Bellini Cocktail Recipe

The Bellini is an elegant, two-part cocktail that pairs chilled sparkling wine with white peach purée. First poured at Harry’s Bar in Venice in the mid-20th century, it was created as a seasonal specialty by the bar’s owner and famed chef, Giuseppe Cipriani. His original version combined puréed white peaches with dry Italian sparkling wine — typically Prosecco — sometimes finished with a touch of berry juice to enhance its pale pink hue. Cipriani named the drink after 15th-century Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini, inspired by the soft blush tones in the artist’s work.

Though she wasn’t a big drinker, the Bellini was said to be a favorite of Princess Diana’s. There are rumored stories about her sneaking out to gay bars in disguise with Freddie Mercury in the late ’80s, and the Bellini was her drink of choice. Though this has never been verified, her love of Bellinis was widely known.

Over time, fresh purée was often replaced with peach liqueur, dulling the cocktail’s delicacy. With the return of fresh juice to cocktail culture in the early 2000s, the Bellini saw a rebirth.

Why the Bellini works

Traditionally served only during peak white peach season in Italy, the Bellini benefits from ripe, high-quality fruit. Elegant yet unfussy, the Bellini captures the essence of Italian aperitivo culture: simple, seasonal, and lower in alcohol.

White peaches are known for their sweetness and delicate, floral characteristics. They are also less acidic than yellow peaches. The Bellini’s brilliance lies in balance — the perfume and gentle sweetness of ripe white peaches matches the crisp lift of bubbles in sparkling wine, each amplifying the other.