If I can’t get to Venice for New Year then Venice will just have to come to me. And I think Sgroppino is one of the most delicious ways to make that happen. 
I came across the drink in Diana Henry’s new book titled Simple – effortless food, big flavours. I love Diana’s recipes and have made a few for the blog, namely Sumac Roast Tomatoes, Lentils and Dukkah Eggs and the delicious Whole Roast Masala Chicken that also appears in Simple. The book’s cover is so incredibly beautiful that I just could not resist buying it as a Christmas gift for myself .
Sgroppino is a famous Vinetian cocktail consisting of lemon sorbet, vodka and prosecco. It is so refreshing and perfectly suited for our summery New Year’s celebrations. I have unknowingly made my own version of the cocktail with the Fabulously Festive Cocktail, which is a spoonful of frozen berry juice, topped with vodka and bubbly.
I felt that store bought lemon sorbet would be too sweet so made my own sorbet in order to manage the right amount of acidity and citrus from the lemon. I used David Lebovitz’s lemon sorbet from his book The Perfect Scoop. I added a good pinch of salt (as I always do with sweet recipes) and added extra lemon juice until I had the right acidity as I wanted the cocktail to be tangy and utterly refreshing.
Sgroppino should be properly shaken and served in a foamy froth but I am of the same opinion as Diana and love the look of the sorbet floating in the glass. I also love the bits of the sorbet as you drink it. If you want to tone down the alcohol, omit the vodka since the cocktail is delicious with just the sorbet and bubbly. And of course use any bubbly of your choice, any will do not just prosecco. In fact I ran out of cold bubbly the other evening and made the cocktail with sorbet topped up with apple cider. It was really good! Enjoy!
This is my last post for the year and I want to wish all my readers the most amazing and delicious 2017. I already have a few recipes made and photographed and can’t wait to share them with you in the new year.
Sgroppino
Ingredients
- Lemon Sorbet: makes about 500ml
- 320 ml water
- 100 g sugar
- good pinch of salt
- 1 lemon
- 125 ml lemon juice
- more lemon juice to taste
- Cocktail:
- 6 scoops lemon sorbet
- 6 glasses half filled with chilled prosecco sparkling wine or champagne
- 6 tbsp vodka optional
Instructions
- To make the sorbet:
- In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, mix half of the water and all the sugar and salt
- Grate the zest of the lemon and add to the water
- Heat while stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved
- Remove from the heat, add the rest of the water and chill in the fridge
- Once chilled, stir in the lemon juice and taste the mix if it needs more lemon juice
- Freeze the mix in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions
- To make the cocktail:
- Carefully add the sorbet to the half filled glasses of prosecco or bubbly (it will froth up)
- When the froth has died down, top with some more prosecco
- Add the vodka and serve immediately
- Adapted from Diana Henry
- Sorbet adapted from David Lebovitz
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