Ingredients
Drink
- 400 ggood lemon sorbet, very cold
- 200 mlProsecco, very cold
- 60 mlvodka, from the freezer
Optional
- 1 tbspdouble cream, in the older Venetian style
- a few mint leaves
To serve
- chilled coupe or flute glasses
- a strip of lemon zest
Equipment
- a bowl and a whisk, or a stand mixer bowl
- all of it chilled
Directions
- Chill the bowl, the whisk and the glasses in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before you start. The sorbet melts the instant it meets anything warm, and a warm bowl turns the whole thing into lemon soup within seconds.
- Keep the vodka in the freezer and the Prosecco in the coldest part of the fridge.
- Take the sorbet out of the freezer only 5 minutes before you start. It should be firm but just workable, and softened sorbet will not hold any air.
- Put the sorbet in the chilled bowl and break it up with the whisk. Add the vodka and whisk it in.
- Add the Prosecco slowly and whisk gently, because whisking hard knocks all the bubbles straight out of it and the drink goes flat. You want it to become a smooth, thick, pale froth in under a minute.
- Serve it immediately, within seconds. It separates within a minute or two, so it is made at the table or carried straight from the kitchen.
- Garnish with a twist of lemon zest or a mint leaf. It should taste sharply of lemon, cold and foamy, with the alcohol barely detectable, which is what makes it dangerous. Use a good sorbet.
Technique
- It is sometimes served as a dessert in a coupe with a spoon, which is a restaurant adaptation.
- Some versions omit the vodka entirely and are essentially sorbet with Prosecco.
- Making it in front of guests is part of the appeal.
Substitutions
- Any dry sparkling wine in place of Prosecco.
- A good shop-bought lemon sorbet, which is what most Venetians use.
Variations
- With a spoonful of cream, the older style.
- Without vodka.
- Made with mandarin or blood orange sorbet.
History
A Venetian end-of-meal drink whose name comes from dialect for untying, meaning to loosen a heavy meal.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sgroppino?
Sgroppino is a cocktail from Italy: whipped lemon sorbet with Prosecco and vodka, served as a frothy palate cleanser. A Venetian end-of-meal drink whose name comes from dialect for untying, meaning to loosen a heavy meal.
How long does Sgroppino take to make?
Sgroppino takes 5 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Sgroppino?
Yes, within limits. Any dry sparkling wine in place of Prosecco. A good shop-bought lemon sorbet, which is what most Venetians use.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sgroppino?
Chill the bowl, the whisk and the glasses in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before you start. The sorbet melts the instant it meets anything warm, and a warm bowl turns the whole thing into lemon soup within seconds.
