In 2010 I went on a trip around Southern Italy to explore my familial roots. That's where I first tried limoncello. Since then, I've been a fan of the lemony zesty, sour, sweet liqueur! I even make it myself at home! It's sort of like a lemon drop, in liquid, boozy form. This limoncello spritz recipe celebrates the lemon-forward flavor of limoncello with a bubbly balance of prosecco and soda water!
This recipe was inspired by my homemade lemon simple syrup and my Italian lemon soda recipe. Last spring and summer might have been all about the apérol spritz, but this season, life is giving limoncello!
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💕 why you'll love this limoncello spritz recipe...
🍋 zesty and refreshing. This cocktail is perfect for a hot spring or summer day. Spring and summer are known for being prime spritz cocktail seasons, and for good reason! Warm weather calls for refreshing cocktails!
🍾 bubbly and fun. Bubbles make every cocktail more fun, and the prosecco is here to play. This beverage is perfect for parties, or a fun brunch!
⏱️ quick and easy. This recipe is so simple, you don't even need a cocktail shaker. Just layer the ingredients in your cocktail glasses, and you are good to go!
🛒 ingredients
- limoncello - limoncello is an Italian liqueur made from high-proof vodka or grain alcohol, lemons, and sugar. It's sour, sweet, and super lemony! You can either make your own, or you can buy a bottle at your local liquor store.
- prosecco - this cocktail recipe has a double dose of bubbles, in part to prosecco. Prosecco is Italian sparkling wine. Like champagne, it can only be called "prosecco" if it is made within a certain region of Italy!
- sparkling water - the second dose of bubbles comes from the sparkling water. In this recipe, I use lemon sparkling water, specifically from Sanpelligrino. If you can find their limonata flavor, I highly recommend it! Alternatively, you can use homemade lemon simple syrup and soda water to make your own limonata!
- lemons - you'll need a few lemons for garnishing this cocktail!
- fresh mint - fresh mint isn't necessary, but it adds a nice pop of color to the drink as a garnish.
🍳 instructions
Step 1: Fill your cocktail glasses with ice. The classic glass of choice for spritzes is a wine glass.
Step 2: Pour 1 ounce of lemon soda water into each glass.
Step 3: Pour 2 ounces of limoncello into each glass.
Step 4: Top each glass off with 3 ounces of chilled prosecco.
Garnish with a lemon wedge and a sprig of mint, and serve!
💡 tips and tricks for getting it right
🍽️ Serving Tips
- Ditch the mimosas. Be the life of any spring or summer party when you bring a ready-to-assemble limoncello spritz basket with you! A bottle of prosecco, a bottle of limoncello, and a few cans of sparkling water are all you need.
- This beverage is perfect for brunch or an al fresco lunch!
ℹ️ Troubleshooting Tips
Layer the drinks in this order:
- soda water
- limoncello
- prosecco.
Layering in this way ensures the soda water mixes in with the limoncello (without stirring!), and gives you a fun prosecco "floater."
⚖️ Scaling Tips
You can easily double or triple this cocktail to make a large pitcher for a party. Just make sure you mix shortly before serving to keep the maximum amount of bubbles fresh! You can also store it in a bottle with a stopper to keep the carbonation in. But, be careful when opening it because of pressure that may have built.
🔆 top tip
A champagne stopper helps to keep your prosecco fresh and full of bubbles between servings!
♻️ substitutions
Missing an ingredient? No problem. Check out this tried-and-true substitution, or comment below with your question. I’m here to help you troubleshoot!
- sparkling wine or champagne- if you don't have prosecco, you can still make this cocktail by using sparkling wine or even champagne.
🎛️ variations
Feeling like a rebel?! Feel free to stray from the recipe card using these variations, or leave me a comment with your own!
- orange, or another citrus- swap out the lemon sparkling water for orange sparkling water, or another citrus flavor, like grapefruit.
- add juice - you can add a bit of citrus juice to your cocktail to liven up the flavor even more!
- frozen - combine your limoncello with some ice in a blender to make a frosty version of this classic cocktail.
🧰 equipment needed
- wine glasses - the traditional glass for a spritz cocktail is a wine glass. You can use whatever size you like, but these wine glasses from Libbey are perfect for serving a variety of cocktails, and wines, too!
- small cutting board and paring knife - you'll also need a small cutting board and paring knife, to slice a lemon for garnishes. You absolutely do not need to buy a $100 paring knife like this perfect knife from Wüsthof, but if you can afford to, it's a great everyday knife to have! Here is a set of colorful paring knives that does the trick for cheaper! This set of small bamboo cutting boards is also super handy-- I have about four of these and use them all the time for everything from cocktail-making to chopping herbs for salad dressings!
- straws - don't forget the straws! I love using these colorful striped straws for cocktails.
🫙 storage tips
While you can make this drink ahead of time, you will lose some effervescence from the sparkling water and prosecco if you prepare it too far in advance. For this reason, this drink is best served shortly after mixing.
If you must prepare it ahead of time, store it in a bottle or airtight container that can keep your bubbles safely preserved. At its maximum, this cocktail can keep for 24 hours.
💬 q+a
Limoncello is a liqueur made from lemon zest, sugar, and alcohol. It is largely found in the Amalfi region of Italy, or southern or coastal regions where lemons are grown. You can make it yourself at home, or you can buy it at your local liquor store.
Most domestic liquor stores have limoncello in their "cordials" or "liqueur" section of the store. You can also make your own limoncello at home.
Traditionally, this beverage is made with prosecco. It is an Italian cocktail, by the way! If you can't find prosecco or you don't have it, you can use another sparkling wine to make it.
Spritz cocktails are usually served in a wine glass, filled with ice. You can use whatever glasses you have on hand, though!
🍽️ recipe
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
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🥣 recipe
Limoncello Spritz
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ounce sparkling soda water
- 2 ounces limoncello
- 3 ounces prosecco
Instructions
- Fill a wine glasses with ice.
- Pour 1 ounce of soda water into the glass.
- Next, pour in 2 ounces of limoncello into the wine glass.
- Top the glass with 3 ounces of prosecco, and garnish the glass with a slice of lemon and fresh sprig of mint.
- Serve immediately.
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