When life gives you limoncello, make Limoncello Spritz! This easy, effervescent cocktail only requires three simple ingredients. It's utterly refreshing and perfect for hot summer days or really any days you wish you were in Italy (which is every day, let's be honest).
Limoncello Spritz is the perfect light and refreshing summer cocktail. It falls within the family of spritz aperitif cocktails (e.g. Aperol Spritz, Campari Spritz, Hugo Spritz, etc.) and features limoncello, which is a sweet and tart Italian liqueur hailing from the Amalfi coast. The result is a sweeter take on the more well-known but slightly bitter Aperol Spritz.
The typical ratio for the spritz family of cocktails is a 3:2:1 ratio of prosecco, liqueur, and club soda or seltzer water. This is what you'll use for this recipe for the ideal balance of flavors and sweetness.
If you love lemon, you've got to try it! This is an extremely easy cocktail to make, and only requires a few ingredients. Make it as a summer pre-dinner aperitif or a delightful, fruity and fizzy brunch cocktail.
Ingredient notes
- Prosecco: Although you could use another sparkling wine like Spanish cava or French Champagne, since Limoncello Spritz is Italian I recommend sticking with prosecco which comes from Italy. Ideally, select a brut or dry prosecco for this cocktail to avoid making it overly sweet.
- Limoncello: Limoncello is made from lemon zest, sugar, and vodka. There are many brands available to buy, but it's also common for many Italian families to make a homemade version since it's easy to do. Limoncello is also quite popular on its own as an aperitif or digestif.
- Club Soda or Seltzer Water: This adds volume and more bubbles to the drink, balances the wine and liqueur, and dilutes some of the sweetness. Make sure you use unflavored club soda or seltzer, as to not change the flavor of the drink.
- Lemon: A wheel or slice of lemon adds a pop of color and freshness in the form of a garnish and really reaffirms the limoncello element. As it's a garnish, you could certainly leave it out if you don't have fresh lemons on hand, but it's sure nice to include if you can!
How to make it
Fill a wine glass half full with ice. Add prosecco, limoncello, and seltzer water. Give the mixture a gentle stir to combine.
Garnish with a lemon wheel and sprig of mint. Serve immediately.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
Make sure to chill all the ingredients before making your Limoncello Spritz. This will dilute less of the ice when mixing everything together. Your drink will stay cool and refreshing, and taste better longer.
Be gentle when combining the ingredients. You don't want to lose the carbonation in the prosecco and club soda/seltzer water. For the same reason, serve your drink immediately after making it to retain all those fizzy bubbles!
Only making one or two cocktails? Purchase small individual bottles of prosecco and cans of seltzer instead of larger bottles. You can easily put together a glass or two without having to open a big bottle!
Need to keep your full size bottle of prosecco bubbly for a while longer? Use a Champagne stopper to seal the bottle tight and retain its bubbles. It will keep sparkling wine bubbly for up to 3 days after opening.
Variation: To make a Strawberry Limoncello Spritz, add 1 ounce (or to your liking) strawberry puree in addition to the other ingredients. To make strawberry puree, simply add some hulled strawberries to a small food processor and blend until smooth. Strain, if desired, to remove seeds. Cheers!
Other recipes you may like
- Hugo Spritz (St-Germain Elderflower Spritz)
- Fleming's Blueberry Lemon Drop Martini
- Sangria de Cava (Cava Sangria)
- Ooh La La (A Mojito Inspired Elderflower Cocktail from Disney)
- Shikanji / Nimbu Pani (Indian Spiced Lemonade)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Limoncello Spritz
Ingredients
- Ice
- 3 ounces prosecco chilled
- 2 ounces limoncello chilled
- 1 ounce club soda or seltzer water chilled
- Lemon wheel for garnish
- Mint spring for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a wine glass half full with ice. Add the prosecco, limoncello, and club soda or seltzer water. Give the mixture a gentle stir to combine.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and sprig of mint. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Limoncello is made from lemon zest, sugar, and vodka. There are many brands available to buy, but it's also common for many Italian families to make a homemade version since it's easy to do. Limoncello is also quite popular on its own as an aperitif or digestif.
- Make sure to chill all the ingredients before making your drink. This will dilute less of the ice when mixing everything together. Your drink will stay cool and refreshing, and taste better longer.
- Be gentle when combining the ingredients. You don't want to lose the carbonation in the prosecco and seltzer. For the same reason, serve your drink immediately after making it to retain all those fizzy bubbles!
- Only making one or two cocktails? Purchase small individual bottles of prosecco and cans of seltzer instead of larger bottles. You can easily put together a glass or two without having to open a big bottle!
- To make a Strawberry Limoncello Spritz, add 1 ounce (or to your liking) strawberry puree in addition to the other ingredients. To make strawberry puree, simply add some hulled strawberries to a small food processor and blend until smooth. Strain, if desired, to remove seeds.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
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