Limoncello, a popular Italian liquor, has a sweet and fresh taste that is perfect for summer or after dinner. This drink does not use lemon water, but uses the sour taste of the fruit skin so that it seems a little bitter-sweet. Limoncello is best served chilled and can be used as a complement to cocktails, including cocktails containing wine, vodka or gin.
Ingredients
Mixing Limoncello and Prosecco
- 6 frozen raspberries
- 30 ml limoncello
- 150 ml Prosecco
- Packaged cherries or mint leaves as decoration
For one serving
Making Martini from Limoncello
- Sugar
- Slice of lemon
- 30 ml limoncello
- 90 ml vodka
- 15 ml lemon juice
- Slice of lemon for garnish
For one serving
Mixing Limoncello and Gin Cocktail
- A sprig of fresh thyme
- 30 ml of gin
- 22 ml limoncello
- 7, 5 ml lemon juice
- 120 ml of soda
- Slice of lemon for garnish
For one serving
Step
Method 1 of 4: Drink Limoncello without Mixing Anything
Step 1. Chill the limoncello in the refrigerator
Limoncello is best served cold. Refrigerate this drink at least 1 hour before serving so that it tastes more delicious and fresher when the air is hot. Limoncello can also be stored in the refrigerator because the liquid does not freeze.
Limoncello does not have to be refrigerated. Because it contains large amounts of alcohol and sugar, this drink is safe to drink at room temperature. However, serving it cold is the best way
Step 2. Cool the glass using ice cubes
Fill an alcohol glass or glass cup with ice cubes. Ice should be crushed so that the entire surface of the glass is covered. Let ice sit for a few minutes, then discard when you're ready to serve the limoncello.
- It's also okay to use a glass that isn't cold if you're in a hurry. However, a cold glass is able to bring out the best taste of limoncello. At least let the limoncello cool before pouring it into a regular glass.
- Another way to cool a glass is to fill a bucket with ice cubes. Place the glass upside down on the ice for 30 minutes.
- Alternatively, you can freeze the glass for up to 4 hours. As long as the glass is empty, the object will not break. A frozen glass can keep drinks cold longer than a glass filled with ice.
Step 3. Pour the limoncello into the alcohol glass
Limoncello is usually served in legged or cordial glasses. The elegant glasses match the character of this typical Italian drink, but any glass of alcohol can actually be used as an alternative. In some parts of Italy, limoncello is sometimes served in a ceramic alcohol glass.
A legged alcohol cup is more effective at keeping the limoncello cold, but it breaks easily. This object also has the same capacity as an ordinary glass of alcohol. So you don't really need it
Step 4. Serve limoncello before or after meals
Limoncello is considered capable of improving digestion. This drink is often served with dessert at the end of dinner. This is the type of drink that fits in slowly while relaxing. Limoncello can be a "mouthwash" after a heavy meal, or consumed whenever you want.
- Limoncello is usually served without ice. Add ice if it's too warm or your glass isn't cold enough.
- You may prefer to enjoy limoncello as a soft drink rather than enjoying it at certain times. Enjoy this drink to your liking.
Method 2 of 4: Mixing Limoncello and Prosecco
Step 1. Place the champagne glasses in the freezer for 4 hours
Cool the glass before serving the limoncello. If you don't have a champagne glass, use a wine glass. A chilled glass will keep the drink cold so it can bring out its best taste.
This drink is usually not served with ice. So, if you plan to use ice cubes to cool the glass, remove the ice before pouring the limoncello
Step 2. Add raspberries or other fruit to a chilled glass
Use a variety of fruits to turn a limoncello and prosecco cocktail mix into a unique drink. For example, you can put 6 frozen raspberries in a glass to balance the lemon flavor of the limoncello and the wine of the prosecco. The fruit used does not need to be crushed.
Prosecco has a “dry” taste, but is sweet. It tastes like green apple and melon. Some types of fruit that are suitable to be combined with these drinks are blueberries, raspberries, and lemons
Step 3. Mix limoncello and prosecco in a glass
Mix about 30 ml of limoncello with 150 ml of prosecco. Use a cocktail mixer spoon to mix it well. Change the dose of the two drinks according to taste.
- For example, use more limoncello to make the cocktail sourer, or add a higher ratio of prosecco for a lighter drink.
- To serve large quantities of liquor, mix the liquor in a pitcher. Mix about 30 ml of limoncello with 150 ml of prosecco.
Step 4. Garnish the glass with cherries or fresh mint leaves
This garnish has no effect on the taste of the cocktail, but will enhance its appearance. Buy a can of ready-to-eat cherries, then place one cherry on the edge of the glass. Place a fresh mint leaf that contrasts with the yellow cocktail and red fruit.
Cocktail garnish can be changed at will. For example, you could add a lemon wedge to make the drink look like limoncello
Method 3 of 4: Making a Martini from Limoncello
Step 1. Place the martini glass in the refrigerator until it is cool to the touch
Leave the glass in the refrigerator or freezer for 4 hours if you have time. If not, you can refrigerate it for a while to add some limoncello flavor to it.
Martinis are not served with ice. So, chill the glass you are using for best results
Step 2. Sprinkle sugar around the mouth of the glass
Sugar can't just stick to it. So, give a little lemon juice to the rim of the glass by rubbing the lemon slices directly. After that, sprinkle the sugar on a flat surface, then roll the glass over the surface.
You've probably seen a barmaid dip a glass straight into the sugar. This method works, but there will be a lot of sugar in the glass. This will spoil the drink because the sugar can affect the sweetness of the martini
Step 3. Combine vodka, limoncello and lemon juice in a shaker glass filled with ice
Fill the appliance with as much ice as possible, then pour your drink. Mix 30 ml of limoncello with 44 ml of vodka and 15 ml of lemon juice. Whisk until all ingredients are mixed and feel cool.
- You can use any type of vodka, but choose vodka that has been flavored to give you a cocktail-like taste. Citrus-flavored vodka, for example, can give limoncello a sour taste.
- Other mixes are optional only. For example, you can use lemonade instead of lemon juice, or use a 50:50 ratio to make a glass of lemon meringue martini. If you choose to use a carbonated lemon, do not shake the martini. Shaking the carbonated liquid will make it overflow.
Step 4. Strain the drink into a martini glass
Position a cocktail strainer in the mouth of the shaker if it is not equipped with a built-in filter. Use your fingers to hold it in place while turning the beater over. The filter will hold the ice cubes, while the mixed drink will flow into the glass.
Step 5. Garnish the martini glass with the lemon wedge
Cut the lemon into the shape of a wheel. Use a fruit knife to make a "triangle" in the lemon slice, then attach it to the rim of the glass. This fruit does not add to the taste of the drink, but will make it look attractive and illustrate the deliciousness of limoncello.
Method 4 of 4: Mixing Limoncello and Gin Cocktail
Step 1. Chill a rock glass with ice while preparing the cocktail
Fill the glass with ice cubes. You will serve drinks on ice. So putting clean ice cubes in a glass is the quickest way to prepare the drink. Alternatively, you can also put the glass in the refrigerator for 4 hours so that it cools down and the ice inside doesn't melt quickly.
If you don't know what a rocks glass is, it's a short, round glass that's usually used when drinking whiskey or similar liquors. A standard rocks glass can hold 180-240 ml of liquor
Step 2. Mix in thyme or other herbs if desired
Place the fresh herbs in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker. After that, pulverize 3 to 4 times until the herbs emit a delicious aroma. Herbs, such as thyme and basil, can add a unique flavor to your drink mix, but this is optional.
- Grill the thyme first to get a drink with a different taste. Preheat the grill to 260 °C on a medium heat setting. Bake the thyme for 15 seconds until it looks charred and fragrant.
- If you don't have a chopping utensil, use another blunt object, such as the tip of a wooden spoon.
Step 3. Pour the gin, limoncello, and lime juice into the mixer
For the standard recipe, you will need to mix 30 ml of gin with 22 ml of limoncello. Pour into a mixing glass with the herbs, if you are using them. Then, add 7.5 ml of fresh lemon juice to give the drink a more sour taste, like lemonade.
- Adjust the liquor ratio to taste. For example, you can reduce the amount of limoncello to 15 ml and increase the amount of gin to make the limoncello taste less strong.
- Instead of using lemon juice, use lime juice to add more sourness to the cocktail. There's no need to use the water if you don't like sour drinks.
Step 4. Fill the glass with ice and mix all the ingredients
If you are using a mixing glass, prepare a cocktail mixing spoon and stir the ice in the glass. If using a cocktail shaker, put the lid on and shake until well combined.
Have a chilled glass ready so you can pour the cocktail straight into it. The ice cubes will gradually melt so that the drink dissolves and the taste changes
Step 5. Pour the drink through a filter into a rocks glass filled with ice cubes
Place the cooled glass on a flat surface and fill it with ice cubes. You will need a metal cocktail filter. Hold the strainer by the rim of the glass or shaker while pouring the gin and limoncello mixture into the glass.
Some cocktail shakers have a built-in filter. This filter looks like a small slotted grater located under the cover. You don't have to do anything to wear it
Step 6. Mix 120 ml of soda into the cocktail
Pour the soda directly into the rocks glass to make the cocktail bubbly and fizz. Use a cocktail mixer spoon to stir the soda, limoncello, and gin until well combined.
Drinks made from a mixture of limoncello and gin, or limoncello collins, are usually served with soda. If not, that's okay. The cocktail will taste a little strong, but the chopped herbs will help balance it out
Step 7. Garnish glasses with lemon wedges before serving
Cut a fresh lemon 2.5 cm thick. Make a small triangular cut in the rim of the lemon so that it can be attached to the rim of the glass. Add a few more if you want to amplify the sour taste of the limoncello in the drink.
Use other decorations that can represent your cocktail. For example, add a sprig of fresh thyme if you're using the grilled thyme mentioned above
Tips
- Mix limoncello with other alcoholic beverages or fruit juices to make your own cocktail. Limoncello goes well with a variety of drinks, from cranberry to vodka.
- A variation of the limoncello drink comes from the fruit that is used instead of lemon. For example, arancello is made by mixing limoncello with oranges, while fragoncello uses strawberries.
- Fresh limoncello is super easy to make at home with lemon, vodka and sugar.
- Limoncello is often used as a dessert. You can use it to add delicacy to the taste of gelato, sponge cake, cheesecake, and other foods.
