Limoncino Lemon Liqueur – 700ml

Limoncino Lemon Liqueur, the Aroma Is in the Peel

Marzadro’s Limoncino is an Italian lemon liqueur based on a traditional recipe: an infusion of lemon peels in alcohol. At 35% vol., the lemon stands out distinctly. Served well-chilled after a meal – here in the 700 ml bottle.

The Limoncino from Distilleria Marzadro is officially called Limoncino Ricetta Tradizionale and is the newer of the house's two lemon liqueurs. It is created by infusing lemon peels in alcohol, and the 35% vol. is intentional: the manufacturer explains that the higher alcohol content highlights the fresh citrus aromas more clearly.

In the glass, the Limoncino is pale yellow and slightly cloudy; on the palate, it is lemony, robust, and distinct – the peel provides that subtle bitter note that keeps the sweetness in check. A liqueur that has a job to do after a meal.

Why the peel and not the juice

The aroma of a lemon is in the peel, not in the juice.

If you squeeze a lemon over a candle flame, you can see it: oil sprays from the peel, and this oil is the scent you mean when you say "lemon." The juice, on the other hand, provides mainly acidity. That is why Marzadro soaks lemon peels in alcohol and waits – the alcohol extracts the oil, and what ends up in the bottle smells of lemon and does not taste of lemon juice.

This is the path the lemon liqueur has always taken, and it explains why a Limoncino tastes sweet yet still has an edge. It is the same edge you get in your nose when grating lemon peel – tart, resinous, and a bit bitter.

The 35 percent is deliberate

Marzadro produces two lemon liqueurs – this is the stronger of the two.

The reason is stated on the manufacturer’s website: the increased alcohol content brings out the fresh citrus aromas more strongly. Alcohol is a solvent, and the more of it there is in the glass, the more aroma it carries. This is why this Limoncino tastes direct and unadulterated – and why it can handle the freezer without solidifying.

For you, this means it will last a long time in the refrigerator or freezer and won’t become diluted if you add ice cubes. Stored in the freezer and poured from there, it is thick and ice-cold at the same time.

Three bottles, one infusion

The same Limoncino is available in three sizes.

In addition to this 700 ml bottle, there is the 200 ml bottle as a gift and the miniature with five centiliters for sampling. The size does not change the recipe: it is the same infusion, the same 35% vol., the same slight cloudiness in the glass.

What else Marzadro produces can be found under the Marzadro Liqueurs – and the Grappa, for which most people know the house, is right next to them.

Distilling and maceration take place in Nogaredo in the Adige Valley, not far from Lake Garda. That is where Sabina Marzadro began distilling in 1949, and over 75 years later, Andrea, Anna, and Stefano Marzadro run the house as a family business, just as Sabina built it. Anyone vacationing by the lake can visit the distillery.

A splash in the cake batter stays until the last slice

Ice-cold from the freezer into a small glass, after a meal – that is how it is drunk in Italy, and that is how it is best. With Prosecco, it becomes an aperitif; with soda and mint, a summer drink; and poured over lemon sorbet, it is a dessert in ten seconds.

It also goes well with cake: a splash in the batter, and the lemon flavor remains until the very last slice. By the way, once opened, it doesn’t need to go anywhere – at 35% vol., it keeps wherever you put it, and the Grappa from the same house is likely standing right next to it anyway.