I tried the viral TikTok sorbet prosecco cocktail: Perfect heatwave drink or revolting concoction?

As summer days finally hit the UK, Kate Ng decides to road test TikTok’s latest cocktail obsession to see what all the fuss is about

A new viral recipe for a sorbet prosecco cocktail has emerged on TikTok, just in time for the summer (Kate Ng)

The sun is shining, the temperature is rising, and TikTok has served up another of its viral delights in the form of an ice-cold sorbet prosecco cocktail just in time for the impending heatwave predicted across the UK.

The refreshing sorbet prosecco cocktail has been traced back to TikTok influencer Travel_laa, whose video showcasing her creation has collected more than 17,700 likes on the social media platform.

Now, I’m not usually one to take my drinking advice from TikTok – from dangerous to downright disgusting, the social media platform has been known to go rogue when it comes to recipes. But as the sun finally arrives here in London, I figured what better time to venture into new cocktail territory?

The main pull for me is the ability to make a delicious drink with minimal effort. All the ingredients can be easily found at the supermarket, or even better, at your nearest corner shop. All I had to do was pop five minutes down the road to grab two ingredients.

Now, ease is one thing – price is another. Of course you can spend ridiculous amounts of money on the most expensive prosecco or even champagne if that’s what you want. But as I’m the only one in my household who drinks prosecco, a mini bottle of La Giogiosa prosecco for £3.99 was just the ticket.

My local corner shop is exceptionally posh, which means it comes with posh prices. Much to my chagrin, it exclusively sells sorbet from an Italian brand called Grom at over £7 per 460ml tub. However, it is truly a delicious and refreshing sorbet, so it is well worth it (although, you can get it for £1 cheaper at Waitrose).

I bundle my ingredients back into the flat and pick out the only fancy wine glass I have that isn’t from Ikea. Thankfully, it’s already clean thanks to my weekly wine-drinking habit, so I don’t even have to wash it beforehand. This cocktail thing is a lark!

The drink itself is a total doddle to make. Once you have all the ingredients, a 26C Friday afternoon is the only excuse you need to throw it all together. Now this is my kind of viral moment.

Simply add a few cubes of ice to your glass, and top with scoops of raspberry sorbet as you like. According to Travel_laa’s TikTok video, she used around four scoops of sorbet, but I think you could add more if you like.

The ratio I go for is four not-too-large scoops of sorbet with about three-quarters of a 200cl bottle of prosecco. Thankfully, my husband isn’t home to see me boozing at 1pm on a work day, so I pour myself another after I’ve finished. It is Friday, after all.

Once the ice and sorbet is in your glass, pour your fizz of choice over it. I found that swirling it around and waiting a few minutes for the sorbet to melt slightly made the drink more flavourful. It also softens the sorbet so that it becomes smoothie-like in consistency, making it easier to drink from a glass.

I enjoy the fruity zing that the sorbet lends to the prosecco. I’m also a sucker for a cold fizzy cocktail on a hot day, so this drink is right up my alley and certainly one I’ll be adding to my summer drinks portfolio.

You could make all sorts of variations of this cocktail, with any flavour of sorbet that tickles your fancy. I imagine a bright, tangy lime or a sweet, creamy mango would go well with the bubbly, and a garnishing of mint would be a welcome addition.

Verdict: I’d definitely be making this beverage again, it’s my new summer cocktail jam and makes a nice difference after swigging tinned cocktails throughout lockdown.