Add A Splash Of Campari To A Bellini Batch For Jewel-Tone Flavor Balance

While mimosas flaunt their bottomless popularity all over Instagram and Bloody Marys are continually reinvented with more extravagant ingredients, there is a classic brunch cocktail that is constantly overlooked — the Bellini. This simple, sweet drink of peach juice (or peach puree, if you're feeling fancy) and prosecco, with its sunset hue and bubbly charm, has a long history and it's stuck around for a reason. 

Giuseppe Cipriani, who founded Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy, is credited with inventing the Bellini back in 1948. He named the drink for the 15th-century Italian painter Giovanni Bellini, and it was inspired by his love for white Italian peaches, which fill the countryside with their delicate fragrance from June through September. Ever since then, the Bellini has been a global sensation. 

However, that doesn't mean there's no room for a little experimentation in the name of taking a drink from good to great. Variations of the Bellini already exist, using fruits like apricot, grapefruit, blood orange, or strawberry to play with the fresh, fruity nature of the drink. But there's one ingredient that will really up the ante on your next brunch Bellini.

With bitter Italian aperitivos having an absolute moment, now is the perfect time to revisit the beloved bar staple, Campari. She's like Aperol's older, more sophisticated cousin, with herbal, floral, and woody notes, a strong bitter orange backbone, and a velvety mouthfeel. She's great on her own, over ice, or with seltzer and a slice of lemon, but she really dazzles with champagne. The next time you want to order an Aperol spritz, consider a Campari spritz instead, for more depth and less of a bright, hot zing of sweetness.

When it comes to cocktails, Campari always knows how to be the star of the show. Campari adds the perfect touch of citrus and bitterness to a Bellini, while also giving it a beautiful dark pink color. And considering that raspberry liqueurs like Chambord are sometimes added, it's not that far off. The Blood Peach Bellini takes your typical four ounces of prosecco and one ounce of peach puree and adds half an ounce each of Campari and grenadine. The ingredients, which are better chilled in advance, can be gently stirred and poured into a champagne flute as you would with a classic Bellini. And voilà! You've got yourself a luxurious Italian drink for brunch.