Virgin Bellini
White peach purée topped with sparkling white grape juice. Harry's Bar's Venetian classic without the prosecco — pink, peachy and good enough for a brunch table.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a champagne flute.
Pour the peach purée into the flute.
Top slowly with chilled sparkling white grape juice, stirring gently as you pour so the purée lifts.
Garnish with a peach slice if you like.
A thoughtful finish
- White peaches, ripe and puréed fresh; a squeeze of lemon keeps the colour.
- Everything cold — the purée, the sparkling juice and the glass.
- Pour slowly; purée and fizz foam up fast.
Common mistakes
- Canned peaches in syrup.
- A warm sparkling juice, which foams over.
- Stirring hard, which kills the bubbles.
A few good questions.
What does a Virgin Bellini taste like?
Fresh white peach and sparkling grape — sweet, fruity and light.
What replaces the prosecco?
Sparkling white grape juice is closest; sparkling water with a touch of syrup is drier.
Can I use yellow peaches?
Yes; the colour is orange rather than pink, and the flavour is bolder.
Who invented the Bellini?
Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry's Bar in Venice, about 1948.
Variations
- Bellini — Peach purée and prosecco.
- Virgin Sangria — Grape and orange juice with fruit.
- Mimosa — Orange juice and champagne.
- Virgin Mojito — Lime, mint, sugar and soda.
Where it comes from
c. 1948 · Venice, Italy · Giuseppe Cipriani · Harry's Bar
Giuseppe Cipriani created the Bellini at Harry’s Bar in Venice around 1948, white peach purée with prosecco, and named it for the pink glow in the paintings of Giovanni Bellini. The virgin version is the same purée with a sparkling alcohol-free top — sparkling white grape juice is the closest to prosecco’s fruit, and sparkling water with a touch of syrup the drier option. The peach is the point: white peaches, ripe, puréed with a little lemon to stop them browning, and the whole thing kept cold. It is the easiest mocktail to make well, and the one most likely to be mistaken for the real thing.
Sources
- Arrigo Cipriani, Harry's Bar: The Life and Times of the Legendary Venice Landmark, 1996 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Virgin Bellini, 2012 (reference)
- IBA Official Cocktails, Bellini, current (standards body)
A little character in every sip.
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