The New York Times recipe: Rosé Sgroppino and gin and tonic Sgroppino

Long before the Grasshopper, the piña colada and the frozen daiquiri, there was the Sgroppino.

The slushy, lemony cocktail dates to the 16th century when, the story goes, a bright, cooling combination of lemon, sugar, ice and clear spirit was served at an aristocrat’s dinner party in Venice, Italy. Meant as a refreshing palate cleanser and digestive aid, the brisk, boozy drink was a hit and quickly became popular among the wealthy.

Today’s Sgroppino marries prosecco with vodka and sorbet, and it can be found in and out of Northern Italy. (And one no longer need be a peer of the realm — or insanely wealthy — to enjoy it.)

Unlike other icy drinks, the Sgroppino remains analog: you need only a whisk and a bowl as blenders can introduce unnecessary heat and mess with the drink’s texture. To keep things as frosty as possible, especially on hot days, make sure everything — glasses and bowl, sorbet and spirit — is very cold. And, if your freezer has the space, throw the whisk in there, too.

Jacqueline Pirolo, the managing partner of Macchialina, Bar Bucce and Fluke in Miami, also suggests making a batch in advance, storing it in the freezer and taking it out five to 10 minutes before serving.

“It’s never going to fully freeze because of the vodka, but it will get close,” she says, adding that letting it sit out for a little bit will give your drink the “consistency of crushed ice that’s melting on a hot summer day”.

And don’t feel obligated to stay within the confines of the classic version. Use another sorbet flavour, such as a citrus-adjacent blood orange or grapefruit or a fruity raspberry or strawberry. Trade the prosecco for another dry sparkling wine, such as cava, cremant or petillant naturel.

Or swap in a non-alcoholic spirit and non-alcoholic sparkling wine, or, as Pirolo suggests, a high-quality sparkling lemonade.

If you’re staying the boozy course, switch out the vodka for another spirit. The gin and tonic Sgroppino is a bracingly slushy, tartly bubbled combination of lime or lemon sorbet whisked with botanical gin and dry tonic water. The complex rosé Sgroppino skips hard alcohol altogether and mixes a red fruit sorbet (strawberry, raspberry or cherry) with a splash of bitter, digestive-aiding amaro and dry, sparkling rosé.

Keep in mind that, as with any drink that has a short ingredient list, the quality of said ingredients is important. In the matter of the Sgroppino, think less spiked slurpee and more Venetian dinner party.

Served as a fizzy interlude between courses, a frosty dessert or a languid afternoon treat, a Sgroppino can be the ideal antidote to summer’s heat. And, drunk fast enough, it will still offer you a properly nostalgic brain freeze.

Rosé Sgroppino

Pink, bubbly and lightly bitter, this frosty drink works equally well as a palate cleanser, dessert or hot afternoon cocktail. While this recipe was created with sparkling rosé in mind, feel free to use another dry sparkling wine: Prosecco, cava, cremant or petillant naturel. A Lambrusco di Sorbara (the lightest in colour and higher in acidity of the Lambruscos) makes an excellent swap as well.

Ingredients:

½ cup high-quality strawberry, raspberry or cherry sorbet (about 2 medium scoops)

8ml amaro, such as Amaro Nonino, Montenegro or Averna

75ml ounces dry sparkling rosé

1 brandied or maraschino cherry (optional)

Preparation:

Step 1 In a small, chilled bowl, add the sorbet, amaro and 60ml sparkling rosé. Whisk gently just until nearly smooth, then pour into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Top with the remaining 15ml sparkling wine. Garnish with the cherry, if using, and serve immediately.

Makes 1 drink

Total time: 5 minutes

Gin and Tonic Sgroppino

This bright, refreshing riff on the classic Sgroppino works perfectly with either lemon or lime sorbet; however, be sure to use freshly grated lime zest to finish and ensure the drink leans properly toward gin and tonic. To keep it properly icy, make sure everything, from the bottles of gin and tonic water to the bowl, whisk and final serving glasses, are deeply chilled.

Ingredients:

½ cup good-quality lemon or lime sorbet (about 2 medium scoops)

30ml gin

60ml dry tonic, chilled

finely grated lime zest, to finish

Preparation:

Step 1 In a small, chilled bowl, add the sorbet, gin and half the tonic. Whisk gently just until nearly smooth. Pour into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Top with the remaining tonic. Garnish with freshly grated lime zest and serve immediately.

Makes 1 drink

Total time: 5 minutes

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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