7 Prosecco Drinks You Have to Try This Summer

Summer belongs to prosecco. It costs less than champagne, tastes fruity by nature, and stays light, so a drink built on it won't end your evening after two rounds.

A good prosecco drink comes down to fruit, acid, and cold. You don't need a shaker or half the back bar. That's why easy prosecco cocktails win on the terrace and in the heat, when everyone's already at the table, and nobody wants to get up.

We picked seven. Four we pour at Secret Room, three you'll mix at home from a handful of ingredients. A bonus from the bar waits at the end. 

One rule runs through every sparkling wine cocktail on this list. It tastes best ice cold, and we add the wine last, never first.

Prosecco Is the Summer Base to Beat

Prosecco tastes of fruit because of how it's made. The second fermentation happens in large steel tanks, a technique called Charmat, quick and without long aging. Wine from the Glera grape holds onto its original notes of apple, pear, and white flowers, and stops short of the bready aromas that champagne picks up as it matures in the bottle. In a fruity drink, prosecco lifts the fruit, never fights it.

For mixing, reach for brut prosecco. Brut is the driest of the common styles, up to twelve grams of sugar per liter. Extra dry and dry hold more, even though the name suggests the opposite. A dry base leaves the sweetness in your hands, since sugar comes in on purpose, from fruit or a little syrup. Passion fruit or peach will push it to the level you want on its own.

Lower alcohol does the rest. Prosecco usually sits around 11%, far below the strong bases of classic cocktails, so a drink built on sparkling wine goes down easier in the heat. Its bubbles run finer than champagne's, which is why a gentle hand matters and hard stirring flattens them. A cold glass and cold prosecco keep the fizz going longer than any trick behind the bar.

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7 Prosecco Drinks for Hot Evenings

We pour the first four at our place on the Motława. The next three you'll put together at home from a few items in the fridge. Let's start at the bar.

1. Istanbul Spritz

Fruity and lightly herbal, with pomegranate and strawberry up front and the dry bitterness of Lillet Blanc underneath. Prosecco keeps it all in check and adds the fizz, so the drink stays light even with the bold flavor. Think of it as our take on the classic spritz, drier and less obvious than the Aperol-and-orange version.

It works as the first drink of the evening, since the bitterness and acidity wake up your appetite before food. It's good to sip slowly, over conversation. We serve it chilled, over ice, and it pairs with light starters. Order it when sweet bubbles aren't enough for you. 

2. White Kir Royal

Light, dry, and fruity, with a clear blackcurrant note and a subtle tartness. It's softer and less sweet than a classic Kir Royal, since we combine blackcurrant with prosecco in place of champagne and blackcurrant liqueur. The result comes out crisp and reads as less boozy.

It's a good drink to open the evening, or for the moment you want something simple and refreshing without any fuss. The color runs deep and dark red, so it looks good in the glass on the table. It goes down easily, which makes it right for a warm afternoon. It stands on its own and also pairs well with fruit desserts. 

3. Pornstar Bubbles

Tropical sweetness from passion fruit and vodka, balanced by prosecco's dry, sparkling finish. Passion fruit leads the whole flavor and gives it fruity depth, and the bubbles add lightness, so the drink never turns cloying. It's one of the most ordered drinks at our bar.

People who drink cocktails regularly reach for them, and so do those who rarely open the drinks menu. We serve it cold, with a clear fruity aroma on the first sip. It works well in the middle of the evening, when you want something sweeter without giving up prosecco's dry character. Order it when you're in the mood for a fruity classic with some backbone.

4. Violet Garden

Floral and deep violet. Butterfly pea flower gin gives it that intense color, and prosecco adds bubbles and lightness. The flavor is delicate and less fruity than the rest of the list, leaning toward soft, floral notes.

It's a drink for people who, after something off the beaten path, like it when a cocktail looks as good as it tastes. The violet color makes an impression in photos and on the table, so guests tend to order it at bigger gatherings. We serve it chilled, and the floral profile cleans the palate after sweeter drinks. Order it when the fruity run has worn thin.

Now, three easy prosecco cocktails you can make at home without a shaker.

5. Bellini

Soft, peachy, and lightly pink, one of the gentlest drinks on the list. It came together in the late 1940s at Harry's Bar in Venice and took its name from the painter Giovanni Bellini, whose work carried a similar shade. The original used fresh white peaches, seasonal and sweet, which is why for a long time it stayed a summer-only drink.

Blend white peach purée with brut prosecco at a 1:2 ratio and serve in a chilled glass, no ice. Go for white peaches if you can get them, since they're softer than yellow and give a prettier color. Out of season, a good purée with no added sugar does the job. Serve it as a summer aperitif or a calm start to a gathering.

6. Mimosa

Bright, citrusy, and light, a brunch classic, no question. It's the simplest sparkling wine cocktail you'll make, since all it takes is equal parts cold prosecco and fresh-squeezed orange juice. No shaker, no syrup, no ice, it all comes together in the glass in a few seconds.

Go with fresh juice; the carton kind flattens the flavor and kills the bubbles with its sweetness. Squeeze the oranges right before serving, and chill both parts ahead of time so you don't water the drink down with ice. Pour the prosecco first, then the juice, and the drink comes together on its own. It's right for brunch, breakfast, and a lazy Sunday morning.

7. Sgroppino

Frozen, tart, and the most refreshing point on the list, somewhere between a dessert and a drink. Venetians served it between courses to refresh the palate, which is where the name comes from, a word that means to loosen. Its texture runs thicker than the rest, since the base is sorbet, not juice alone.

Blend lemon sorbet with a splash of vodka, add prosecco, and mix briefly so it turns out smooth and foamy. Drink it right away, cold as it is, since it melts fast and loses its texture. You can leave out the vodka for a lighter version; sorbet with prosecco works too. Serve it after a heavier meal or in peak heat, when nothing else cools you down enough.

Bonus: Virgin Star

The only non-alcoholic prosecco drink on the list, which is why it lands outside the main seven. Orange and passion fruit build the fruity base, and alcohol-free prosecco brings the fizz without the proof. The flavor is full and fruity, so you won't feel like anything's missing.

It's a good choice for the designated driver, for people who don't drink, and for a sunny afternoon when you want the taste of a cocktail and not the hangover. We serve it cold, over ice, with a fruity aroma, the same as the versions with alcohol. It also works as a starter, before you move on to stronger drinks. Order it when you're after refreshment without the proof. 

How to Match a Prosecco Drink to the Occasion?

Not every evening calls for the same drink. Match it to the moment. The order you drink in counts as much as the choice itself.

✔ Open dry, before food. Istanbul Spritz and White Kir Royal carry the least sugar, so they leave your palate sharp for what comes out of the kitchen. A sweet drink too early flattens much of what you taste after it, so hold Pornstar Bubbles for later in the night.

✔ Stuck on what to order? Pornstar Bubbles is the safe bet at almost any table, and Violet Garden wins over the crowd that eats with their eyes, thanks to its color.

✔ When someone's driving or off the alcohol, Virgin Star keeps them on the same round as everyone else, glass for glass, so nobody sits out the toast.

✔ For the hottest days, Sgroppino pulls double duty as a frozen dessert and can stand in for a sweet course after a heavy meal.

✔ Settling in for a slow one, reach for a Bellini or Istanbul Spritz. Both reward an unhurried pace, a single glass stretched across a long conversation.

Your Summer Prosecco Drink Waits on the Motława 

We mix all four of the drinks from the top of the list at Secret Room on Stępkarska 7. In summer, they taste best on our terrace over the Motława, with a view of the water and a cold glass in hand.

We change the menu with the season, so alongside regulars like Pornstar Bubbles, new prosecco compositions show up. You'll find the current lineup on the drinks menu, and you can book a table for the evening or the weekend through online reservations.