11 Lovely Limoncello Cocktail Recipes to Try at Home

Whenever a summery pick-me-up is called for, we like to bring out this list of bright and breezy limoncello cocktail recipes that are tailor-made for easy, satisfying sipping. Whether you make your own limoncello or have a store-bought bottle handy, these quick and simple cocktail recipes with limoncello will have you living la dolce vita in no time at all.  

What is limoncello?

Limoncello is smooth and sweet Italian lemon liqueur with an intense lemon flavour that was originally produced in Southern Italy, especially in the area around the Sorrentine Peninsula and the coast of Amalfi. However, these days this popular liqueur is made and enjoyed by lemon lovers the world over. Traditionally served chilled as an after-dinner digestivo, it also forms the base of a variety of delightful cocktails. 

1. Limoncello Lemon Drop cocktail

Arguably one of the best limoncello cocktail recipes for beginners, the classic Lemon Drop Martini is one of those drinks that will quickly become a regular occurrence on your DIY line-up as soon as you’ve poured the first one. The Limoncello Lemon Drop cocktail recipe ups the ante on this mixed drink format by combining 60ml limoncello, 30ml vodka, and 15ml lemon juice for a zesty drink that always leaves an impression. 

2. Bourbon Limoncello Cocktail

Bourbon cocktails are popular around Christmas, but the great thing about a top-tier bourbon like Wild Turkey 101 is that it’s versatile enough to underpin summertime drinks like the Bourbon Limoncello Cocktail as well. Simply combine 45ml limoncello, 30ml Wild Turkey 101 bourbon, 15ml Cinzano Vermouth Bianco, and a squeeze of lemon to make this pretty drink.  

3. Sparkling Limoncello Cocktail

Who doesn’t love Prosecco cocktails when the weather is sunny and lovely? Limoncello and prosecco cocktail recipes make for an easy pour that comes together in the most beautiful way. We like to combine 30ml chilled limoncello and 15ml fresh lime juice in a fluted glass and top it off with 120ml Prosecco. 

4. Limoncello Moscow Mule

Another limoncello cocktail recipe that follows in the slipstream of an iconic mixed drink, the Limoncello Moscow Mule riffs on the already sublime combination of vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer to craft a cocktail that delivers a feisty kick. This variation on the Moscow Mule calls for 45ml limoncello, 45ml SKYY vodka, 15ml fresh lemon juice, and 60ml ginger beer, which are shaken up in a cocktail shaker with ice and decanted into classic Mule mugs over crushed ice to serve. 

5. Limoncello Gin Collins cocktail

Cocktail recipes using limoncello do not get any easier than the Limoncello Gin Collins. Following on the always-classic recipe of the Tom Collins, this drink features 60ml limoncello, 45ml Bulldog gin, 45ml fresh lemon juice, 60ml club soda, and an optional 30ml of sugar syrup that comes together in a fizzy, refreshing drink that goes down a treat at picnics. 

6. Limoncello Spritz cocktail

Charged with Prosecco and club soda for a beautiful effervescent finish, the light, and lovely Limoncello Spritz is the flirty cousin of the time-honoured Aperol Spritz. We love that adding a few sparkles to this sunny liqueur creates a tall, cool drink that can be sipped at leisure. 

7. Limoncello Sunrise cocktail

The Tequila Sunrise is one of those visually enticing drinks that are as gorgeous to look at as it is to enjoy. The Limoncello Sunrise elaborates on the traditional recipe by switching out the tequila for 75ml limoncello, which is layered with 90ml orange juice and 1 tablespoon of grenadine floated on top to create the sunrise effect.  

8. Amalfi Martini cocktail

If you are in the process of discovering different types of Martinis, you have got to add the Amalfi Martini to your line-up. This fresh and delicious mixed drink combines 60ml Bulldog gin, 45ml limoncello, and 15ml fresh lemon that is shaken in a cocktail shaker with a few mint leaves and ice, before being decanted into chilled Martini glasses. 

9. Limoncello Mojito cocktail 

The minty Mojito is a renowned beach-side drink the world over, and the limoncello variety is just as divine. To make it, you muddle 15ml simple syrup and 30ml lime juice, and a few mint leaves, shake up 30ml limoncello, 30ml Wray & Nephew white rum in a cocktail shaker with ice, then pour it over the muddled mint and lime. Top the mixture off with 120ml of soda water and garnish with a few mint leaves before serving.  

10. Tuscan Pear Cocktail

If you love a sweet, crisp Pear Martini, you have to try the Tuscan Pear cocktail. This multi-layered drink combines 45ml pear-flavoured vodka, 20ml limoncello, 20ml oz ginger liqueur, 15ml sugar syrup, and 30ml orange juice, which is shaken in a cocktail shaker with ice and decanted into a chilled serving glass over fresh, crushed ice. Garnish with mint leaves and dried pears for an extra sweet finish. 

11. Limoncello Highball cocktail

The classic Highball cocktail is perhaps one of the easiest cocktails to pour if you are a newbie. The Limoncello Highball is a little different, but not trickier to build. It combines 45ml oz limoncello, with 1 tablespoon Absinthe, and 2 dashes of orange bitters, which is then topped off with club soda in a highball glass over ice. Easy as pie, but impressive nonetheless.