Kiwi Bellini
Muddle; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 16% ABV ∙
The Kiwi Bellini is a vodka-and-kiwi twist on the classic peach Bellini, shaken with lemon and sugar syrup and topped with dry sparkling wine. Fine-strained until silky, the chilled base turns bright and tart before a crisp, effervescent finish lifts it light and fizzing.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Cut kiwi in half, scoop out the flesh into the base of the shaker and muddle
- Add the next 3 ingredients: Vodka 40 mlLemon juice 10 mlSugar syrup 10 ml
- Shake with ice and fine strain into the chilled glass
- Top with Dry sparkling wine
- Garnish with a kiwi slice
Tips
- Use ripe, fragrant kiwi — underripe fruit is sharply acidic and throws off the balance against the lemon and syrup.
- Fine-strain after shaking so kiwi pulp and seeds stay out of the flute, keeping the sparkling wine topper clear.
History
The Kiwi Bellini swaps muddled kiwi fruit for the classic peach purée, following the many fruit-variation Bellinis bars have devised over the decades. No independent creation story — a specific bartender, bar, or year — is documented for this kiwi version; it appears mainly as a modern recipe variant built on the original formula.
The parent drink, the Bellini, was created at Harry's Bar in Venice by its founder Giuseppe Cipriani, with sources placing the invention sometime between 1934 and 1948. Cipriani reportedly named the drink for the 15th-century Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini because its pink hue recalled the color in one of his paintings.
FAQ
What is in a Kiwi Bellini?
Fresh kiwi muddled with vodka, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, shaken and fine-strained into a chilled flute, then topped with dry sparkling wine and garnished with a kiwi slice.
How do you make a Kiwi Bellini?
Scoop the flesh from half a kiwi into the shaker and muddle it, then add vodka, lemon juice, and sugar syrup and shake with ice. Fine-strain into a chilled flute so no pulp or seeds carry over, top with dry sparkling wine, and finish with a kiwi slice.
How is a Kiwi Bellini different from a classic Bellini?
A classic Bellini is just two ingredients: Prosecco and white peach purée. The Kiwi Bellini keeps the fruit-and-sparkling-wine format but swaps the peach for fresh muddled kiwi and adds vodka, lemon, and sugar syrup, which makes it tarter and noticeably more spirit-forward than the original.
