5 Must Mix Limoncello Cocktails
By Vicki Cruz
Even people who have never been to Italy usually have heard of Limoncello.
Its sweet, tangy flavor and velvety texture — especially when served straight from the freezer — is unforgettable. In general, Limoncello is sipped solo, but its lemon flavor makes it a natural modifier for cocktails. In particular, it shines when used to tweak classics or to add an additional sweet citrus burst.
Instead of a Cosmopolitan, try a Limoncé Limon Blush.
Limoncé Limon Blush
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Limoncello
- 3 oz. Lemonade
- 1/2 oz. Cranberry Juice
- 1/2 oz. Soda Water
- 1 Lemon Wedge
Preparation: Add all ingredients, except soda, to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a tall glass filled with ice, top with soda. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.
Update your Screwdriver with The Paradiso.
The Paradiso
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. Orange Vodka
- 1/2 oz. Limoncello
- 1/2 oz. Aperol or Campari
- 1 oz. Fresh Orange Juice
- Blood Orange Wedge (for garnish)
Preparation: Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a blood orange wedge.
Love a Tequila Sunrise? Then juice it up with a Limoncello Sunrise.
Limoncello Sunrise
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Limoncello
- 3 oz. Fresh Orange Juice
- Splash of Grenadine
Preparation: Fill a tall glass with ice and add limoncello and orange juice. Stir to combine. Add a splash of grenadine but do not stir, allowing it to settle to the bottom. Serve garnished with an orange slice.
Here is a lemon creamsicle in a glass.
Lemon Meringue Martini
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Limoncello
- 1 oz. UV Whipped Vodka
- 1/2 oz. Lemonade
- 1/2 oz. Fat-free Half and Half
- Sugar (for rim)
Preparation: Prepare sugar rim by rubbing the rim of a martini glass with lemon juice or simple syrup, then dipping it in sugar. Add all the ingredients to an ice-filled shaker and shake well to combine. Strain into the prepared glass.
Even Bobby Flay loves Limoncello.
Raspberry Basil Limoncello Cocktail
Courtesy Bobby Flay
Ingredients:
- 1 pint Fresh Raspberries (plus more for garnish)
- 12 Fresh Basil Leaves (roughly torn, plus sprigs for garnish)
- 1 Lemon (cut into sixths, plus wheels for garnish)
- 1/4 cup Simple Syrup, Chilled (more if you prefer the cocktail a little sweeter)
- 2 oz. Limoncello
- 4 oz. Citron Vodka
- Crushed Ice
- Sparkling White Wine, Chilled
Preparation: Combine the raspberries, basil, lemons and simple syrup in a small pitcher and muddle until the raspberries are mashed. Add the Limoncello and vodka. Let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Put crushed ice into rocks glasses and add some of the raspberry mixture. Fill to the top with sparkling wine. Garnish with lemon and raspberries and basil sprigs if desired.