If they like you, they’ll make you some

LIMONCELLO!

One of our favorite events we hold at Mazzone Olive Oil is our fragrant and fascinating Limoncello Making Class. Our guests are often quite familiar with this delicious Italian beverage but we do have some who join us wondering: 

WHAT IS LIMONCELLO?

Simply put, Limoncello is a sweet, after dinner rosolio which is often served as a digestivo and packs a lemony punch! Rosolio is a term derived from the Latin ros solis, meaning “dew of the sun” and refers to Italian liqueurs made with equal parts alcohol, sugar and water, along with fruits or herbs. A digestivo is an alcoholic beverage traditionally consumed after a meal to assist with digestion.

Limoncello proudly boasts both definitions! Made with the peels of lemons soaked in alcohol and mixed with a simple syrup, limoncello offers a delightful finish to a long, flavorful meal. 

Lemons are an important fruit in Italy, found in many varieties and sizes (some as large as your head!) each with their own flavor characteristics.

Italian cuisine celebrates these citrusy spheres of sunshine in a myriad of ways:

in sauces, in dressings, as spremuta di limone (fresh squeezed juice), accompanying seafood, chopped fresh in salads, in pastries and cakes, as a granita (shaved ice with lemon juice), gelato or sorbetto, but most definitely as the famous limoncello!

While limoncello has gained global popularity over the years, the credit for the origin of the delectable drink is controversial. With no concrete historical documentation noting precisely when or where limoncello began, there are as many variations to the recipe as there are lemons on trees! What we have all come to agree upon at Mazzone is that Cinzia’s recipe is tried and true, and tastes especially the best when shared with friends and loved ones!

The walls of our Mazzone Olive Oil store in Sarasota have witnessed countless guests taking our hands-on Limoncello Making Class, where they become experts at both making – and tasting – this bright and syrupy concoction. If you want to be part of our Lemony Alumni come join us for a class! (It’s the only way you’ll ‘squeeze’ Cinzia’s recipe out of us!)  

To be notified about future Limoncello Making Classes and other events be sure to subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of our Home page or click here. Current classes and events can also be found here.