Crema Alpina Lemon Liqueur

Crema Alpina Limone, the Lemon Coast in a glass

Marzadro’s Crema Alpina Limone is a lemon cream liqueur: cream made from fresh Trentino milk with lemon, fine-mild and velvety. At 17% vol., it is light enough for summer. Offered here in a 700 ml bottle.

Crema Alpina Limone is Distilleria Marzadro’s lemon liqueur – the freshest of the entire cream liqueur range. The lemon rests on the cream made from fresh Trentino milk, and because acid and cream need each other, this results in a liqueur that remains light despite its 17% vol.

In the glass, the Crema Alpina Riviera dei Limoni shows a pale yellow; on the palate, it is velvety and fine-mild, with the lemon bringing freshness to the cream. A liqueur for warm evenings.

Riviera dei Limoni – the name comes from the lake

The Riviera dei Limoni is the western shore of Lake Garda – the stretch of land where lemons have thrived for centuries.

Limone sul Garda, Gargnano, Maderno: the limonaie – tall stone pillars with glass roofs used to overwinter the trees – still stand there to this day. For a long time, no one in Europe cultivated citrus fruits further north than this, and the lake makes it possible – it keeps the winters mild. The fact that a Trentino distillery names its lemon liqueur after this coast is therefore not marketing, but proximity: from the Adige Valley, you go over the mountains and down to it.

Meanwhile, the cream comes from the other direction, from the alpine valleys of Trentino. Mountain and lake in one glass – you can hardly summarize this landscape better.

Why lemon and cream work

Acid cuts through fat: what defines every lemon tart also defines this liqueur.

Cream alone would be rich and heavy, lemon alone sharp – together, they keep each other in balance. That is why the Limone seems fresher than its siblings, even though it has the same base and the same 17% vol. Well-chilled, the freshness comes to the fore, while the cream remains in the background.

It works over ice cream, in desserts, and in cocktails, where it replaces limoncello and cream in one go. Those looking for the clear version will find the Limoncino from the same producer nearby – lemon without cream, but with more edge.

Incidentally, the Limone also tolerates company: a splash in a glass of Prosecco turns it into an aperitif that looks like a sunset over the lake and tastes roughly like one too. A summer evening requires no more effort than that.

What the eight varieties have in common

All Crema Alpina share the same cream base and the same 17% vol. – what distinguishes them is the aroma on top.

Besides the lemon, there is Pistacchio with pistachio, Nocciola with hazelnut, Caffè with coffee, strawberry with wild strawberries, melon, marzipan, and salted caramel. The Limone is the only one with acidity – and for many, therefore, the summer liqueur of the series. You can find all eight among the Crema Alpina liqueurs.

The stirring happens in Nogaredo in the Adige Valley, not far from Lake Garda, where Sabina Marzadro began distilling in 1949. Today, Andrea, Anna, and Stefano Marzadro run the house as a family business – if you are vacationing at the lake, you can visit the distillery.

Over lemon sorbet and on the terrace

Well-chilled at 8 to 10 degrees, the Crema Alpina Limone shows what it can do – unlike the grappa from the same house, cream liqueurs belong in the refrigerator. Once opened, it will keep there for a few weeks. Poured over lemon sorbet, it becomes a dessert; enjoyed on the terrace, it is perfect for the end of the day – and those who want to try it first can grab the small miniature bottle.