Prosecco cocktails work best when you decide what the sparkling wine needs to do. In a Spritz it lengthens a bitter aperitif; in a Bellini it combines with peach purée. Those drinks need different handling and bring different levels of sweetness.
The classic formulas below link to the International Bartenders Association’s published recipes. This is a guide to those references and to choosing a style, not a claim that Sommblog has independently tested each drink.
Start with two distinct classics
| Drink | Published measures | Main character |
|---|---|---|
| Spritz | 90ml Prosecco, 60ml Aperol, a splash of soda | Bitter orange, sparkling and refreshing in style |
| Bellini | 100ml Prosecco, 50ml white peach purée | Fruit-led, with a fuller texture |
Spritz: build gently over ice
The IBA Spritz combines Prosecco, Aperol and soda in a wine glass with ice, followed by a gentle stir and an orange garnish. Its current reference specifies a splash of soda; a precisely measured 3:2:1 version is a common variation, rather than the exact formula quoted here.
The aperitif is a major flavour ingredient. Replacing it with another bitter changes sweetness and bitterness, so treat that as a variation. Use chilled liquids and leave enough room in the glass to stir without spilling.
Bellini: peach purée changes the texture
The IBA Bellini uses white peach purée and Prosecco, gently combined in a mixing glass with ice and served in a chilled flute. Follow the linked reference for its full method. Peach juice, nectar and sweetened cocktail purée are different ingredients and need not give the same balance.
If your purée contains added sugar, check that before adding any further sweetener. Fruit texture also changes how the mixture pours. A fruit drink that foams vigorously should be combined slowly rather than forced into a narrow glass in one quick pour.
Which Prosecco should you choose?
Read the sweetness designation on the bottle instead of assuming every Prosecco is equally dry. The Prosecco DOC production rules distinguish permitted styles and labelling. A sweeter sparkling wine plus a sweet fruit base can make a noticeably different drink from the same recipe made with a drier wine.
Choose a sound bottle whose flavour you enjoy, without assuming a cocktail requires the most expensive denomination. Our DOC and DOCG guide explains origin labels; rosé Prosecco brings another option for colour and style.
Keep the sparkling ingredient sparkling
Chill the wine before mixing, open it close to serving and combine gently. Do not shake a sealed shaker containing sparkling wine. Prepare non-carbonated components first if a variation calls for shaking, then add the sparkling ingredient in the serving glass.
For a group, measure the still ingredients in advance and finish individual drinks close to serving. A long-held premix loses the point of the fresh bubbles. Close remaining wine with a suitable sparkling-wine stopper and refrigerate; see our opened-bottle guide.
Image: AI-generated editorial illustration, not a photograph of a tested recipe or a reviewed bottle.
