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Elegante

by Tony Conigliaro from Drinks

This Sicilian-inspired Elegante cocktail is a more refined and refreshing version of the classic Italian Sgroppino, combining vodka, lemon juice, lemon sorbet and Prosecco.

Introduction

One of the most interesting elements of taste is how it can trigger memories. For me, summers spent in Sicily are synonymous with drinking Sgroppino. When creating the original menu at Isola in 1999, the Elegante arose from my desire for an elegant blended drink, as those were getting a panning at the time. Inspired by the summery Sgroppino, I decided to make a more refined and refreshing version.

I began by making sorbet and playing with the proportions of vodka. By exchanging the creaminess of ice cream for sorbet and blending the Prosecco, the bubbles break but keep their fizz and this combination makes for a delicious sherbet tang. Over the last decade it has been both a summer favourite and a drink that can be tailored according to the seasons. I have also adapted the recipe with
homemade mandarin and raspberry sorbets, both of which add a new dimension to the cocktail.

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Ingredients

50ml vodka
25ml fresh lemon juice
15ml sugar syrup
60ml Prosecco
1 scoop lemon sorbet (ideally homemade)
1 scoop crushed ice (roughly 150g)
1 lemon, for zest garnish

Essential kit

You will need a blender.

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender, apart from the lemon, and blend for approximately 30 seconds – a smooth sound indicates that the ice chips are ground.

2. Pour the mix into a coupette and finish by using a stringer to express the oils from the lemon’s zest over the drink.

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