Top 10 Best Limoncello Cocktail Recipes To Make At Home

1. Limoncello Gin Cocktail

Our first and foremost cocktail can be either quite simple or a little more elaborate depending on your mood. In either case, it’s a wonderfully refreshing concoction that can also feature a richly aromatic note.

For the full version, we suggest timing it with a barbecue for both convenience and enjoyment. It consists of just the following ingredients:

• 45 ml (1½ Oz) London Dry Gin
• 15 ml (½ Oz) Limoncello
• 15 ml (½ Oz) Lime Juice
• 2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme

Firstly, add one thyme sprig and the lime juice to a shaker and work them together so the herb releases its oils. Afterwards, add the gin and limoncello with ice and shake well. Strain the contents into a tumbler glass and garnish with the remaining thyme sprig.

Alternatively, you can slightly grill the thyme beforehand if you’re having a barbecue, which will provide a slightly charred and toasted flavour.

2. Amalfi Mule

Fresh strawberries are often well-received when properly used in a cocktail. They’re fragrant, sweet, and succulent. Therefore, we were keen to sample this on by Pallini linked below. the result is somewhat reminiscent of a fragoncello too! You will want the following ingredients:

• 60 ml (2 Oz) Pallini Limoncello
• 60 ml (2 Oz) Ginger Beer
• 15 ml (½ Oz) Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 Strawberry
• 4 Basil Leaves

Start by muddling the strawberry and basil in a shaker. Once the strawberry has the consistency of pulp, add the lemon juice, limoncello, and shake well. Strain the contents into a short Collins glass filled with ice and top it up with the ginger beer. Finally, add a lemon peel or more fresh basil leaves to garnish.

Source: Pallini Limoncello

3. Limoncello Spritz

A simple and wonderfully refreshing summer cocktail made from just three ingredients, you’ll definitely enjoy this vinous yet fizzy cocktail! The recipe requires the following:

• 60 ml (2 Oz) Limoncello
• 120 ml (4 Oz) Prosecco or sparkling wine
• 60 ml (2 Oz) Soda Water
• 1 Lemon Slice
• 1 Sprig of Mint

Pour the ingredients, starting with the limoncello and finishing with the sparkling wine, into a large wine glass or tall highball filled with ice. Stir gently and garnish with a lemon slice and mint.

You can also use thyme or basil instead of the mint. Similarly, consider using champagne or crémant instead of a prosecco if you prefer something a little drier than prosecco.

4. Cello Gimlet

An intuitive yet obvious cocktail now that we think about it, the limoncello gimlet is a great take on this classic cocktail. It’s very simple to produce and requires just two ingredients:

• 15 ml (½ Oz) Luxardo Limoncello
• 45 ml (1½ Oz) London Dry Gin

As you can see, this gimlet uses limoncello instead of lime juice, which makes complete sense! Just add the ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake until it’s cold to the touch. Strain the ingredients into a coupe or cocktail glass and enjoy!

Source: Luxardo

5. Pallini Freshness In A Glass

As the name suggests, we also found this recipe through Pallini on their Instagram profile linked below. It combines limoncello with bitters and tonic water, which just takes the edge of the sweetness with a bitter bouquet. You’ll just need the following ingredients:

• 45 ml (1½ Oz) Pallini Limoncello
• 90 ml (3 Oz) Tonic Water
• Angostura Bitters
• Lemon Slice

Add the ingredients into a highball glass filled with ice, starting with the limoncello and finishing with the tonic water. Just two drops of bitters will suffice and you can use the orange version for extra zest. Stir gently and then garnish with a slice of lemon.

Source: Pallini

6. L.B.B. (Lemon Basil Blueberry)

Here’s an elaborate and opulent cocktail that offers rich fruity flavours and a thick, syrupy mouthfeel! We discovered it through Fabrizia and looked forward to trying it for ourselves. You’ll need the following ingredients:

• 30 ml (1 Oz) Fabrizia Limoncello
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Vodka
• 15 ml (½ Oz) Lemon Juice
• Frozen Blueberries
• 4 Basil Leaves
• 1 Egg White

Firstly, make sure that your egg is very fresh as you’ll be using it raw. Either check the date or test it in water to see whether it floats or not. If it shows too much buoyancy, it’s not fresh enough.

Once you have your ingredients, add the limoncello and vodka to a shaker with the egg white and shake well. Afterwards, add a handful of frozen blueberries, basil leaves, and some ice, and shake it again. Finally, double strain the contents into a chilled coupe and garnish with basil.

Source: Fabrizia Spirits

7. Oriental Lemon

We found this soothing and aromatic cocktail through Knight Gabriello, the creators of Limoncello Santoni, and just love the combination of exotic fruits, herbs, and spices. It consists of the following ingredients:

• 50 ml (1¾ Oz) Limoncello Santoni
• 8 ml (¼ Oz) Lychee
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Ginger Beer
• Rosemary Sprig
• Cucumber Peel
• Maraschino Cherry

Simply add the ingredients to a tumber glass filled with ice and stir. We prefer chipped ice but a big ball or cubes are fine too.

Arguably, there seems to be just as much garnish as there is liquor in this cocktail. While the cucumber is optional, the maraschino cherry and rosemary spring really add something worthwhile to the resulting flavour.

Oriental Lemon: Knight Gabriello

8. Limoncello Sorbet

Although this recipe isn’t a cocktail, it’s definitely worth trying to make limoncello sorbet as it’s a fantastic summertime treat! We discovered this one through the USA’s Fabrizia Distillery linked below. Although it takes a while to make and may need an ice cream machine, it’s worth the effort!

You’ll need the following ingredients:

• 120 ml (4 Fl Oz) Limoncello
• 200g (7 Oz) Sugar
• 2 Lemons
• Pinch Of Salt

Start by combining the sugar with 500 ml (16 Fl Oz) of water. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat while stirring occasionally. Once the sugar has completely dissolved after about 5 minutes, leave the syrup to cool.

Grate the zest from the lemons and squeeze out the juice into a bowl then add the syrup, salt, and limoncello. Afterwards, leave the ingredients to cool in the fridge until it’s cold. You may need to wait several hours or an entire day.

When the mixture is ready, use an ice cream maker to churn the ingredients. You can then spoon the resulting sorbet into a container and place it in the freezer. It’ll be ready to enjoy within three days.

Source: Fabrizia Spirits

9. Peroni Limone

Here’s a great way to add sweet zestiness to beer as well as a pleasant kick. The result is a refreshingly fizzy beverage that’s quick and easy to make. You’ll just need the three following ingredients:

• 140 ml (5½ Oz) Peroni Beer or Lager
• 45 ml (1½ Oz) Limoncello
• 120 ml (4 Oz) Lemonade

Fill a pint glass with ice and add the ingredients starting with the limoncello and finishing with the beer. Afterwards, simply stir the contents and add a lemon slice to garnish. You can also skip the lemonade entirely and just use the limoncello as a cordial!

Source: Drizly

10. Good Luck Charm

Our final refreshing cocktail places a strong emphasis on lemon, which is then mellowed with a shot and a half of bourbon whisky. If you like zesty cocktails with a kick, this one is a great option. You’ll need the following ingredients:

• 45 ml (1½ Oz) Bourbon Whiskey
• 22 ml (¾ Oz) Limoncello
• 60 ml (2 Oz) Lemon Sour
• 6 Spearmint Leaves
• Sugar
• Lemon Twist or Wheel

Firstly, lemon sour is quite easy to make if you’re not familiar with it. It just consists of simple syrup with added lemon zest and can be made in a few minutes but needs an hour or so to rest in the fridge before use.

You can begin by rimming a coupe or cocktail glass with sugar. Afterwards, add the bourbon, limoncello, lemon sour, and spearmint leaves to a shaker filled with ice. Shake them well and strain the resulting liquid into the glass. Finally, garnish with a lemon wheel or a wedge.

What Next?

Now that you have read about the best limoncello cocktails, why don’t you check out some of our related spirit guides?

• What Is Limoncello?
• Best Limoncello Brands
• How To Make Limoncello
• What Is Sambuca?
• Vermouth Spirit Guide
• Best Spirit & Liquor Glassware
• Alcoholic Spirit Homepage