Gazzosa – Lemonade

Gazzosa with Amalfi Coast lemons, bright and sparkling

Gazzosa is Italy’s classic lemon soda, named after the gas in the bottle. Lurisia’s version uses the juice and infusion of the Sfusato lemon from the Amalfi Coast, based on a 1950s recipe. Bright, sparkling, with no heavy syrupy aftertaste.

Lurisia’s Gazzosa is the Italian lemon soda in its most traditional form. The name simply comes from the carbonation, the "gas"—which has been the term for any clear citrus soda in Italy since the 19th century. This one gets its character from the Sfusato Amalfitana, which grows on terraces overlooking the sea.

It pours a pale straw-yellow in the glass, almost clear as water, with the scent of freshly cut lemon and citrus blossom. On the palate, it is bright and crisp, with a clean acidity that cleanses the mouth instead of coating it.

Lemony, bright, and pleasantly restrained in sweetness

The Gazzosa thrives on the tension between juice and infusion: the juice provides acidity and fruit, while the infusion of whole lemons extracts the essential oils from the peel.

You can taste this as a "double lemon"—first juicy, then floral and slightly resinous, like when you rub a peel between your fingers. The perlage is fine and persistent; the finish is short and clean. Lemony, fresh, uncomplicated—which is why this bottle empties faster than you’d like.

With fish, fried foods, and in a Sgroppino

Well-chilled at 6 degrees, Gazzosa is the perfect soda for anything from the pan or the grill that needs a bit of acidity.

Fried fish, fritto misto, and a plate of pickled vegetables bring it to the table—wherever a squeeze of lemon would usually go, this can do the same job in a glass. It pairs just as well with salty snacks and olives as it does with an afternoon cake.

And it is a wonderful base for a Sgroppino: lemon sorbet, a dash of Prosecco, topped with Gazzosa, stirred briefly. It also works as a mixer with gin or vodka instead of store-bought bitter lemon, because it is less sweet and the lemon taste is genuine. If you prefer something more tart, reach for the Chinotto from the same producer, which is the dark counterpart to this bright bottle.

Sfusato Amalfitana: a lemon on terraces above the sea

The Sfusato is a spindle-shaped lemon with a thick, light yellow peel, few seeds, and an exceptionally high amount of essential oil—hence the intense fragrance the moment you open it.

It has grown for over 300 years on narrow stone terraces between Amalfi and Maiori, supported by chestnut wood pergolas; to this day, the harvest is carried out using baskets and narrow stairways. There is no other way on this slope—there is simply no room for machinery between the cliffs and the sea.

The terraces themselves are the true architectural marvel: dry-stone walls, stacked over generations, which hold the soil and carry the day’s warmth into the night. It is precisely this warmth that makes the peel so rich in oil. The variety is registered as Limone Costa d'Amalfi with a Protected Geographical Indication and is part of the Ark of Taste, the Slow Food registry for endangered foods.

The recipe for this soda dates back to the 1950s and has remained essentially unchanged ever since. You can taste that it isn't built on sweetness, but on the fruit. A tall glass, plenty of ice, a slice of lemon—it doesn't need anything else.

Like the other varieties in the Lurisia range, it is an Italian specialty with a clear origin. The Gazzosa is the brightest and most versatile for everyday enjoyment. Salute.

Price excludes deposit