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This bubbly drink feels special with almost zero effort.
When Martha Stewart shares a hosting idea, it’s usually designed to look impressive without creating extra work in the kitchen. Her sparkling sorbet cocktail matches that philosophy perfectly. Martha has recommended the drink for festive occasions like New Year’s Eve, but its bright, playful feel makes just as much sense once spring has sprung. The refreshing and low-effort cocktail works for brunch, a backyard gathering, the first warm evening on the patio or just a regular old Tuesday.
After trying it myself, I can confirm: It’s one of those ideas that feels almost too simple to work—but it does.
What is Martha Stewart’s springtime cocktail?
Martha’s easy cocktail is often called a sorbet spritzer. The idea is simple: fruit sorbet topped with sparkling wine. As the sorbet melts, it slowly blends into the bubbling wine, making the drink sweeter and fruitier. It’s a little reminiscent of the recent vanilla ice cream and wine trend—another unexpectedly delicious dessert-and-wine combination.
For my version, I used raspberry sorbet and an extra-dry Ruffino Prosecco, which created a crisp, bright drink with just enough sweetness. It’s exactly what you want from a warm-weather cocktail. There’s also something visually fun about it. The sorbet floats in the glass and gradually melts, turning a frothy, soft pink as you sip.
How do you make it?
Start by placing a scoop of sorbet in a large wine or spritz glass. Then slowly pour sparkling wine over the top until the glass is nearly full. While Martha calls for a “scoop” of sorbet, I went with three scoops because, frankly, I’m a maximalist when it comes to dessert-adjacent cocktails.
One of the wonderful things about this cocktail is that the frozen sorbet acts almost like an ice cube, keeping the wine chilled as it slowly dissolves. And unlike actual ice in wine—which we’ll politely pretend no one is doing—the flavor only gets better as it melts. I’m not usually someone who lets sparkling wine sit in a glass for very long, but this was one drink I sipped slowly, and I appreciated how cold it stayed.
Martha recommends using a dry sparkling wine like Prosecco or cava instead of champagne, since their lighter flavors pair better with a fruity sorbet. From there, you can experiment with different combinations of sorbet and sparkling wine depending on what you have on hand. Either way, the formula stays the same: a scoop (or three) of sorbet plus a pour of bubbly equals an instantly festive drink.
Related:
- How Martha Stewart’s ‘Entertaining’ Changed Everything We Do When Entertaining
- I Cooked with Martha Stewart, and Here’s 1 Thing I’ll Always Do When I Cook Now
- I Tried Martha Stewart’s Favorite Comfort Food—and Yes, It’s a Labor of Love
