Ciao limoncello
Limoncello is a sweet lemon-forward liquor that originated in the early 20th century in Southern Italy along the Sorrento peninsula. It is made from the zest of Sorrento lemons, which are famous for their fragrant aroma and bright yellow color. Due to its sweet and refreshingly dessert-like qualities, it is commonly served as an after-dinner digestif and is meant to be savored and sipped slowly.
As the popularity of the Limoncello recipe spread through Italy, it became a tradition amongst many families, with recipes being passed down for generations. Due to the relatively low cost and effort for an at-home recipe, Limoncello has remained a popular liqueur still to this day. A recipe can vary in many ways, but it always consists of high-proof alcohol as the base (in ours, we use a neutral-grain spirit), then the zest of lemons is added to steep for several days or even weeks. Once the flavors have been fully infused into the alcohol, the liquid is strained, and sugar is added.
For our ingredients, we go right to the source here in Florida and use lemons from Camellia Groves, located in Winter Haven. Our final product is bursting with citrus aromas, sweet and mildly spicy honey flavors, and lingering sweetness.
We worked alongside Eliana Ciao to create a smooth, citrusy blend that incorporates local lemons and our neutral-grain spirit for our Ciao Limoncello. Eliana Ciao is the owner and bartender of the mobile cocktail bar Tipsy Mule. Eliana was born and raised in Agropoli, Italy, located at the start of the Cilento Coast on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Her family grew lemon trees on their property, and the recipe you’re tasting today is the same one that has been passed down for generations. After moving to Florida in 2015 and working closely with Mimmo’s Restaurante, she started her own business with great success. Follow her on Instagram for pasta-making classes and cocktail classes.
Made right here in our 30A distillery, our Limoncello collab has been so popular - we ran out in a matter of weeks! It’s no wonder it has been such a hit here on the Emerald Coast, as it makes for the perfect vacation weather drink. You can even add it to a dessert, like in a cheesecake, or simply over vanilla ice cream.
Our Limoncello is featured in several cocktails at our Santa Rosa Beach tasting room in our Florida distillery. Our Ciao Collins, featuring Limoncello, vodka, simple syrup, and lemon juice, was exclusively made for our Founders Club party on February 26th. To learn more about how you can attend the next party, click here.
Bummed you missed out on the first round? That’s okay; we’re making new batches as quickly as we can! Stop by our 30A distillery and tasting room for a taste.
The Ciao Collins
1oz Seagrove Community Cane Vodka
½ oz Ciao Limoncello
½ oz simple syrup
¾ oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Build in a Collins glass, top with soda water, and garnish with a dehydrated lemon.