Limoncello Spritz: The Ultimate Summer Mood

Move over, Aperol Spritz. There’s a new refreshing summer cocktail on the block, the Limoncello Spritz, made with bubbly prosecco, soda water, and the sweet and tart taste of limoncello. This one will be on repeat all summer long. 

What is Limoncello?

Limoncello is an Italian liqueur made from soaking lemon rinds in neutral-flavored alcohol. It results in a thick, sweet, and tart liqueur that can be drunk by itself as a digestif – something to sip on after a meal to help “digest.” It really delicious on its own but also makes for a phenomenal cocktail ingredient. 

Limoncello Spritz Ingredients

You’ll need:

• Limoncello: You can find limoncello at most liquor stores without any issue. Bigger stores like Total Wine carry several brands of limoncello. I have yet to find a limoncello that I haven’t liked.
• Prosecco: Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine made from the Glera grape. Most proseccos are dry, but brut or extra dry are good options to ensure the cocktail is refreshing and not too sweet.
• Soda water: Use plain sparkling water/club soda, or you can make some sparkling water with a Soda Stream. 
• Lemons: Sliced-up lemons are the perfect garnish and add a little extra lemon flavor to the drink. 
• Basil: Basil is a perfect Italian ingredient for an Italian cocktail. It’s a member of the mint family, so if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute fresh mint. 

How to Make a Spritz

There aren’t any special techniques for making a spritz, but here are few tips for making a tasty and refreshing spritz. 

• Avoid shaking the cocktail since so much of it is bubbly – it’ll just make a mess. 
• It might seem weird to serve a cocktail that contains wine over ice, but it works in the case of spritzes. Fill a large wine glass 2/3 of the way up with ice to make sure the cocktail is ice cold and super refreshing. Add a few wheels of lemon and the basil to the ice before pouring in the cocktail ingredients. 
• Pour the limoncello, prosecco, and soda water, and stir lightly. Garnish with extra basil. 

How to Serve a Limoncello Spritz

While limoncello is a digestif, it can be enjoyed with other parts of a meal in cocktail form. Lemon flavors help cleanse the palate (another reason why Italians love limoncello at the end of the meal), so it’s a great cocktail to serve between different parts of a meal like after appetizers or before dessert, etc. How do I enjoy my Limoncello Spritz? Preferably on an Italian vacation to the Almafi Coast, but floating in a pool comes in second, even if it means a kiddie pool (which I totally did over Memorial Day weekend!) 😉

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