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Old-school Italian flair gets a tropical spin in this alcohol-free surprise package.
About the cocktail
A Sgroppino (pronounced ‘scroe-pee-noe’) is a Venetian classic – an icy mix of sorbet, prosecco and vodka, traditionally served as a palate cleanser. It’s been reimagined plenty of times, but our version takes you straight to the sun-drenched tropics – all without the alcohol. This is no ordinary mocktail. Retaining the original’s frothy zestiness, this reimagined non-alc delight trades the spirits for bold, beachy flavours. Think the tangy sweetness of passionfruit, the pithy punch of grapefruit and a tart splash of fresh lime juice. Instead of the usual prosecco and vodka, we’re topping the sorbet and citrus with a malty backbone of non-alcoholic beer (our new favourite tool in the non-alc cocktail arsenal). The result? A radiant, peppy and smooth cocktail with a subtle richness that keeps things interesting, and a dusting of cayenne pepper on top to add a flicker of heat, too.
Watch: How to make a Tropical Non-Alc Sgroppino
Ingredients
1.5 scoops/135g passionfruit sorbet 60mL grapefruit juice 15mL lime juice 1 tsp white sugar ½ pinch salt 75mL non-alcoholic beer (to top) Glass: coupe or highball Garnish: cayenne pepper
Method
Pop your glass in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes Add all ingredients, except the beer, to a blender and blitz until smooth Pour the mix into your chilled glass, and then slowly pour the beer over the blended ingredients Finish with a light dusting of cayenne pepper on top
Dan’s top tips
Traditionally a zesty, blitzed mix of bubbles, base spirit and sorbet, the Sgroppino is stupidly easy to make and adjust so the flavours and textures are to your liking. In saying that, details matter. Avoid anything falling flat by using high-quality ingredients, and make sure your glass and beer are icy cold. When serving and adding that non-alcoholic beer, you might like to encourage the mixture to form a large, frothy head for extra drama in the glass. Play around with it while you make it to see how you like it best. Not into passionfruit sorbet? There are plenty of options – raspberry, lemon or mango, if you’re keeping with the tropical theme. There are so many fruity finds in your local freezer section (or at your local ice cream parlour), so work with your favourite flavours. Just be sure to keep the balance of sweet, sour and fruity in check, so always taste as you go. Finally, if you’re after an alcoholic version, you can always add a splash of liqueur (limoncello is a tangy, zippy winner) and swap the non-alc beer for a crisp, fruity lager, pale ale, sour or IPA.
image credits: Shelley Horan (photography), Raye Scerri (videography), Bridget Wald (styling), LSS (production).
