Limoncello Sour
the recipe that shows the most
Put the glass in the freezer for half an hour. Limoncello should be ice-cold.
First shake the limoncello, lemon juice and aquafaba without ice for 20 seconds.
Add plenty of ice and shake for another 15 seconds.
Double-strain into the chilled glass and express a lemon zest over the foam.
What did you think of this recipe?
One click on a star is enough. If you’d like to add something, we’ll review it first before it appears here.
Save this recipe
Send the Limoncello cocktail recipe to your own email, so you have it to hand when you’re ready to make it. You’ll also receive a €5 discount code when you spend €50 or more, for the glasses that go with it.
Everything about limoncello
Limoncello comes from the Amalfi Coast and is made using only the yellow zest of lemons, never the white pith underneath, because that makes the liqueur bitter. The peels steep in pure alcohol for weeks, after which sugar syrup is added. That immediately explains two things: at 25 to 32 percent, the alcohol content is higher than people expect, and the liqueur is quite sweet. In cocktails, that means always adding fresh lemon juice to balance the sugar, and keeping the limoncello in the freezer at all times. At -18 °C, it becomes syrupy and more rounded. At room temperature, you mainly taste alcohol and sweetness. Making it yourself? It takes three weeks and, above all, patience. See also our Limoncello Spritz.
The right glass
Served neat, limoncello belongs in a small liqueur glass of 8 to 13 cl. Small by design, because the liqueur is sweet and strong, and in a large glass it will be lukewarm before you finish it. Put the glasses in the freezer too, not just the bottle: the frosted glass is part of the experience. If you make cocktails with it, use a coupe for a sour or a large wine glass for a spritz. Colorless glass shows off the bright yellow best.
Bormioli Rocco America'20S Cordial Glass 8 cl Cordinal (6 pieces)
Nude Glass Savage Pony Glass 13.5 cl (6 pieces)
Together € 72,90.
The right tools
For Limoncello cocktails, besides the glass, you use a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus juicer, and a zester for the twist. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools together € 85,75.
What do you make these Limoncello cocktails with?
For these limoncello cocktails, you need limoncello. Well-known bottles include Villa Massa and Pallini. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Five ways
Neat, ice-cold. The Italian way, after a meal, from a frozen glass.
Limoncello Spritz. With prosecco and sparkling water in a large wine glass.
Limoncello Sour. The recipe above, with a foamy top.
Sgroppino. With lemon sorbet and prosecco, blended into a foamy, semi-frozen drink.
Limoncello Tonic. 4 cl limoncello, top up with tonic and a lemon slice: surprisingly dry and the quickest of the bunch.
Servingtip
Keep the bottle permanently in the freezer and put the glasses in twenty minutes beforehand. Add fresh lemon juice to every cocktail, even if the recipe does not call for it. Limoncello is sweeter than you think, and without acidity every drink becomes bland. Use unwaxed lemons for the zest; with treated fruit, that is precisely where the problem lies.
Frequently asked questions
Which glass do you use for limoncello?
Neat: a liqueur glass of 8 to 13 cl. View our limoncello glasses. In cocktails: a coupe or a large wine glass.
Should limoncello go in the freezer?
Yes. Chilled, it becomes syrupy and rounded; at room temperature, the alcohol dominates. Due to its sugar content, it does not freeze.
How much alcohol does it contain?
Between 25 and 32 percent, comparable to many liqueurs and more than people expect from something that tastes so sweet.
How long does limoncello keep?
Unopened for years. After opening, it stays at its best for about six months; after that, it slowly loses its fresh lemon note and becomes flatter.
Everything for your bar,
to one address
Glasses in hospitality quality, supplied per set. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →