Prosecco Cocktails: 8 Easy Recipes You Can Make at Home
A bottle of prosecco is fine on its own. But a bottle of prosecco plus one or two other ingredients becomes a Bellini, a Spritz, a French 75 or half a dozen other cocktails that are objectively more interesting and barely any more effort.
Prosecco cocktails are the easiest category of cocktails to make at home. No shaker required. No obscure ingredients. No bartending skills beyond "pour this, then pour that." Most of them take under two minutes, which makes them ideal for entertaining, brunch, celebrations or a Tuesday evening when you want something better than a straight glass.
Here are eight prosecco cocktails worth knowing, starting with the ones everybody should try first.
1. Aperol Spritz
The Aperol Spritz is the drink that launched a thousand Instagram posts and is now ordered more often than almost any other cocktail in the UK. It is also absurdly simple to make.
What you need: Prosecco, Aperol, soda water, orange slice
How to make it: Fill a large wine glass with ice. Pour in 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and a splash of soda water. Garnish with an orange slice.
Why it works: The bittersweet Aperol balances the sweetness of prosecco perfectly. It is light enough for daytime drinking and refreshing enough for summer, but works year-round. The colour alone makes it feel like an event.
Our Spritz cocktail gift sets include everything you need to make an Aperol Spritz at home - perfect for someone who orders one every time they see it on a menu but has never made one themselves.
2. Bellini
The Bellini was invented in 1948 by Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry's Bar in Venice. He named it after the 15th-century Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini because the cocktail's pink colour reminded him of a Bellini painting. Nearly 80 years later, it is still the benchmark prosecco cocktail.
What you need: Prosecco, white peach puree (or peach nectar)
How to make it: Pour peach puree into the bottom of a chilled champagne flute (roughly one-third full). Slowly top with cold prosecco, stirring gently to combine.
Why it works: The Bellini is pure elegance with two ingredients. The peach adds sweetness and body without overwhelming the prosecco. It is the definitive brunch cocktail and works for everything from birthday breakfasts to wedding receptions.
Variations: Swap the peach for raspberry puree (a Rossini), strawberry puree, mango puree or passion fruit. The format is endlessly adaptable.
3. French 75
The French 75 is named after the French 75mm field gun used in the First World War - supposedly because the cocktail hits with similar force. The recipe has evolved since its earliest versions in the 1910s and 1920s, but the modern French 75 is essentially a gin sour topped with sparkling wine. It is the most sophisticated prosecco cocktail on this list.
What you need: Gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, prosecco
How to make it: Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup with ice. Strain into a champagne flute. Top with prosecco.
Why it works: This is the prosecco cocktail for people who think prosecco cocktails are too sweet. The gin and lemon cut through the sweetness, and the result is sharp, dry and genuinely elegant. Purists use champagne, but prosecco works beautifully and costs half as much.
Our gin cocktail gift sets include quality gin that works perfectly in a French 75.
4. Kir Royale
The Kir Royale is the champagne upgrade of the Kir, a Burgundian aperitif made with white wine and blackcurrant liqueur. Swapping the white wine for prosecco makes it a Kir Royale, and the deep purple colour against the bubbles is one of the most visually striking drinks you can make.
What you need: Prosecco, creme de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)
How to make it: Pour a small measure of creme de cassis into a champagne flute. Top slowly with cold prosecco.
Why it works: The cassis adds depth, colour and a slightly tart fruitiness that transforms plain prosecco into something that looks and tastes like it belongs at a dinner party. It is simple, impressive and genuinely delicious.
5. Negroni Sbagliato
The Negroni Sbagliato - "sbagliato" means "mistaken" in Italian - was invented in Milan in 1972 when a bartender at Bar Basso accidentally grabbed prosecco instead of gin while making a Negroni. The result was so good it stayed on the menu permanently.
What you need: Prosecco, Campari, sweet vermouth, orange slice
How to make it: Pour equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth over ice in a rocks glass. Top with prosecco. Garnish with an orange slice.
Why it works: It has all the bitter, complex character of a Negroni but is lighter, more refreshing and slightly easier to drink. It went viral on social media in 2022 and has been a menu staple ever since. If you already love a Negroni, this is its sparkling sibling.
6. Mimosa
The Mimosa is the simplest prosecco cocktail there is - equal parts orange juice and prosecco. It is also the most forgiving. You cannot really get it wrong.
What you need: Prosecco, fresh orange juice
How to make it: Pour fresh orange juice into a champagne flute until half full. Top with prosecco.
Why it works: The Mimosa exists for one reason: it makes morning drinking socially acceptable. Brunch, Christmas morning, bank holidays - any occasion where you want bubbles before noon but want to feel virtuous about it. Use fresh orange juice rather than carton juice and the difference is significant.
7. Hugo Spritz
The Hugo Spritz is the lighter, floral alternative to the Aperol Spritz. It was invented in South Tyrol, Italy, around 2005 and has been gaining popularity across Europe since. Where the Aperol Spritz is bitter and bold, the Hugo is gentle and aromatic.
What you need: Prosecco, elderflower cordial or liqueur (such as St-Germain), soda water, mint, lime
How to make it: Fill a wine glass with ice. Add a measure of elderflower cordial or liqueur, top with prosecco and a splash of soda water. Garnish with fresh mint and a lime slice.
Why it works: The elderflower gives it a fragrant sweetness that feels sophisticated without being cloying. It is lighter and lower in alcohol than an Aperol Spritz, which makes it a good option for afternoon drinking or for anyone who finds the Aperol too bitter.
8. Prosecco Margarita
A Prosecco Margarita is exactly what it sounds like - a classic Margarita topped with prosecco instead of served straight. It should not work this well, but it does.
What you need: Tequila, lime juice, triple sec (or Cointreau), prosecco, salt for the rim
How to make it: Rim a glass with salt. Shake the tequila, lime juice and triple sec with ice. Strain into the glass. Top with prosecco.
Why it works: The prosecco adds effervescence and lifts the Margarita into something that feels celebratory. It is a brilliant party drink - the kind of thing that makes people ask "what is this?" in the best possible way.
Our Margarita gift sets include everything you need to make a classic Margarita - just add a bottle of prosecco to turn it into the sparkling version.
Tips for making prosecco cocktails at home
- Keep the prosecco cold. Warm prosecco goes flat faster and tastes sweeter. Chill the bottle thoroughly before opening.
- Pour the prosecco last. Always add the other ingredients first, then top with prosecco. Pouring prosecco first and adding ingredients on top kills the bubbles.
- Do not shake prosecco. If a recipe calls for shaking (like the French 75), shake everything except the prosecco, then top the strained cocktail with prosecco in the glass.
- Use decent prosecco, but not expensive prosecco. In a cocktail, the other ingredients do most of the flavour work. A good mid-range prosecco (£8-12) is all you need. Save the premium bottles for drinking straight.
- Fresh fruit makes a difference. Fresh peach puree in a Bellini, fresh orange juice in a Mimosa, fresh lime in a Prosecco Margarita - the upgrade from bottled to fresh is noticeable.
Prosecco cocktail gift sets from MicroBarBox
If you want to make prosecco cocktails at home without sourcing individual ingredients, our prosecco cocktail gift sets include everything you need except the prosecco itself. Each set comes with quality spirits, mixers, a step-by-step recipe card and packaging that makes it a ready-made gift.
For a broader range, browse our Spritz cocktail gift sets or gin cocktail gift sets - both include cocktails that work beautifully with prosecco.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest prosecco cocktail to make?
The Mimosa - equal parts prosecco and fresh orange juice. No special ingredients, no technique, no equipment beyond a glass. The Aperol Spritz is almost as easy and arguably more impressive.
What cocktails can you make with prosecco?
Dozens. The classics include Aperol Spritz, Bellini, French 75, Kir Royale, Negroni Sbagliato, Mimosa, Hugo Spritz and Prosecco Margarita. Prosecco can also replace champagne in almost any champagne cocktail recipe.
Is prosecco the same as champagne in cocktails?
For most cocktails, prosecco works just as well as champagne and costs significantly less. The main difference is that champagne has finer bubbles and a slightly more complex flavour profile. In a cocktail where other ingredients do most of the work, the difference is minimal.
What is the difference between an Aperol Spritz and a Hugo Spritz?
An Aperol Spritz uses Aperol (bitter orange liqueur) and is bold, bitter and orange. A Hugo Spritz uses elderflower cordial or liqueur and is lighter, floral and more delicate. Both use prosecco and soda water as the base.
What is a Negroni Sbagliato?
A Negroni Sbagliato is a Negroni made with prosecco instead of gin. It was invented by accident in Milan in 1972 when a bartender grabbed the wrong bottle. "Sbagliato" means "mistaken" in Italian. It is lighter and more refreshing than a standard Negroni.
Can you make prosecco cocktails in advance?
You can prepare the non-prosecco elements in advance (mix the gin and lemon for French 75s, pre-portion the Aperol for Spritzes), but always add the prosecco at the last moment. Pre-mixing with prosecco means flat drinks.
What food goes well with prosecco cocktails?
Prosecco cocktails pair well with lighter food - brunch dishes, canapes, seafood, salads and charcuterie. The Aperol Spritz works particularly well as an aperitif before a meal. Bellinis are a natural match for brunch.
How many cocktails can you make from one bottle of prosecco?
A standard 75cl bottle of prosecco makes approximately 5-6 prosecco cocktails, depending on the recipe. Recipes that use prosecco as a top-up (Spritz, Bellini, Mimosa) get more servings than recipes that use it as a main ingredient.