Limoncello Cocktails

Visiting Amalfi, Sorrento or Positano and enjoying limoncello is a must-do experience on the Amalfi Coast. Limoncello is a lemon liquor special to this area of Italy. You will find it in every restaurant on the Amalfi Coast. Many shops sell bottles for you to take home. And local factories offer tours showcasing how limoncello is made.

Limoncello produced on the Amalfi Coast is the quintessential limoncello for here this lemon flavored liquor is made from the large, fragrant, locally grown Sfusato Amalfitano lemons which have a particular sweetness to them. Traditionally made by infusing the zest of the Sfusato lemon into a neutral alcohol or vodka, then adding simple syrup, limoncello is a popular digestif served after a meal to aid digestion.

Limoncello is best enjoyed chilled, either straight as a digestif or in cocktails. It's traditionally served neat in a small, chilled shot glass, so you can sip slowly to appreciate the lemon flavor. Keeping limoncello chilled and serving in a chilled glass is imperative for the cold temperatures to enhance the lemon flavor. Limoncello can also be mixed into refreshing cocktails like a Limoncello Spritz or a Limoncello Martini to enjoy on a hot Italian summer day.  

Limoncello Cocktails:

• Limoncello Spritz – 3oz Limoncello, 2 oz prosecco, and 1 oz club soda served over ice with lemon wheel garnish.
  
  
• Limoncello Martini – chilled 1.5 oz limoncello, 1.5 oz vodka, & 0.75 oz lemon juice, Shake over ice, stain into a martini glass with a sugared rim. 
  
  
• Limoncello Sunrise: A layered chilled cocktail with 2 oz Limoncello, 3 oz orange juice, and 1 tsp. grenadine. Serve over ice with orange and cherry for garnish.
  
  
• Limoncello Vodka Sparkler – Combine 1.5 oz Limoncello,1.5 oz vodka, 6 oz club soda, and 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, strain into a sugared-rimmed glass with ice, and top with club soda. Garnish with a lemon slice or twist. 
  
  
• Amalfi Martini – 1.5 oz Limoncello, 2 oz gin, and 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice. Chilled over ice. Strained and serve in a martini glass, and garnish with a lemon peel, lemon slice, or mint leaves.
  
  
• Limoncello Gin Cocktail with Basil - Muddle 4 fresh basil leaves with 1 oz fresh lemon juice and 0.5 oz simple syrup in a shaker. Add 2 oz Limoncello, 1 oz gin, and ice, then shake until well-chilled. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a basil leaf or lemon twist. 
  
  
• Tratto Limoncello Cocktail - 1.5 oz. bourbon, 1.5 oz Limoncello, 0.5 oz dry Vermouth, dash of orange bitters, dash angostura bitters. Stir and serve on the rocks, garnish with a lemon twist.
  
  

• Limoncello Mojito - 3 mint leaves, plus more for garnish, 1 oz lime juice,0.5 oz simple syrup, 1 oz Limoncello, 1 oz white rum, 4 oz soda water Ice, for serving. In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves with lime juice and syrup. Add the limoncello and rum with ice. Shake and strain into ice filled glass. Top with soda water. Garnish with mint leaves.
  
  
• Lemon Meringue Pie - 1 oz Limoncello, 1 oz Sugar Syrup (2:1), 1 oz Lemon Juice, 2 oz Half & Half, 0.5 oz Licor 43. Shake together and serve or dry shake and layer the 43 and Half and Half on top. Serve over ice.
  
  
• Sicilian Godfather - 2 oz vodka, 1 oz dry vermouth, 0.75 oz Limoncello, 0.4 oz pepperoncini brine. Stir with ice. Double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with 4-5 drops of olive oil and a cocktail pick with 2 cocktail onions and a pepperoncino.

• Excitable Boy – 1 oz lemon juice, 1 oz Slivovitz Plum Brandy, ¾ oz Limoncello, 0.3 oz Benedictine, sugar to adjust the tartness. Serve in a Collins glass and top with soda

• Yellow Negroni – 0.75 oz BarSol Mosto Verde Italia Pisco, 0.75 oz Limoncello, 0.75 oz Gentian liquor (e.g. Suze, Salers etc), 0.75 oz Yellow Chartreuse, 0.75 oz Strucchi Bianco Vermouth. Serve in an old-fashioned glass with ice and lemon peel as garnish.
  
  
• Renaissance – 1.5 oz Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. cognac, 0.25 oz Limoncello liqueur, 0.5 oz Strucchi Rosso Vermouth, 2 dash Peach bitters. Stir with ice, strain and serve in stemmed glass with orange zest for garnish.
  
  
• Bourbon Limoncello Cocktail – 0.5 oz lemon juice, 0.75 oz Limoncello, 1 tbsp peach preserves, 6 herb leaves - mint - lavender, rosemary or sage, 1½ oz bourbon or rye, 2 dashes Scrappy's Black Lemon bitters, 2 dashes Scrappy's Orleans bitters. Stir lemon juice and peach preserves in bottom of shaker to break up the preserves. Add other ingredients, shake, double strain over ice. Garnish with lemon wheel and mint sprig. Garnish with lemon wheel and mint.

• Tratto Limoncello - 1.5 oz bourbon, 1.5 oz Limoncello, 0.5 dry vermouth, 2 dashes angostura bitters. Serve over ice.
  
  
• Sorrentino - 1 oz Limoncello, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 3/4 oz Campari, 2 oz seltzer
  Build in glass over ice and briefly stir. Serve with an orange wheel.

• Limoncello Arnold Palmer – 4 oz iced tea, 2 oz. lemonade, 2 oz Limoncello. Served over ice with a lemon wedge.
  
  
• Bon Bon – 1.5 oz Vodka,  2⁄3 oz Limoncello,  1⁄3 oz Butterscotch liqueur,  2⁄3 oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed), 1⁄3 oz Vanilla Syrup. Shake with ice, strain into glass.
  
  

Dessert Pairing:

Limoncello can be a delightful accompaniment to desserts, especially those with citrus or vanilla flavors. It can also be drizzled over ice cream. 

With Coffee:

Limoncello can be a refreshing contrast to the bitterness of espresso. 

• Caffè Corretto - Just add a few drops of limoncello to a cup of good espresso.
  
  
• Coffee Limoncello Spritz - 1 oz Limoncello, a double espresso, splash sparkling water. Combine ice, limoncello, tonic water, and then carefully pour in the espresso. Finish with a slice of lemon.
  
  
• Coffee in Italy Cocktail - 1 oz Limoncello cream, 1.5 oz rye, 0.5 oz brown sugar simple syrup, and 4 oz hot coffee. Combine rye, coffee, and syrup, then stir. Pour limoncello cream over the coffee mixture.
  
  
• Limoncello Espresso Spritz - 2 oz Limoncello, 2 oz cooled espresso, and 4 oz Prosecco. Add ice to a wine glass, then layer limoncello, prosecco, and espresso. Garnish with a fresh lemon wheel.
  
  
• Cold Brew Limoncello Spritz - 1.5 oz Cold brew coffee, 0.75 oz Limoncello, 0.75 oz lemon juice, 0.25 oz Liquore Strega, 3 oz club soda, and 2 dashes of Peychaud's Bitters. Shake ingredients with ice and double strain into a glass with club soda. Garnish with lemon.
  
  

Experiment: 

Try different cocktails and pairings to discover your favorite ways to enjoy limoncello. 

Let us know if you have a favorite Limoncello Cocktail. We would love to share your recipe!

Limoncello Bottles & Drinking Cups