Pomegranate Bellini

When it comes time to celebrate, we all want a bubbly drink in our hands. This Pomegranate Bellini is a bubbly, festive way to celebrate any occasion. It’s made with sparkling Prosecco and a homemade pomegranate syrup that you’re going to love!

What is a Bellini?

The Bellini cocktail originated in Italy and is traditionally made of peach puree and Prosecco. It has a light, crisp and slightly sweet flavor.

The Bellini is typically served in a flute glass and is used to celebrate many occasions, from casual daytime brunches to fancy New Years Eve bashes.

Bellini vs. Mimosa

While the Bellini and the Mimosa are similar, they do have a few distinct differences. The most obvious is their basic ingredients: The Mimosa is made of Champagne and orange juice, while the Bellini is made of Prosecco and peach puree.

The Mimosa is more popular, probably because it was the first sparkling wine to be mixed with a fruit juice and also because it is easier to make than a Bellini.

The Bellini requires you to make a puree or nectar out of peaches, whereas with a Mimosa all you have to do is pour the OJ.

How to make the Pomegranate Syrup

For this Pomegranate Bellini, we are swapping the seasonal flavor of pomegranate for peaches, which makes this cocktail a natural choice for the holiday season, especially New Years. The pomegranate syrup is made from three simple ingredients:

• Pomegranate juice
• Sugar
• Lemon juice

Making the pomegranate syrup is simple. Put the juice, sugar and lemon juice into a saucepan and just let it simmer for about an hour on the stove. You don’t really need to watch it. Just give it a quick stir from time to time. You’ll have enough for plenty of cocktails.

We just used the syrup in some delicious Holiday Manhattan Cocktails on Christmas. The syrup is a perfect balance of sweet and tart and adds such a cool flavor dimension to drinks. It’s also a really delicious balance to a dry champagne or Prosecco.

Which Champagne is best for this Pomegranate Bellini?

The short answer is none! Prosecco is usually what I grab when I’m looking for something bubbly – it’s almost guaranteed to be nice and dry and crisp, and the price point is much lower than Champagne.

If Champagne is what you’re looking for, my advice would be to pay up for a better bottle, and whatever you do, don’t mix it with juices or syrups. An excellent bottle of real Champagne (and it can only legally be called Champagne if it comes from the Champagne region of France) should be savored all by itself.

This is why I say, go for a Prosecco for this Pomegranate Bellini. And by definition, a Bellini is supposed to be made with Prosecco anyway.

When you make this Pomegranate Bellini, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Cheers!

For more festive drink recipes, try these:

• Holiday Moscow Mule with Pomegranate and Sage
• Fig Old Fashioned Cocktail
• Fresh Mint Julep
• Blood Orange Sparklers
• Jalapeño Paloma