Sgroppino
Lemon sorbet whisked with vodka and Prosecco into a cold, frothy slush. Makes two, and finishes a meal.
- Time
- 8 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Flute
- Strength
- 1.5 UK units
How to make a Sgroppino
- Chill the glasses. Put two flutes in the freezer for 10 minutes. Take the sorbet out of the freezer to soften for about 3 minutes.
- Whisk the sorbet and vodka. Put the sorbet and vodka in a chilled jug or bowl and whisk for about 30 seconds, until the sorbet is soft and mostly smooth, with a few small lumps.
- Whisk in the Prosecco. Pour in the Prosecco slowly while you keep whisking, until the drink is creamy and pourable, like a thin milkshake.
- Pour and serve. Pour into the chilled flutes straight away, add a mint leaf to each and serve with a spoon.
- Glass
- FluteNo flute? A coupe or a small wine glass.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- A small mint leafOr: A curl of lemon zest, or leave it plain.
What you need to make a Sgroppino
Kit
Whisk or shakerTo loosen cream until it just pours.
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Bottles we'd use
- Lemon sorbetA tub of sorbet with real lemon juice, from the supermarket freezer aisle or an ice-cream maker.Find it on Amazon
- A dry ProseccoBrut or extra dry cuts through the sweetness of the sorbet.Find it on Amazon
- A clean vodkaSmirnoff No. 21 or Absolut, kept in the freezer so it does not melt the sorbet.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.
Sgroppino variations and swaps
Choose a good lemon sorbet with a short ingredients list, as it is most of the flavour. Replace the vodka with 30 ml of limoncello for a sweeter, more lemony drink. Try Cava or any dry sparkling wine in place of Prosecco. Raspberry or blood orange sorbet works the same way, though the drink is then no longer a classic Sgroppino. For an alcohol-free version, whisk the sorbet with alcohol-free sparkling wine and leave out the vodka. Serve it in small glasses, since the sorbet makes it filling and sweet.
The Sgroppino story
The Sgroppino comes from the Veneto in north-east Italy and is associated with Venice. It is traditionally served at the end of a meal, as a light, cold finish between the main course and pudding or in place of it. The name is usually explained as coming from a Venetian word for untying a knot, a nod to the way it settles a full stomach.
There are only three ingredients and no shaker. Soft lemon sorbet is whisked with very cold vodka, then Prosecco is whisked in until the drink looks like a thick, pourable cream. Make it at the last minute, because it loosens and separates if it sits. Serve it small: it is sweet and the cold hides the alcohol.
Sgroppino: your questions answered
What is in a Sgroppino?
A Sgroppino is made with 150 g lemon sorbet, 40 ml vodka and 120 ml Prosecco. Garnish: a small mint leaf.
How strong is a Sgroppino?
Made to this recipe, a Sgroppino contains about 1.5 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 Sgroppino in?
Serve a Sgroppino in a flute. No flute? A coupe or a small wine glass.
