Inspired by the Venetian Sgroppino, born in Venice, the city of romance. Where chilled sorbet and sparkling wine were traditionally served between courses at 16th-century banquets, this MSK Valentine’s interpretation brings together orchard fruit, berry depth and floral effervescence.

An image of the Raspberry, lychee and hibiscus "Sgroppino" Cocktail sat on a bar top with some flowers and raspberries seen just behind.

Dutch Barn Raspberry Vodka, distilled from British apples and redistilled with lychee, is served with a lychee sorbet acidulated using Granny Smith apple and malic acid, a deliberate reference to the orchard base of the spirit. Fine raspberry filaments provide colour and fresh berry aroma, while a naturally sparkling raspberry and hibiscus kombucha replaces prosecco, adding floral lift, gentle tartness and a refined blush-pink finish.


Clarified Granny Apple Juice

Place the apple and pectinase into a Thermomix.

Turn on the temperature to 37°C and blend into a coarse puree, allowing the mix to come to temperature.

Once complete, pass through a cheese cloth or claribag.

Decant the liquid into a bottle and store until ready to use. 


A sphere of lychee sorbet being garnished with smashed raspberries using tweezers
Lychee Sorbet

Using a hand blender or whisk, mix all the ingredients.

Freeze and either paco or churn in an ice cream machine.

Place the sorbet into half sphere moulds and freeze.

Once set, remove from the moulds and stick the two halves together for a full sphere.

Reserve in freezer until serving.


An image of Lychee and Raspberry Vodka being poured from a bar jigger into the cocktail glass
Raspberry and Lychee Vodka

Place the vodka and lychee puree into a vacuum bag and leave to infuse for 24 hours.

Put the infused ingredients into a Girovap with the temperature set to 45°C and distil.

Add a small amount of the colour powder to give the liquid its pink hue. 

Place into a bottle in the freezer until needed. 


The Hibiscus Kombucha being pour from a bottle into a cocktail glass
Raspberry and Hibiscus Kombucha

Infuse the tea and hibiscus in 80°C water for 8 minutes.

Pass out and mix with the sugar and flavouring compound.

Cool the mixture to 30°C and put into a jar.

Add the starter and scoby, covering with a cheese cloth.

Keep at 24-26°C for 4-6 days or until the pH reading is between 2.5-3.5.

Pass out liquid.

To sugar charge, add 8g Panela wild sugar per KG of Kombucha and place into a bottle with an airtight lid.

Leave at room temperature for 2 days, then refrigerate.

You can also carbonate using CO2 if preferred. 


To Serve
  • 1 Sphere of Lychee Sorbet 
  • 1g raspberries (smashed using liquid nitrogen)
  • 30ml Raspberry and Lychee Vodka
  • 60ml Raspberry and Hibiscus Kombucha

Place the Lychee Sorbet sphere into the centre of a coupe cocktail glass.

Garnish with the smashed raspberry pieces.

Pour the Raspberry and Lychee vodka into the glass, avoiding pouring onto the sorbet, and top up with the Raspberry Hibiscus Kombucha.

Serve and Enjoy! 

Raspberry, lychee and hibiscus "Sgroppino" Cocktail on a red fabric background surrounded by rose petals and raspberries