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Bring the Amalfi Coast to your back garden with a zesty, limoncello spritz. The lemony Italian liqueur is made long and refreshing with a top up of bubbly prosecco and sparkling soda water.
Sound familiar? You’ve probably encountered limoncello spritz’s better-known, bitter cousin, Aperol Spritz. Which do you prefer?
Did I mention I’m curating a cocktail menu this summer? It’s part art, part cocktail creation. I’m going to call it ‘Poolside: A Series in Spritzes’.
No, I’m joking! I don’t actually have a pool.
While I wish I did, as it is certainly too hot to be cooking in my London kitchen right now, I have been cooling down in my shady (pool-less) back garden with a splashy spritz or two. And this breezy limoncello prosecco spritz is bringing all the Italian riviera vibes.
When it comes to summer drinking, spritzes are an icy, easy-drinking and refreshing tipple that last. With conservative proportions of 3:2:1, this one is prosecco to limoncello to soda, I’m present enough to draw up plans for my backyard pool and tipsy enough to start calling contractors.
Spritz ingredients
With only three liquid ingredients, every one must count. The first is, of course, limoncello, an Italian liqueur made from lemon zest steeped in alcohol. In Southern Italy, it is offered as a digestif after a meal and is an intense shot of sunshine and citrus! While I enjoy it after a meal, the spritz version is cool and drinkable.
It is important to use a quality limoncello for this limoncello spritz, budget versions can taste synthetic with an aroma reminiscent of bathroom cleaner! But a decent one will be sugary and tangy, like the bright, boiled fizzy lemon sherbet sweets from childhood.
Another side note- be careful not to buy crema di limoncello. As it contains milk and cream, it will not play nice with the prosecco and cause a horrendous curdle!
Prosecco makes up the majority of the limoncello cocktail. I recommend a brut version rather than a sweet or semi-sweet one to level out the syrupy liqueur.
Lastly soda water. A refreshing splash is all that’s needed to transform the powerful cocktail into a long, elegant sipper you can drink all afternoon.
I’ve garnished mine with a sunny lemon wheel and extra slice as I enjoy a tart cocktail. For a flash of colour and a herbaceous note, you could add a sprig of thyme or rosemary.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Refrigerate all the spritz ingredients before preparing your limoncello cocktail.
- The ratio is 3:2:1, that’s prosecco to limoncello to soda water. But you can dial the measures up or down to your taste.
- Bear in mind some of the spritz ingredients have a stronger ABV (alcohol by volume) so cranking up the limoncello will give you a stronger cocktail.
Serving suggestions
Like all spritzes, you need a generous glass. I like a long stem and a tulip bowl that is deep enough for a straw. Style with a semi-circle of lemon, of course!
More summer cocktail recipes
Limoncello Spritz
Ingredients
- 35 ml / 1½ oz limoncello
- 75 ml / 3 oz prosecco
- 25 ml / 1 oz soda water
- lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a stemmed glass with a generous amount of ice, then ad the limoncello, Prosecco and soda water. Stir gently to combine.
- Top with a slice of lemon as a garnish.
Notes
- Keep all the ingredients in the fridge before use so they are as cold as possible before adding to the drink.
- The classic ratio for this drink is 3:2:1 (Prosecco:limoncello:soda water). But this can be adjusted to fit your taste. Adding more or less limoncello will adjust the amount of alcohol in the drink as well as the sweetness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
