Foodie In Florence: Bringing Venice Home For Christmas

I was lucky enough to spend the day in Venice yesterday although the weather wasn't the most cooperative. Despite being cold and damp along the Grand Canal, Venice provided me with fabulous pick-me-ups.

There are two cocktails that originated in Venice which are the Spritz and the Bellini. Both are sweet, bubbly, and delicious so you can't go wrong by adding them to your next Christmas party. They are also so easy to make. 

First stop, the Bellini. It comes from Harry's Bar in Venice and is named after the famous painter Giovanni Bellini. The owner of Harry's, Giuseppe Cipriani, loved Bellini's work and found the color of the drink to match a color used in one of Cipriani's favorite paintings. To make a Bellini all you need per cocktail is:

Champagne flute

2 ounces Peach Puree

4 ounces Extra Dry Prosecco or Champagne

Simply add the puree to the bottom of the flute, pour over the Prosecco until the flute is 3/4 full, give it a stir and top it off with more bubbly. Swap Mimosa's for Bellini's and you'll be giving guests a brunch like no other!

Next, the Spritz. Because this is a cocktail low in alcohol (only about 7-8%) it is drunk here in Italy at all hours of the day. Italians sip on Spritz's at cafes, bakeries, or before a meal to whet the appetite. It makes another perfect party cocktail with very few ingredients. Per drink you'll need:

A White Wine Glass

3-4 Ice cubes 

1.5 ounces Aperol (or any orange flavored liqueur)

2-3 ounces Prosecco

A splash of Seltzer Water, Club Soda, or Tonic Water 

Orange slice to garnish

To create a great kid pleaser just swap out the champagne for sparking white grape juice and the orange liqueur for orange juice or orange soda. They'll have fun sipping a fancy drink alongside the grownups but perhaps in a plastic cup.

Happy Sipping!