Bloody Champagne Bellini

A skeleton hand holding a bloody bellini cocktail.

Looking for an easy holiday cocktail for Halloween? It doesn’t get much simpler than these Bloody Champagne Bellinis. This two-ingredient drink is the trifecta of tart/sweet/bubbly — and yes, only two ingredients… champagne and Amarena cherries for a Halloween-inspired deep red cocktail is quick and easy to make and delightful to sip.

Amarena cherries and Crémant de Bourgogne for easy holiday cocktails.

I admit to being a bit of a curmudgeon about Halloween. It’s not that I don’t like the costumes, trick or treaters or the candy-eating aspect, I do.

No, the drawback for me has always been the decorating and literal interpretations of this holiday.  Do I really need to decorate my foyer with a 6-foot-tall Frankenstein that shrieks at me every time I walk by? No — emphatically, no.

And I don’t want to have a beverage that’s served in an intravenous drip bag or some scientist’s beaker, for that matter.

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However, I can get behind red cocktails for Halloween — especially easy holiday cocktails with a bit of bubbly in them.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • It has only 2 ingredients.
  • No fussy preparation or even measuring.
  • The cherry bellini has a rich cherry syrup that intermingles with the bubbly.
  • You don’t need champagne; use less expensive sparkling wine, cava, prosecco or Cremant de Bourgogne.
  • These are fun red cocktails for Halloween without being too kitschy.
  • They work as brunch cocktails for Christmas too.

Ingredients:

  • Amarena Cherries (in their syrup).
  • Sparkling wine or your favorite bubbly.
measuring Amarena cherry syrup for blood red cocktails.

Champagne Bellini – A Fun Halloween Drink

Though I’m calling this a Champagne Bellini — you don’t have to use champagne. I say – save the good stuff for a special occasion- using a drinkable, but not break-the-bank sparkling wine, Cava, or Prosecco for is best this red cocktail.

In this case, I used a Crémant De Bourgogne (literal translation: Crémant from the Burgundy region of France).  

You can find these sparkling wines at Trader Joe’s (or any liquor store), which I used for my easy holiday cocktail.  

So what is Crémant? Made in the same methodoise as higher priced Champagne, Crémant tends to have a creamier mouthfeel than Champagne, and this under $10 bottle was perfect for these delightfully red cocktails.

The second ingredient is Amarena cherries. The more sophisticated cousin of maraschino cherries, Amarena cherries are bold and tart without any of the chemicals and preservatives in a grocery store jar of maraschinos.

Just like the Crémant, I got the Amarena cherries at Trader Joe’s and when I dug into the jar, I found the darkest red cherries (almost black) in a thick luscious syrup. These cherries are special. So rich and delicious the syrup is just begging to be poured over ice cream.

Or use the syrup for these champagne bellinis for red cocktails that hint at spookiness without being kitsch.

Making champagne bellinis

With a two ingredient cocktail, you don’t need a surgeon’s skill to assemble these  sparkling drinks, but here are a few tips to make your red cocktails shine.

  • Amarena cherry syrup is thick. Like really thick. And if it touches the flute when you pour it in, it will leave a trail of thick glaze all the way down the glass.  If you’re persnicketing like me, you want that viscous syrup to rest in the bottom of the flute creating a blood-red layer of sweet-tart goo. So be precise when pouring the syrup into the center of the glass.
  • Continue that theme when adding the cherry — you don’t want smudges.  Suspend the fruit in the center of the flute and drop it gently into the syrup without hitting the sides.
  • Add the champagne/prosecco/cava/crémant/sparkling wine (whatever you’re using)  — and let the bubbles do the work. The wine will pick up enough of the cherry syrup to color these easy holiday cocktails and still leave a bit of richness at the bottom (for later).

See how the Bloody Champagne Bellini actually layers itself? These red cocktails are very sippable Halloween drink with a bit of whimsy.  For fun, stage the cherries in spooky skeleton hands. I think my curmudgeonly ways are over.

Also, try a cherry champagne bellini for Christmas brunch.

More Halloween Inspired Treats: 

More Sparkling Drinks: 

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A skeletal hand holding a bowl of amarena cherries next to two bloody bellinis.
Print Pin
4.88 from 8 votes

Bloody Champagne Bellini

This quick, easy champagne cocktail has a delightful ruby blush and the sweet tart Amarena cherries and syrup add just the right balance for this Halloween cocktail. Also a perfect Christmas cocktail or New Year’s Eve drink – but maybe change the name to “Jolly Holly Fizz” for a more holiday appropriate moniker, LOL!
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Keyword champagne, cherries, christmas, halloween, new years eve
Prep Time 2 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings 1

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 ounce Amarena cherry syrup (from the jar)
  • 1 Amarena cherry
  • 4 ounces champagne or sparkling wine chilled

DIRECTIONS:

  • Pour the Amarena cherry syrup into the center of a flute glass (careful not to drip it on the sides of the glass because the syrup is thick and will cling to the side).
  • Place the Amareno cherry into the syrup.  Add the champagne to the glass and serve.

RECIPE VIDEO:

YouTube video

NUTRITION:

Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 99mg | Sugar: 23g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1.5mg

“Pin” Bloody Champagne Bellinis For Later!

Looking for easy holiday cocktails? These champagne bellinis are refreshing sparkling drinks. Try these red cocktails for Halloween Christmas & New Years! #champagne #champagnebellinis #bellinis #cherry #amarenacherry #amarenacherries #cremant #cremantdebourgogne #sparklingwine #cava #prosecco #champagne #cocktails #halloweendrinks #christmasdrinks #newyearsevedrinks #halloween #christmas #newyearseve #brunchdrinks #spritzer #fizzydrinks #sparklingdrinks

 

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6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I was afraid it would be too sweet, but it was very good!

  2. 5 stars
    Great drink to get you into the Halloween spirit! I should make this for the adults this year.

  3. Camilla Hawkins says:

    5 stars
    I love champagne and amarena cherries so this cocktail has my name all over it:-)

  4. 5 stars
    I’m a curmudgeon about Halloween too! BUT, if a Halloween party included this delicious bloody bellini then I’d gladly dress up! I love using the juice of high end cherries in cocktails! Outstanding cocktail Lisa!

  5. 5 stars
    What a tasty cocktail. This would be perfect for a Halloween party.