Rossini
Fresh strawberry purée topped with chilled Prosecco. The pink, summery cousin of the Bellini.
- Time
- 8 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Flute
- Strength
- 1.1 UK units
How to make a Rossini
- Chill the flute. Put the glass in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes, until it is cold to the touch.
- Purée the strawberries. Blend the strawberries until smooth, then push the purée through a fine strainer with the back of a spoon. Taste it: if it is sharp, stir in the sugar syrup.
- Pour in the purée. Measure 50 ml of purée into the flute. It should come about a third of the way up.
- Top with Prosecco. Tilt the glass and pour the Prosecco down the side in two goes, letting the foam settle in between. It rises fast.
- Stir once and serve. Stir very gently, one turn only, until the pink is even through the drink. Serve straight away.
- Glass
- FluteNo flute? A small wine glass or a coupe.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- A small strawberry slit and set on the rimOr: Leave it plain.
What you need to make a Rossini
Kit
BlenderAny jug blender that can crush ice.
Fine strainerA small tea strainer catches ice shards.
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Bar spoonA long teaspoon does the job.
Bottles we'd use
- A dry ProseccoBrut or extra dry keeps the drink from being too sweet, because the fruit already adds sugar.Find it on Amazon
- Strawberry puréeFunkin strawberry purée is a handy shortcut out of season, though fresh or thawed frozen fruit tastes brighter.Find it on Amazon
Links to Amazon are affiliate links: if you buy through them, Bar Bandol may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Rossini variations and swaps
Make it drier and fizzier with a brut Prosecco, or swap in Cava or Champagne if you have a bottle open. Raspberries blended and sieved the same way give a tarter, deeper pink drink. If the purée tastes flat, add a few drops of lemon juice rather than more sugar. For a stronger version, stir in 10 ml of strawberry liqueur before the Prosecco. For a jug, blend 400 g of strawberries and pour 50 ml of purée into each glass before topping up. For an alcohol-free version, use alcohol-free sparkling wine.
The Rossini story
The Rossini is the strawberry sibling of the Bellini: fruit purée in the glass, Prosecco on top. It is usually said to be named after the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, but where and when it was first made is not clearly recorded, so treat any exact date with caution.
It only needs ripe strawberries and cold fizz. Blend the fruit, push it through a sieve so no seeds end up in the glass, and keep everything cold. Strawberries in winter can be pale and sharp, and thawed frozen ones often taste better.
Rossini: your questions answered
What is in a Rossini?
A Rossini is made with 100 g ripe strawberries and 100 ml Prosecco. Garnish: a small strawberry slit and set on the rim.
How strong is a Rossini?
Made to this recipe, a Rossini contains about 1.1 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Rossini in?
Serve a Rossini in a flute. No flute? A small wine glass or a coupe.
