Limoncello Spritz Recipe: Lemon, Prosecco, Soda

Ingredients

1¾ oz limoncello well chillede.g. Villa Massa · Pallini · Luxardo
3 oz prosecco dry (brut)e.g. Mionetto · Martini · La Marca · Zonin · Valdo
1 oz soda water

Garnish: Lemon wheel, mint sprig · Ice: Ice cubes

Method

Fill a large wine glass with ice cubes.
Pour in the limoncello.
Add the prosecco slowly, then the soda water.
Stir once gently and garnish with a lemon wheel and a sprig of mint.

Watch it made

Limoncello Spritz

Taste

Sweet and lemony with zesty peel oils, lifted by dry prosecco bubbles. Light, low in alcohol and very fresh when served ice cold.

History and origin

Limoncello is a lemon liqueur from southern Italy, made by steeping lemon peel in neutral spirit and sweetening it with sugar syrup. It is most closely linked with the Amalfi Coast, the Sorrento peninsula and the island of Capri, where the local lemons are protected under geographical indications. Several families and towns claim to have made it first, and none of these claims can be settled.

The spritz, a mix of wine and sparkling water, has its roots in northeastern Italy. The Limoncello Spritz applies the modern Aperol Spritz formula of liqueur, prosecco and soda to limoncello. It became widely popular in recent years as a sweeter, sunnier alternative to the bitter orange spritzes.

Bartender tips

Keep the limoncello in the freezer; it does not freeze and chills the drink without extra dilution.
Use a brut prosecco. Limoncello is already sweet, and an extra dry or dry prosecco can make the drink cloying.
If it is too sweet for you, add 10 ml fresh lemon juice or a little more soda.

Variations

Basil version: Replace the mint with a few basil leaves slapped between your palms for a herbal note.
Limoncello Mojito twist: Muddle a few mint leaves in the glass before adding ice for a fresher, more minty drink.