. Avoid using discs with visible freezer burn! To avoid this, prepare your own fresh frozen peaches. Slice up some ripe fruit – skin open! – and freeze them individually on a sheet pan. Once frozen, remove from the pan and store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
• Peach nectar and peach juice are different! Peach juice is just the puree of the peach with no sweetener, but some brands add another fruit juice. Nectars have a thicker consistency and contain an additional sweetener. The thicker puree also has a slightly different mouthfeel when drinking.

Prosecco makes a Bellini magical

The second important ingredient here is the sparkling wine. There are many types of Italian sparkling wine, such as Lambrusco, Franciacorta and Asti Spumante, but this Venetian drink specifically calls for Prosecco, also from northern Italy, in the recipe. There are also different levels of quality when it comes to Prosecco wines – you don’t need to break the bank with a premium bottle, just look for one that says ‘Prosecco DOC’ which should get you a decent quality wine to mix in the cocktail.

Batching Bellinis for a crowd

The Bellini cocktail can easily be stacked to serve a crowd at your next brunch or picnic, but it’s not something you can stack ahead of time and leave in the fridge overnight. Mix peach puree or nectar in a large pitcher, pour in wine, stir and shortly after serve to guests.

The puree and wine will start to separate if left too long, and those peppy bubbles will die off as well, so plan to do this just before your guests enjoy!