Slideshow

Top seven Prosecco cocktails

16 March 2015 By Lauren Eads

With spring almost on its way, Prosecco cocktails look set to be the next big thing as the Italian sparkler continues to break sales records across the globe.

Last year global sales of Prosecco overtook those of Champagne with the Italian sparkler shifting 307 million bottles in 2013, while Champagne sales lagged behind at 304 million bottles. According to a recent report by Wine Intelligence, 18 million Americans now drink sparkling wine at least once a week as Prosecco sales surge in the US.

With its success showing no signs of slowing, Waitrose Cellar has collated a selection of Prosecco-based cocktails from its experts and UK bloggers which promise to spice up your fizz fix. From passion fruit bellinis to cranberry mint spritzers, the possibilities are endless.

Click through for some fizz-piration…

Prosecco Passion

Ingredients

25ml Opihr spiced gin
25ml Passion fruit syrup
Prosecco

Method

1. Add the gin and passion fruit syrup to a glass and top up with Prosecco. Garnish with half a passion fruit.

Recipe from retrochick.co.uk

Rhubarb and Orange Bellini

Ingredients

200g new rhubarb – choose the thinner pink stalks – cut into 2cm chunks
Zest of half an orange
75g sugar
50ml water
One segment of star anise – optional
Prosecco

Method

1. Place all the ingredients (except the Prosecco) into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over a low heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the rhubarb is soft.

2. Strain through a fine sieve, return to the pan and simmer until reduced to a thin syrup.

3. Pour a tablespoon of the syrup into each glass and top up with Prosecco.

Recipe from fussfreeflavours.com

The Chase Elderflower Fizz

Ingredients

Chase elderflower liqueur
Champagne or Prosecco 120 ml
Summer berries or garnish.

Method

1. Pour the champagne or Prosecco into a champagne flute or wine glass until full and add a dash of elderflower liqueur to taste.

Bloom Bellini

Ingredients

25ml Bloom premium London dry gin
10ml peach juice,such as Funkin Puree White Peach Cocktail Mixer
San Leo Prosecco

Method

1. Shake together the gin and peach juice with ice in cocktail shaker, pour into open glasses.

2.Top up with Prosecco and serve

Pink grapefruit and ginger bucks fizz

Ingredients

One pink grapefruit
15g fresh fruit ginger, thinly sliced
250g caster sugar
Chilled San Leo Prosecco or Champagne

Method

1. Peel the grapefruit using a vegetable peeler and set aside the grapefruit. Slice the peel into 0.5cm strips and put in a pan with the ginger.

2. Add 200g sugar and 300ml cold water and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 15 mins, then strain over a jug to collect the syrup; cool, cover and chill.

3. Arrange the warm candied strips of grapefruit and ginger in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and set aside to dry overnight.

4. To make the cocktails, squeeze 100ml juice from the reserved grapefruit into a jug and mix with three tbsp of the syrup. Divide between two flutes, topping each up with fizz. Garnish with the crystallised grapefruit peel and ginger.

Passion Fruit Bellini

Ingredients

1 Passion fruit
250ml chilled Prosecco or Champagne
Two tbsp orange liqueur e.g Cointreau

Method

1. Halve the passion fruit and scoop the flesh and seeds into a small sieve or tea strainer. Press with the back of a spoon to extract the juice then place in the fridge along with two Prosecco or Champagne saucers or flutes, and leave to chill.

2. Pour the Prosecco (or Champagne) into the glasses then add the liqueur and 1 tsp of the passion fruit juice into each glass – the wine will foam rapidly as the passion fruit is added.