If you want a 3-ingredient Italian cocktail that pours like a slushy but has a hit of vodka and Prosecco, it’s time to add Sgroppino to your cocktail repertoire.
What is a Sgroppino?
The Sgroppino is a vodka and Prosecco-based cocktail that is blended with lemon sorbet. In the glass, it has the consistency of a slushy, making it a deliciously refreshing drink on a hot summer’s day. Yet, the Sgroppino is amazingly versatile. You can mix up the sorbet flavours, experiment with vodka flavours and even serve it as a dessert or palette cleanser. Whatever you do, make sure your sorbet is dairy-free. Sgroppino will not work well if you use lemon ice cream or gelato as a substitute. It has the potential to curdle with the vodka and Prosecco. Yuck!
Spgroppino as a dessert
I especially like to serve Sgroppino as an Italian dessert. Not only is it quick and easy to make, it’s a crowd-pleaser. It’s not a huge surprise since it combines the two things my friends like the most – sorbet and Prosecco. To elevate your dessert, you can scatter on a few bright-coloured summer berries or grate over the zest of a Sicilian lemon. To go the whole way, serve it with a glass of Prosecco. Just make sure it’s Extra Dry Prosecco, which is the sweetest type of Prosecco which pairs best with lemon. Read more: Prosecco Food and Wine Pairing Guide.
Sgroppino as a palette cleanser
Another great way to serve Sgroppino is as a palette cleanser between courses. Tracing back the basic origins of the Sgroppino you’ll find that sorbet and liquor were served to aristocrats in Venice as a palette cleaner during the 16th century. Doing the opposite job of an aperitif, which encourages the appetite, a palette cleanser acts as a mid-meal digestif. The light lemon sorbet is perfect for that. For a little extra fun, add an iced bottle of vodka to the table and let your guests ‘sauce’ their own drink, adding a little dribble of extra vodka. If you are serving as a palette cleanser, alter the quantities so there is less Prosecco (1 ounce instead of 3), which will also make the serving size overall smaller.
Alternative fruit flavours
I love playing around with cocktail flavours. Sure, if you substitute the lemon for a different fruit, you’re no longer making a classic Sgroppino, but that’s okay. For the same tart flavour, I like using dark berries if you can find it in a sorbet (or are able to make your own). The easiest substitution is for other citrus fruits like lime and orange.
Alternatives to plain vodka
Want to give your Sgroppino some oomph? Try swapping plain vodka for lemon-flavoured vodka. Just be aware of any added sugar in the vodka as this will change the flavour (though you might like that?). Since gin pairs so naturally with lemon and citrus, it’s a very complimentary substitute for vodka. You can even get some lovely flavoured lemon gins. And, if you are changing the lemon to a different fruit, you could add a similarly-flavoured vodka (or gin). The basic rule here, if you do want to move away from plain vodka, is to match your vodka or gin flavour with the sorbet fruit flavour.
Serving suggestions
What’s great about the Sgroppino is you can throw the ingredients in a blender and pour. Simple. But if you like to add a little flair to your cocktail-making, here are a few tips to enhance your drink.
- Chill the vodka in the freezer before adding to the blender.
- Don’t blend it for too long. The passive heat of the blender, the other (warmer) ingredients and the room temperature will start to melt the sorbet. As well as taking out some of the delicious chill, it will change the consistency. A few seconds in the blender or a few pulses is more than enough.
- While I’m usually all for preserving the sparkle of sparkling wine, it’s okay to lose the Prosecco bubbles for this cocktail.
- You can’t go wrong playing around with the quantity of the ingredients in this cocktail so get creative.
- Add more sorbet and less Prosecco if you want it more slushy and icy.
More summer cocktail recipes
You can find all my Prosecco cocktail recipes for all seasons here: 12 Easy Prosecco Cocktail Recipes
Other summer Prosecco cocktail recipes you might like:
Sgroppino Recipe
Sgroppino
Sgroppino is a refreshing Italian cocktail that blends vodka, lemon sorbet and Prosecco.
Ingredients
- 30ml / 1 ounce of Vodka
- 1 Scoop of Lemon Sorbet
- 90ml / 3 ounces of Prosecco
- Fresh mint garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Make sure all three ingredients are nicely chilled before starting.
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend for a few seconds.
- Pour into a cold glass.
- Decorate with garnish.
Notes
Level up your cocktail:
- Chill the vodka in the freezer before adding to the blender.
- Don't blend for too long - it will heat the sorbet and change the consistency.
- On this occasion, it's ok to lose the Prosecco bubbles.
- You can't go wrong playing around with the quantity of the ingredients.
- Add more sorbet and less Prosecco if you want it more slushy and icy.