Sgroppino: Venice's Lemon "Milkshake" for Adults!

I know a bit of Italian but I don’t speak Venetian. Which is my way of saying: don’t invest wholeheartedly in my explanation of what sgroppino means. Sgroppino is often translated as “to unknot” but because it’s an after-dinner drink that helps the digestion, I like to think of it as “a little release”.

And what a delicious release it is! Made from lemon sorbet, Prosecco, and limoncello (see my recipe), sgroppino is frothy, puckery-sweet, and a little bit naughty. Depending on what you’ve got going on after you drink one, sgroppino is best followed by a pleasant nap or a double shot of espresso!

This recipe couldn’t be easier. All that’s required is a blender. It makes 4 large servings.

1 quart (4 cups) lemon sorbet

½ cup limoncello

1-1/3 cup Prosecco or other sparkling wine

½ cup half-and-half or heavy cream

With a wooden spoon, break up the lemon sorbet a bit so you don’t overwhelm your blender. Add the sorbet and the rest of the ingredients to the blender. Blend at medium speed until smooth and frothy. Serve immediately.

Helpful Hints:

1) You can substitute lemon sherbet or gelato for the sorbet; just reduce the half-and-half by half to ¼ cup.

2) If you don't have Prosecco, you can substitute Pinot Grigio, Moscato, Verduzzo or Champagne instead.

3) This is a great way to use up any Prosecco or sparkling wine you may have opened and not finished (yes, it happens). Speaking of which, if your sparkling wine has lost its fizz, don’t throw it away. Put in a stopper and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks to use in pasta, risotto, chicken or fish dishes.

4) Try garnishing the sgroppino with a slice of lemon, a twist of lemon peel, a few fresh raspberries or blueberries, or a sprig of fresh mint, basil, lemon basil, or lemon balm (also called melissa).

5) This is one of those cocktails that you can't make too far in advance without it losing its oomph and separating.