Cold drinks are all we want right now, so try something different and be transported to Italy

Did you know that Limoncello is the second-most popular liqueur in Italy? Number one is, perhaps less unsurprisingly, Campari.

As a 70’s kid I know Campari well, not just because of the ‘Luton Airport’ ads but because my parents brought a bottle of it, possibly always the same bottle, out of the drinks cabinet every Xmas for as long as I can remember.

Limoncello I don’t think was ever on our suburban radar though. It’s made from the zest, not the juice, of lemons which accounts for its hazy appearance, and it can be around 30% alcohol or more, so it can make its drinkers a bit hazy, too.

Villa Cardea Limoncello is a reasonable 22% and made as it should be from Sicilian lemons, traditionally Femminello St. Teresa lemons, also known as Sorrento or Sfusato lemons, and which are usually twice the size of ordinary lemons and their uniquely oily skin is a major contributor to the hazy appearance of the drink.

Many producers make Limoncello and have done since the 1900s, and many Italians make a home made version on the sly, but Villa Cardea makes a particularly good one. The sweetness and acidity are well balanced and it doesn’t leave your tongue feeling coated, only refreshed

Normally Limoncello is drunk chilled (ideally out of the freezer) and neat as an after-dinner digestif, but ever popular is the ‘Amalfi Spritz’. A cool long drink that hits the spot on a hot day.

Available in Morrisons, ASDA

Amalfi Spritz:

Fill a wine glass with ice.

Add Limoncello Villa Cardea, followed by Prosecco and soda water, using a 3-2-1 ratio.

Gently stir to combine.

Garnish with a lemon slice and a sprig of mint. 

Or try

Limoncello & Tonic

50 ml Limoncello Villa Cardea
150 ml Tonic Water
lots of Ice Cubes
Lemon Peel
Garden Mint or Fresh Basil Leaves

Pour the Limoncello and Tonic Water in a large stem glass. Add plenty off Ice Cubes and decorate with lemon peel and a few leaves of garden mint or fresh basil.