Limoncello
The yellow liqueur from Southern Italy made solely from lemon peel, meant to be served ice-cold from the freezer. What limoncello is, how to drink it, and which glass to use.
Just the peel, and that is where everything is
Limoncello is made from lemon peel, alcohol, sugar, and water. That is all, and it is precisely why the quality of the lemons matters so much. The peels steep in pure alcohol for weeks, until it turns bright yellow and extracts all the essential oils. Sugar syrup is then added, making the liqueur cloudy: the oils from the peel do not mix with water and become suspended. That cloudiness is therefore not a defect but proof that real peel is used.
The lemon juice is not used. That is the most common misconception about this liqueur: limoncello is not sour but sweet, with the bitter and aromatic character of the peel underneath. The drink comes from Campania, from the coast around Sorrento, Amalfi, and Capri, where the large, thick-skinned lemons that are best suited to it grow. Most brands are between 25 and 30%.
In brief
Four bottles from the same shelf
The difference lies in the alcohol percentage, sweetness, and whether it contains cream or no alcohol at all.
Pallini Limoncello
Made with lemons from the Amalfi Coast by a Roman family business. Fresh and bright in flavor, and not overly sweet.
Villa Massa Limoncello
Made with lemons from the Sorrento Peninsula and bottled at a higher alcohol percentage. Fuller and more intense than most.
Limoncello Cream
Limoncello blended with cream: much smoother, thicker, and significantly lower in alcohol. More dessert than digestif.
Alcohol-free
The same lemon flavor without the alcohol. You miss the body that alcohol provides, but in a spritz with plenty of bubbles and ice, it is less noticeable.
With unsprayed lemons, pure alcohol and sugar syrup, you can make it at home too. Allow one or two weeks for it to infuse.
Sweet, intensely citrusy and not sour
Lemon peel
Exactly the aroma released when you peel a lemon: bright, oily and aromatic. At 26% ABV, there is little alcohol on the nose.
Sweet and full-bodied
Sweet and syrupy, with a huge dose of citrus oil and a bitter edge from the white pith beneath the peel. It is not sour: it contains no juice.
Long and bittersweet
A long finish in which the sweetness fades and the bitterness of the peel lingers. Serving it ice-cold keeps that balanced.
Flavor profile of a classic 26% ABV limoncello. The cream version is sweeter and creamier; the alcohol-free version scores lower in intensity.
Three ways to drink limoncello
Limoncello belongs in the freezer, not the cupboard. At 26% ABV it does not freeze, but it does become syrupy, which is exactly the point.
Ice-cold after dinner
4 cl in a small glass that you have also chilled in the freezer for half an hour. This is how it is served in Italy: as a digestif after a meal, in one or two sips. The cold noticeably tempers the sweetness.
Glass: liqueur glass →As limoncello spritz
5 cl limoncello in a large wine glass filled with ice, topped up with prosecco and a splash of sparkling water, with a slice of lemon. Lighter than drinking it neat and much more approachable on a warm day.
Limoncello spritz →As sgroppino
Lemon sorbet, limoncello and prosecco whisked together until frothy. Half cocktail, half dessert, and in Venice the traditional way to end a heavy meal for centuries.
Sgroppino recipe →Cocktails with limoncello
A liqueur this sweet and distinctive is best enjoyed with bubbles or ice.
Limoncello spritz
Limoncello, prosecco and sparkling water over plenty of ice. The summery version.
Sgroppino
Lemon sorbet, limoncello and prosecco, whisked until frothy. Venetian.
All limoncello cocktails
The complete collection of limoncello recipes in one place.
Bellini
Peach and prosecco. A splash of limoncello makes it fresher.The right glass for limoncello
A small glass that can go in the freezer for sipping neat, and a large wine glass for the spritz. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
The best-known limoncello brands
Two Italian family businesses that showcase the difference between Amalfi and Sorrento lemons.
Pallini
A Roman family business since 1875, made with lemons from the Amalfi Coast. Fresh and bright, and the bottle you see most often in bars.
About Pallini →Villa Massa
Made with the large, thick-skinned lemons of the Sorrento Peninsula and bottled at 30%. Fuller and more intense.
About Villa Massa →Aperol, Campari, Disaronno and Fernet-Branca are also featured on glazen.nl.
Everything else you wanted to know about limoncello
Is your question not listed? Check out our cocktail recipes or contact us.
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