‘Just Peachy’ Peach Bellinis
Summer isn’t over until we decide it’s over! While talk of pumpkin is in the air, we’ve been having temps in the mid eighties and enjoying our weather for the first time in months after the hottest summer on record. Friends in California and Florida are sweltering under late summer sun and I thought it perfectly acceptable to offer this cocktail; especially since here in Denver, Colorado peaches are overflowing the market and are as good as they get. Join me won’t you as I insist on extending summer and stave off the advent of fall just a bit longer. Please. Pretty please?
I thought it perfect to use the succulent, late-summer peaches I had in my fruit bowl to create a cocktail based on the popular Bellini which is peach purée mixed with the Italian sparkling wine Prosecco. ‘Just Peachy’ takes that peach flavor a step further. Natural peach flavor is infused into a sparkling wine which is great all on it’s own (of course we gave it a through testing!) but I thought it would be the perfect thing to use for a Bellini. Peaches, a bit of sugar and lime juice are blended to make the purée and added to the sparkling wine. Adding a fresh peach slice to the rim of each glass before serving was perfect; peaches are at their peak right now, this cocktail was just amazing and that slice that was soaked in the Bellini was pure Heaven.
These would be perfect served at a late morning brunch but I have to say, I had no problem sipping one at night. I only wish you all could have been here. I will often contact a neighbor when I know I’ll have something on hand that ‘needs’ to be consumed after I make it for the blog. I had several offers from friends on Twitter to come over and help me and only wish that Twitter Twavel was operational; I would have hosted them all. Until then, my girlfriend Karen from down the street was happy to oblige and we sat outside and enjoyed the last vestiges of this season while sipping our Bellinis…you know this is hard work, this blogging stuff, right?
Peach Bellinis
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped seeded and peeled peaches (about 3 peaches)
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lime or lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 bottle sparkling wine chilled (I put mine in the freezer for 40 min)
Instructions
- Combine peaches, juice and sugar in a blender; process until smooth. Pour sparkling wine into a pitcher. Stir in peach mixture to combine.
- Pour into champagne flutes and garnish with peach slices.
Notes
I was provided a sample of the ‘Just Peachy’ sparking wine product to review but all commentary is my own.
It is available at Winn Dixie, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods Market (for the holidays), Binny’s Beverage, Hy-vee and Stop & Shop
When my eldest daughter finished school I took her to Italy, a deal we had brokered some years before where we had said that if she didn’t go to the Australian school-leavers booze-fest called ‘schoolies’ – something like your Cancun spring break – we would take her to Europe instead.
It was my first visit to Italy, too, and we visited all the tourist spots including Venice where we visited Harry’s Bar, the home of the Bellini. It’s not all sunshine and smiles when you’re travelling with an 18 year old love-sick girl and things were getting a little tetchy by then.
We sat down in the bar and perused the drink menu, my eyes widening in horror at the extortionate price of the famous drink and my sulky girl said she didn’t really want one, they were too pricey, it was cold, she didn’t like peaches and wanted to go home. I ignored her and ordered them. When they came she took one mouthfull of hers, said she hated it, me and Italy and wasn’t going to drink it. I leaned in to her ear and through gritted teeth hissed at her that she was going to drink it, all of it and enjoy it – every drop of her once in a lifetime experience. Which she did.
About 12 months later she apologised to me for her dreadful behaviour on that trip as she realised what a wonderful opportunity it had been.
So, Bellinis have always held a special place in my heart.
Thanks for sharing your story Amanda and please…next time? Take me! 🙂
Beautiful photos. Love a good Bellini. I have made mine in the past with peach puree before, but this sounds so lovely and fresh.
Thank you Stephanie. I’ve always loved them too; any excuse to have a cocktail in the AM! 🙂
Do you deliver? I could use a giant batch right about now!
I’m not a peach gal, but this might actually tempt me to try it 🙂
That pitcher – LOVE!
When I was getting ready for a family party in Michigan the other day, I was distracted by your email……I love love Bellinis!!!! I agree, we can decide when summer is over….and welllllllll….I am ready LOL! Fall is my favorite time of the year:-) That being said, I think we could enjoy this delicious drink all year long! Hugs, Terra
Well, fall is OK but it leads to winter which I could do without! I’m going to drink this year round and pretend, how’s that?
I sure don’t live down the street but I WILL travel for those! Brilliant as usual, Barb!
All I can say is I wish you were closer.
The Bellini is such a nice drink! Nice presentation – it looks lovely in the photos. Good stuff – thanks.
This looks amazing and I am going to add this to my Mouth Watering Mondays post this Monday. Come on over to see it at http://www.noshingwiththenolands.com Cheers, Tara
It’s up and I am back over to drool over these!!
Thank you Tara; appreciate your including me today!
I love saying the name of this. Peach Bellini, Peach Bellini. I think I’d be tempted to stick a straw down that glass and empty it pretty quickly.
We must have told ourselves 3 or 4 times, ‘It would be so easy to just down this thing, right’ while making sure we sipped. SO good. I’m going to try and find the product at a Whole Foods but even without…I’m sure it will be ‘just peachy!’ 😉
Barb, this looks fantastic and what a pretty photo! 🙂
Thank you Rachael; I think I love the challenge of getting that bubbly to just sort of explode over the top. It takes practice and a lot of sipping though. 🙂
Ahhh – this takes me back … to last night when some of us were in our jammas & we thought just maybe we could all time travel via twitter to your ace before your neighbour showed up for some fun … glad you actually ReALly got to enjoy it – it looks so good.
They really were so good and a bit prophetic on one of the last days of summer; that chill is really in the air this morning, guess they were part of my rite of passage!
We love Bellini’s in our household. Gotta make use of peaches till the season allows it 🙂 Cheers my friend!
Isn’t that the truth…peaches and plum are overflowing my counter now and I’m OK with that. Cheers to you too!
Bellini is a favorite of ours. That Just Peachy drink is something I need to try very soon. Cin cin to Friday Cocktails:)
Now I have to find it locally…we really enjoyed it. I fear peaches will soon disappear so I’m eating them a lot…and obviously drinking them too!
This is my drink! So, so gorgeous – wish I had a glass right now for my Friday evening :).
No, it’s my drink!! I wish I had more tonight…now wondering why do I always invite someone over to help me drink them when I could have had leftovers. 🙂
It’s always a toss-up between Peach Bellinis and Mimosas for me at brunch. So hard to choose! But right now your bellini with the peach infused wine would be a clear winner! Absolutely beautiful and, no doubt, incredibly delicious.
I love both too although seems a Bellini is peachy and I mix up Mimosas a lot. Mostly by adding some liqueur to the OJ. So good with a bit of cranberry liqueur; pretty too.
I almost licked my screen to catch the overflow! YUM!
🙂 – I’m there with you…wish I had more that’s all I know.
I will keep my eyes out for the “Just Peachy” beverage– it sounds like it would be great on its own but you have elevated it to something for a special occasion. Glad to hear you are enjoying those Colorado peaches. Aren’t they delicious?
We did save enough to taste it alone and there is definitely both a peach undertone and a bit of sugar. Had no problem with it straight; none at all!
Beautiful, Love this cocktail. I have never seen the peach champagne before, how wonderful.
I was worried it might be too sweet but we just loved it; just accentuated the peach flavor; so good!