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Limoncello Spritz Cocktail Recipe

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This Limoncello Spritz is made with sweet Italian limoncello, club soda, and prosecco. It is one of the best Italian cocktails to sip on when the warm weather hits.

Two glasses of limoncello spritz with garnishes of lemons and rosemary. In the background a cutting board with limoncello and straws sits.

The classic Aperol spritz needs to move over. There’s a new refreshing cocktail that needs to take center stage. This Limoncello Spritz recipe (or Limoncello Spritzer) is made with the main ingredients of bubbly prosecco, soda water, fresh herbs, and the bright lemon flavor of limoncello. It’s an easy recipe and the perfect drink for a warm spring or summer day. It’ll be your new favorite cocktail. If this is your first limoncello spritz, you’re in for a treat. I love any limoncello drinks, so it’s a real winner for me.

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What is Limoncello?

Two tall glasses of spritz sitting one in front of the other. Green and white straws cross as they peek out of the wine glasses. A bottle of limoncello is in the background.

Limoncello is an Italian liqueur made from soaking lemon peels 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 is really delicious on its own but it also makes for a perfect cocktail ingredient. You can also make your own limoncello, but how to make homemade limoncello is a post for another day. Maybe someday I’ll write about making homemade limoncello, and I can share about how I majorly botched a batch that I made for Christmas. My dad still likes to bring that up every time someone mentions limoncello – I’ll never live it down.

Supposedly, there are a few backstories to how limoncello was created. It is a staple liqueur on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. Whatever its true origin is, it’s generally agreed upon that it’s a liqueur that originated at least 100 years ago. And most importantly (at least to me) is that it’s delicious AF.

Two glasses of limoncello spritz sit in the sun with deep shadows and a limoncello bottle in the background.

Limoncello Spritz Ingredients

Limoncello: You can find limoncello liqueur 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. I prefer my bottle of prosecco on the drier side. If it’s not sweet enough to your tastes, you can simply add simple syrup to the cocktail. Be wary, limoncello is already quite sweet, so it’s best to taste first and then add sweetness if needed to suit your tastes.

Soda water or club soda: Use plain sparkling water or club soda. You can make some sparkling water with a Soda Stream like I do.

Lemons: A slice of lemon is the perfect garnish and adds a little extra lemon flavor to the drink. I used several lemon slices. Fresh lemon is an absolute must for this cocktail.

Herbs: Rosemary or basil are the great herbs for this Italian cocktail. You can also use fresh mint.

How to Make a Limoncello Spritz

Two limoncello spritz cocktails with lemon slices in the glass and a green and white straw sticking out. In the background is a glass full of green striped straws, a bottle of limoncello, and a bottle of prosecco.

Fill a wine glass with a couple cubes of ice. You can also use a large cocktail glass. It might seem weird to serve a cocktail that contains wine over ice, but it works in the case of spritzes. Add the simple ingredients – citrusy limoncello, prosecco, soda water, and a lemon wheel. And garnish with your herb of choice – a sprig of mint, rosemary, or basil. Give it a quick stir and you’re good to go.

You can also opt to make a big batch in a pitcher. Simply multiply the ingredient measurements by the number of drinks you want to serve. It’s entertaining and hosting made easy.

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! I have definitely gone the kiddie pool route in a pinch.

If you like cocktail recipes, you’ll probably like these recipes too:

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Limoncello Spritz Recipe

Two glasses of limoncello spritz with garnishes of lemons and rosemary. In the background a cutting board with limoncello and straws sits.
Print Recipe
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
  • Category: Cocktail
  • Method: Stirred cocktail
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 oz. limoncello
  • 3 oz. prosecco
  • 1 oz. soda water
  • Sliced lemons
  • Basil or rosemary herbs

Instructions

  1. Fill a large wine glass 2/3 of the way up. Add a sliced lemon and basil to the ice.
  2. Pour limoncello, prosecco, and soda water. Stir gently. Garnish with more lemon and either rosemary or basil. 

Keywords: Limoncello, Cocktail, Summer

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