Drinks

Limoncello Spritz

June 10, 2022 by Jennifer

If you follow my Instagram, you know I recently got back from Italy. There was beautiful scenery, plenty of museums, amazing architecture and of course tons and tons of delicious food and drink! Yes, there was plenty of pasta and bruschetta, but there was also a ton of meat and seafood. While the entreés changed constantly, the one thing that didn’t change were the beverages that went with each meal: wine and spritzes!

In Italy it’s all about the spritz. The one thing that shocked me was that every single coffee shop, was both cafe and full bar. That’s right, one side would be all about cappuccinos and croissants while the other side was covered with liquor bottles and beautiful glassware. It was a weird dichotomy that somehow worked. It worked because while most mornings are devoted to coffee, there is that occasional morning when you may want to celebrate with something a little stronger. Something like an Aperol Spritz.

I love the Aperol Spritz. As a matter of fact, it’s become my go to brunch cocktail because it’s a nice alternative to the standard mimosa. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good mimosa, but the flavor from an Aperol Spritz is just better. Because of the bitter orange flavor from the Aperol, you get a cocktail that has more depth and just a different feel. I drank plenty of them while I was over there. I mean, when in Rome… right? But then everything changed while I was in Florence.

 

On one menu in the beautiful city was a different kind of spritz. One without an ounce of Aperol. I couldn’t believe it. They replaced the Aperol with a different citrus liqueur: limoncello! Now, I’m not normally a limoncello fan. Again, it’s a little too strong for me. I’ve tried imbibing it on several occasions, but it just never took.  Well, this time that liqueur would be combined with soda and prosecco, thereby lightening the bitterness and turning it into a more (at least for me) palatable cocktail. I was intrigued. So, of course I ordered it. Oh my God! My world was blown. It was so good! It was light, refreshing and just screamed summer. From that moment on, if there was a limoncello spritz on the menu, I ordered it. (I even asked requested them if they weren’t on the menu.)

While Aperol seems to be the aperitif of Northern Italy, limoncello is the aperitif of the south. It actually comes from the Amalfi Coast and so is commonly referred to as an Amalfi spritz. Similar to Aperol, limoncello is a simple liqueur made from just a few ingredients: the zest of lemons, sugar and a high-proof grain alcohol. The orange from the Aperol is replaced with bright lemons, hence that lovely lemon flavor and bright yellow color. While the Aperol Spritz is definitely the more popular choice in Italy, this Limoncello version is definitely a close second and currently my favorite spritz. I love them so much, I’ve already gone through my entire of bottle of limoncello since I’ve been back. Guess it’s time to stock up because this is definitely going to be my go to spritz for summer.