Rossini

The Bellini's ruby-red sibling, honoring the great opera composer with ripe strawberry sweetness married to Prosecco's effervescence.

The Rossini is a strawberry-and-prosecco sparkling cocktail associated with Harry's Bar in Venice, the celebrated establishment opened by Giuseppe Cipriani and Harry Pickering at Calle Vallaresso 1323 in 1931, and named for Gioachino Rossini — not a Venetian composer, but one of the most celebrated operatic composers of the 19th century, born in Pesaro in the Marche region of central Italy on February 29, 1792. Rossini composed 39 operas in his career, with The Barber of Seville (1816) and William Tell (1829) his most enduring works; he retired from opera composition in 1829 at age 37, despite living until 1868, a decision that has fascinated music historians. Rossini was also a legendary gourmet and food enthusiast — several classic French dishes carry his name, including Tournedos Rossini (beef with foie gras and truffle) — and the naming of a Harry's Bar cocktail after him was appropriate given both his cultural stature and his epicurean reputation. The Rossini's formula of fresh strawberry purée and prosecco sits alongside the Bellini (white peach) and Tintoretto (pomegranate) as part of Harry's Bar's tradition of fresh fruit purée and sparkling wine aperitivo cocktails.