Bellini (cocktail)
| IBA official cocktail | |
|---|---|
| Type | Wine cocktail |
| Base spirit | |
| Served | Straight up: chilled, without ice |
| Standard drinkware |  |
| IBA specified ingredients† |
|
| Preparation | Pour peach puree into chilled flute, add gently sparkling wine. Stir gently. |
| Notes | Traditionally a Bellini uses Prosecco for the wine and white peaches for the fruit. |
A Bellini is a long drink cocktail that originated in Venice. It is a mixture of sparkling wine (traditionally Prosecco) and peach purée often served at celebrations. It is one of Italy's most popular cocktails.[1]
History
The Bellini was invented sometime between 1934 and 1948[1][2][3][4] by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy. Because of its unique pink color, which reminded Cipriani of the color of the toga of a saint in a painting by 15th-century Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini, he named the drink the Bellini.[1][5]
The drink started as a seasonal specialty at Harry's Bar, a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis and Orson Welles[1][5]. Later, it also became popular at the bar's New York counterpart. After an entrepreneurial Frenchman set up a business to ship fresh white peach pureé to both locations, it was a year-round favorite.[2]
Popular culture
The Bellini is an IBA Official Cocktail, thus indicating its popularity and making it a well-known cocktail to many professional bartenders.
In relation to the United States: "I think that the Bellini growth is tied to the very strong Italian chain restaurant growth, especially Olive Garden, since Italian restaurants are where Bellinis and drinks like them are featured and promoted," says Jack Robertiello, editor of Cheers magazine.[1]
A frozen Bellini is the signature drink of Romano's Macaroni Grill, a chain restaurant in the U.S.A.
Bellinis are consumed throughout the first half of Geoff Dyer's Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi.
The maitre d' at the Manhattan restaurant Pastel in Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho brings 3 rounds of complimentary Bellinis, none of which the men drink.
Preparation and serving
The Bellini consists of puréed white peaches and Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine. Marinating fresh peaches in wine is an Italian tradition.[2] The original recipe was made with a bit of raspberry or cherry juice to give the drink a pink glow.[4] Due, in part, to the limited availability of both white peaches and Prosecco, several variations exist.
California produces a white peach that works well,[6] and yellow peaches or peach nectar can be substituted, especially if peaches are out of season and the flavor would be very bland. Other fruits or even flavoured liqueurs (peach schnapps, for example) are sometimes substituted for the peach puree.
The Cipriani family produces Bellini Base for the signature cocktail of the Harry's Bar restaurants.
Other sparkling wines are commonly used in place of Prosecco, though richly flavored French champagne does not pair well with the light, fruity flavor of the Bellini. For a non-alcoholic version, sparkling juice (like sparkling cider) or seltzer is used in place of the champagne.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Caley, Nora. Behind the Bar: Bella Bellini February 2007. PizzaToday. Retrieved February 6, 2007. Cite error: The named reference "PizzaToday" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b c 3000 Drinks > Bellini Cocktail. Undated. thatstheSPIRIT.com. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
- ^ Jo' Pratt. Food - Recipes - Bellini cocktail. Undated. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
- ^ a b Bellini Cocktail Recipe. Undated. GourmetSleuth.com. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
- ^ a b Sicard, Cheri. Featured Cocktail -- Bellini. Undated. Fabulous Foods. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
- ^ Featured Recipe: Peach Bellini Cocktail or Mocktail. Undated. Freshipes. California Tree Fruit Agreement. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
- ^ Chiarello, Michael. Bellini Cocktail, from the "Lazy Breakfast in Bed" episode of Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello. Scripps Networks, Inc. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
External links
- "How to Make a Bellini Cocktail" - A Video demonstration along with written instructions, for mixing a Champagne-based Bellini (Hosted at VideoJug.com)