Limoncello

Limoncello, the delicious lemon liqueur from Italy’s sun-drenched Amalfi Coast and island of Capri, is one of Italy’s most popular and traditional after-dinner drinks. Sweet and syrupy, yet zesty and tangy at the same time, it offers the genuine perfumes and bright intensity of the dreamy territory that shapes its flavors. No Italian liqueur symbolizes a region more faithfully than this: Limoncello is, in essence, the beauty of Capri locked in a bottle. One widely available brand, Limoncello di Capri, is still made according to the original recipe created hundreds of years ago by lemon farmers on the Sorrentine Peninsula. The formula is refreshingly simple and involves only lemon peels, sugar and alcohol. Because the cold infusion is based on the thick peels of perfect lemons, and not the juice, Limoncello di Capri is sweet and refreshing in the mouth, but never sour. “Limoncello di Capri is made wholly from fresh ingredients according to natural methods with no added flavor or coloring,” says Mario Molinari, who manages Molinari Sambuca, the parent company of Limoncello di Capri. “It remains associated with an exotic Italian destination that is celebrated for its profound beauty.”