Kitchen Recipe Collection
Italian Puccini Cocktail
A bright, winter-friendly variation of the Bellini. It pairs fresh, sweet mandarin orange juice with chilled Prosecco.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 10 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- italian
Ingredients
Scaled for 2 servings
- fresh mandarin oranges (or clementines)
- Prosecco (chilled)
- Mandarin liqueur (optional, for an extra kick)
Equipment
- Citrus juicer
- Fine mesh sieve
- Champagne flute
Instructions
- 1
Select Citrus
Use fresh, sweet mandarin oranges or clementines. Standard large oranges will make a Mimosa, not a Puccini.
- 2
Juice
Juice the mandarins carefully to extract as much liquid as possible.
- 3
Strain
Pour the juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove all pulp and seeds, ensuring a smooth texture.
- 4
Chill Juice
Place the fresh mandarin juice in the refrigerator until it is ice cold.
- 5
Optional Kick
For a stronger drink, mix a dash of mandarin liqueur (like Mandarinetto) into the cold juice.
- 6
Prepare Glass
Take a chilled champagne flute.
- 7
The Ratio
Pour 1 part (about 1.5 oz) of the cold mandarin juice into the flute.
- 8
Add Prosecco
Slowly top with 2 parts (about 3 oz) of chilled Prosecco.
- 9
Stir Gently
Give it one gentle stir with a bar spoon to combine.
- 10
Serve
Serve immediately. It is an elegant, highly aromatic brunch cocktail.
Cooking Tips
- Mandarins are much sweeter and more floral than standard oranges, which changes the character of the drink entirely.
- As always with Prosecco cocktails, never use ice.
Variations
- Mimosa: The international cousin, made with standard orange juice (and often Champagne instead of Prosecco).
Chef's Notes & Storage
- Named after the famed Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini, following the naming convention established by the Bellini and Rossini.
Nutrition Estimate
115 calories · 0g protein · 11g carbs · 0g fat · 0g fiber per serving
