With summer teasing its appearance, it’s time for light and refreshing cocktails to come to the fore, and there’s no better addition to a fresh, summery cocktail than sparkling wine. The go-to choice for uplifting and delightful beverages, their light and effervescent nature makes them perfect for warm weather, offering a crisp and refreshing drinking experience.
From the simple to the sublime, here are four of our favourite summer cocktails to make at home this season, enriched with your favourite sparkling Italian wines or English fizz.
Classic Mimosa
Nothing kicks off brunch quite like a classic Mimosa! This refreshing cocktail combines the tanginess of fresh orange juice with sparkling wine’s effervescence, making it a timeless favourite around the globe.
Ingredients (1 serving)
56ml fresh orange juice
113ml sparkling wine (we love a premium Prosecco)
Orange slice (for garnish)
Method
1. Begin by pouring the orange juice into a champagne flute.
2. Slowly top off at a tilt with chilled sparkling wine.
3. Garnish with an orange slice.
Cucumber Mint Sparkler
This cocktail is a refreshing blend of cucumber and mint, perfect for cooling down on a hot summer day, making it one of the best fresh cocktails for summer.
Ingredients (1 serving)
28ml cucumber juice (two mini cucumbers blended with half a lime)
14ml simple syrup (sugar, water and optional mint leaves)
85ml sparkling wine
Fresh mint leaves (for garnish)
Cucumber slice (for garnish)
Method
1. If making your own cucumber juice, put cucumbers and lime into a blender until a juice consistency is formed.
2. Pour the cucumber juice and simple syrup into a champagne flute.
3. Top with a chilled Italian sparkling wine such as Prosecco.
4. Stir gently to combine.
5. Garnish with a cucumber slice and fresh mint leaves.
Pomegranate Prosecco Punch
This cocktail is perfect for large gatherings, as it is simple to make and is bursting with rich pomegranate flavours and refreshing Prosecco.
Ingredients (1 serving)
28ml pomegranate juice
28ml orange juice
7ml orange liqueur
85ml Prosecco
Pomegranate seeds (for garnish)
Orange slices (for garnish)
Rosemary sprigs (for garnish)
Ice cubes
Method
1. Take a large pitcher and combine the pomegranate juice, orange juice, and orange liqueur.
2. Add Prosecco and stir gently to combine.
3. Fill glasses with ice cubes, then gently pour the punch over the ice.
4. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, orange slices, and rosemary sprigs.
Strawberry Bellini
This sweet and refreshing strawberry Bellini captures the essence of summer, perfect to make for any occasion.
Ingredients (1 serving)
2 fresh strawberries
7ml lemon juice
1 teaspoon of sugar
85ml Italian sparkling wine
Strawberry (for garnish)
Slice of peach (for garnish)
Method
1. Put the sugar and strawberries into a blender with a touch of lemon juice and blend until pureed.
2. In a Champagne flute, pour the strawberry puree.
3. Top with chilled Italian sparkling wine.
4. Garnish with a strawberry and a slice of peach.
Celebrate summer in style with sparkling wine cocktails
These sparkling wine cocktails provide a variety of flavours and styles to suit any summer occasion and are simple enough to make for garden gatherings without too much fuss. For those looking to explore more cocktail ideas for summer, Giordano offers a fantastic selection of Italian sparkling wines that can be used to create these delightful recipes to leave you ready to enjoy the refreshing taste of summer.
