What Is Limoncello?
Italy's famous lemon liqueur is delicious on its own or in cocktails or baked goods—plus, it couldn't be easier to make at home.
Olga Mazyarkina/Getty Images
By Alice K. Thompson for Food Network Kitchen
Alice is a contributing writer and editor at Food Network.
You may have spotted these sunny yellow bottles at your favorite bar or Italian restaurant, or seen it called for in baking recipes. You also might have been served it as an after-dinner drink, particularly if you’ve traveled to Southern Italy. But what exactly is limoncello, and how is it made? Read on for this and more, including our easy, three-ingredient way to make your own.
What Is Limoncello?
Limoncello is a lemon-flavored liqueur from Southern Italian that's famously served cold as an after-dinner digestivo, but can also be used as an ingredient in cocktails and desserts.
It's made by soaking lemon zest in neutral spirits, then straining and combining the steeped alcohol with sugar syrup. Limoncello is the second-most popular liqueur in Italy after Campari, and most bottles are produced in the citrus-growing regions of Sicily, the Amalfi Coast and Naples, all known for aromatic lemon varieties. But it’s also easy to make at home with lemon zest, a neutral spirit like vodka or grain alcohol, plus sugar and a few weeks of aging time.
What Does Limoncello Taste Like?
Limoncello is sweet and intensely citrusy with a strong lemon aroma. Since the drink is made just from the zest of the lemon, it lacks the acidity of the fruit itself while remaining distinctly lemony thanks to the essential oils in the skin. It’s traditionally served ice-cold in small glasses as an after-dinner drink. Try it this way before you decide whether straight limoncello is for you: Temperatures between 35 and 45 degrees F will mellow the taste of the liqueur’s sugar and alcohol while emphasizing its crisp, refreshing citrus flavor.
Arina Habich/Getty Images
How Do You Make Limoncello?
Although widely available in both the United States and Italy, limoncello is a popular liqueur to make at home. You’ll need just three ingredients: A neutral alcohol like vodka or grain alcohol, sugar and lots and lots of lemons. Plus, you’ll need the patience to let the liqueur age for at least a month. Here are four easy steps to making it at home; you can follow the recipe Homemade Limoncello for exact quantities.
Step 1: Zest. Rinse your lemons very well; you will be using just the outer peel of the lemons so you want to remove any wax or pesticides, or you can opt for organic lemons. Use a rasp grater to remove just the bright-yellow peel, avoiding the white pith.
Step 2: Mix with vodka. Combine 1 cup of vodka or other neutral spirit for every 2 tablespoons zest in a glass jar. Seal the jar, shake and store in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks or more.
Step 3: Strain and sweeten. Pour the vodka mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with a paper coffee filter to remove the zest. Add simple syrup to taste; about 1/3 cup syrup per 1 cup of infused vodka is a good place to start.
Step 4: Let it age. Pour the strained liqueur back into an airtight glass container and let rest in the refrigerator or freezer for another few weeks or up to a year.
Homemade limoncello is a popular gift, particularly during the December holidays. Pour the drink into individual bottles, add a ribbon and gift tag to each if you like and make the holidays a little merrier.
And what to do with all those leftover lemons? Why not make lemonade, lemon curd or lemon chicken, or browse top lemon desserts.
Recipes for Limoncello
Take your pick from our excellent recipes to make different versions of the liqueur—one traditional limoncello recipe, one spiced. Then, learn how to use it in cocktails and baking.
You can't go wrong with this classic version of the drink. If you’re planning on gifting limoncello you can easily double or triple the recipe. A good amount for individual gift bottles is about 16 ounces (2 cups), but any size works.
Molly Yeh’s recipe infuses the drink with a combination of five-spice powder, Szechuan peppercorns, cardamon and ginger for unique warming flavors. You’ll get a generous 5 cups, enough to toast with and to share.
Armando Rafael, Armando Rafael Photography
These cocktails feature a good amount of limoncello along with Chardonnay, seltzer and egg white, a bartenders’ trick for light, frothy drinks. A combination of fresh thyme and a splash of gin gives the cocktails herbal notes that pair nicely with limoncello’s citrus flavor.
Watermelon and limoncello are a match made in refreshment heaven. This cocktail is super easy to make. Rimming the glass in sanding sugar is a nice touch, but you can skip it for an express version.
Con Poulos
Limoncello makes a glaze that gives the meringue-topped cupcakes excellent lemony flavor. Beating a hot sugar syrup into egg whites makes a gorgeous, stable meringue that’s easy to pipe on top of the cupcakes for a light and lovely treat.
Related Links
