Bellini
A delicate Venetian classic blending white peach purée with chilled Prosecco, invented at Harry’s Bar in 1948.
About the Bellini
The Bellini is a two-ingredient Italian classic that pairs white peach purée with chilled Prosecco, built gently in a Champagne flute. It’s lighter and more delicate than most fruit-and-spirit cocktails, since it contains no base spirit beyond the wine itself.
It was created in the summer of 1948 by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder and bartender of the legendary Harry’s Bar in Venice. The name ties to a major 1948 Venice exhibition of Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini’s work — Cipriani felt the drink’s delicate pink-orange hue echoed shades in Bellini’s paintings.
It became a seasonal specialty at Harry’s Bar, built around fresh white peaches, and later a year-round menu staple once bottled peach purée made it possible outside peach season. Harry’s Bar was a favourite haunt of Hemingway and Capote, which helped the drink’s reputation travel well beyond Venice.
The Classic Recipe
Classic Bellini — Serves 1
- 2 oz (60ml) white peach purée
- 4 oz (120ml) chilled Prosecco, or other dry sparkling wine
Method
- Chill a Champagne flute.
- Pour the white peach purée into the flute.
- Slowly add the Prosecco.
- Stir very gently with a bar spoon to combine without losing carbonation.
Tips for the Best Bellini
- Use white peaches. Cipriani’s original calls for white, not yellow, peaches — they give the correct delicate colour and flavour.
- Pour gently. Add the Prosecco slowly and stir only lightly, so you don’t lose the bubbles.
- Make it to order. Prosecco loses its fizz quickly once opened, so Bellinis are best made fresh rather than batched ahead.
- Chill everything. The flute, the purée, and the Prosecco should all be cold before you build the drink.
- Skip the garnish. The traditional presentation is clean and minimalist — no fruit, no rim, just the drink itself.
Popular Variations
Mango Bellini
Swaps mango purée for peach — a common fruit variation, though purists reserve the “Bellini” name for peach only.
Strawberry Bellini
Strawberry purée in place of peach, popular for brunch menus and a brighter red-pink colour.
Frozen Bellini
Blended with ice for a slushier presentation, common at resort and pool-side bars.
Mimosa
A closely related brunch classic that swaps peach purée for fresh orange juice.
How to Serve
Glass: A chilled Champagne flute, in keeping with the drink’s clean, minimalist Venetian presentation.
Ice: None — the Bellini is served straight, without ice.
Batching for a crowd: Pre-portion the peach purée into flutes ahead of time, then top each glass with Prosecco to order — batching the finished drink isn’t recommended, since it loses carbonation fast.
Related Database Entries
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