The Bellini was invented by my great-grandfather in Venice in 1948. The name of the drink was inspired by the pink glow of the paintings of the Renaissance Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini. Giuseppe Cipriani loved white peaches so much that he decided to transform them, adding some Prosecco, in a drink to serve at Harry’s Bar.
Harry Pickering, fro whom Harry's Bar was named, with Giuseppe Cipriani, circa 1933 (ph Publiphoto via Facebook)
Many tried to imitate [the] Bellini around the world but there is only one original. Its balance and simplicity makes it the best in the world, along with the best quality ingredients: we use the purest peaches and our own Cipriani Prosecco.
Cipriani Downtown, New York
The great thing about [the] Bellini is that you can drink it at any time, from morning to night, from brunch to aperitivo to after dinner drinks. Because of its freshness, it is perfect with hors d’oeuvres and appetizers and at the same time great with desserts. I personally love it with our classic chicken croquettes right before dinner or lunch.
Original Bellini by Cipriani
We do offer other cocktails with bubbles at our bar and restaurants – Cipriani Downtown is the go-to spot for New Yorkers. When my cousins opened their own independent hotel brand Mr. C, in 2011 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, they introduced the Mr. C cocktail, a combination of fresh tangerine juice, Stoli vodka and prosecco. We now serve it in all the Mr. C hotels, including the South Seaport location in New York and Coconut Grove in Miami, and in all the Cipriani restaurants around the world.
Ernest Hemingway, Giuseppe Cipriani (founder/owner), and barman Ruggero Caumo with wine at Harry's Bar (ph via Facebook)
Aside from the traditional Bellini, we serve variations of Bellini cocktails, like white peach purée with rum and fresh mint, or with vodka or gin and a slice of orange.
To toast the new year in our restaurants, we offer Taittinger champagne and, of course, our Cipriani prosecco, perfect to taste with our signature panettone.
In addition to the lobby lounge of Mr C Seaport, one of my favorite spots to get a drink with friends in New York is the Brandy Library in Tribeca, where you can find some of the city’s largest scotch collection among their 900 bottles of fine spirits.
As told to Carole Hallac
Anna Pittini Cipriani
Anna Pittini Cipriani's Portrait
Anna Pittini Cipriani, fourth generation of the Cipriani family, was born in Milan, Italy. At school, she pursued classical studies and spent her time between Venice and Milan. In her household, most conversations were about food and service, and she grew up living and breathing the restaurant business. She graduated from Bocconi University with a business management and administration degree in 2013, and then moved to Miami to start working in her family’s company. In the past 7 years, she learned many aspects of the hospitality field and trained in different Cipriani locations. Among them, she has been also working in Ibiza and Venice alongside her grandfather. She now lives in New York where she works with her cousins Ignazio and Maggio Cipriani.