Holiday Bellini

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy here.

Cocktail History

The Holiday Bellini is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Erin Lynch, recipe developer and blogger at Platings & Pairings based in Portland, Oregon.

Staying true to the original’s celebratory spirit, this variation retains sparkling wine as its base but swaps out the peach purée for a seasonally inspired cranberry and ginger syrup. The cranberry lends a vibrant, tart sweetness that pairs beautifully with the warming spice of ginger, creating a balanced and flavorful syrup that captures the essence of the holidays. This festive twist not only adds a unique depth of flavor but also gives the drink a rich, jewel-toned appearance, making it perfect for holiday gatherings or toasting with friends and family.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Sparkling Wine: This is a type of wine made with white grapes and yeast, which are fermented with the skins to produce alcohol and then infused with carbon dioxide gas to develop a pale yellow-green color and crisp, fruity flavor.

Cranberry Ginger Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cranberries, ginger root, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a tart, spicy flavor.

Cranberries: This is a type of berry grown on low shrubs that has bright pink skin and tart, slightly bitter flavor.

Rosemary: This is an aromatic evergreen herb with needle-like leaves and a robust, piney, and slightly peppery flavor.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Villa Bellezza Winery Brillante

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Bar Spoon: This is a long-handled spoon with a twisted shaft that’s used for stirring cocktails, layering ingredients, and reaching the bottom of tall glasses and mixing vessels.

Champagne Glass: This is a tall, narrow stemmed glass with a slender bowl that’s designed to preserve carbonation while concentrating aromas and used for serving sparkling drinks.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon
• 🔗 I-MART Gold Metal Cocktail Pick Set

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Fizzy light pink color

• Aroma: Savory, woodsy rosemary and wine

• Taste: Bubbly wine with a slightly spicy ginger taste and notes of baking spices and cranberry

• Finish: Effervescent wine

Kendall’s Take
“I don’t know if this recipe technically qualifies as a Bellini since it doesn’t call for any peach, but this cranberry-ginger version is so good I’m not inclined to argue with it. It’s bright, lightly spiced, and incredibly easy to sip—basically festive sparkling wine with a seasonal twist. As simple as the Holiday Bellini is, the flavor combination really works, and it’s one I’d happily pour any time of year, not just during a Christmas brunch.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found on the publication Platings & Pairings.