National Limoncello Day Date in the current year: June 22, 2024

Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur that has been around since at least the early 20th century, although its exact origin is disputed. What we do know is that limoncello originated in Southern Italy, to be more precise in the region around Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, and the Gulf of Naples.

Limoncello is a pretty simple drink ingredient-wise: its main ingredients are water, rectified spirit, lemon zest, and sugar. Due to its simplicity, limoncello is a popular homemade liqueur. A variation of the liqueur made with milk instead of simple syrup (sugar and water) is known as crema di limoncello. The ABV (alcohol by volume) of classic limoncello is about 30%, while crema di limoncello is less alcoholic (about 17% ABV).

Limoncello is traditionally made from Femminello Santa Teresa lemons, also known as Sorrento lemons or Sfusato lemons, which are native to the Sorrento Peninsula. They have a medium-thick rind with a high content of essential oils that are responsible for the liqueur’s rich citrus flavor. To make limoncello, the zest is steeped in rectified spirit. Once the liquid turns yellow, it is mixed with simple syrup consisting of water and sugar. The alcohol content, flavor, clarity, and viscosity of the liqueur depend on the spirit-to-syrup ratio as well as the sugar content and temperature of the syrup.

Limoncello is usually served chilled after dinner as a digestif (or, as Italians call it, digestivo). Like all digestifs, it is supposed to be drunk neat. However, cocktails with limoncello do exist. You can add this liqueur to classic cocktails to give them a twist, for example, to make your Moscow Mule or Mojito even more lemon-y. The Limoncello Spritz is one of the best cocktails to enjoy on a hot summer day; it is a delightful combination of limoncello, prosecco, club soda, and lots of ice.

Limoncello is the second most popular liqueur in Italy after Campari, and it also enjoys high demand outside of its country of origin. So it is not surprising that Americans, who love their food holidays, have a National Limoncello Day.

National Limoncello Day was created by a woman named Marie Barber. On June 22, 2017, Marie and her husband encountered a difficult situation but managed to figure out a solution and turn the challenge into something beautiful and positive. Later that evening, they celebrated it with limoncello after dinner. Marie noted how applicable the phrase “when life gives you lemons, turn them into limoncello” was to their situation and decided to observe National Limoncello Day on June 22 every year.

The best way to celebrate National Limoncello Day is to buy a bottle of limoncello and share it with a friend – or save it for later to celebrate your victories, big and small. You can also try making limoncello at home, host a limoncello cocktail party for your friends, cook with limoncello, and spread the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtags #NationalLimoncelloDay and #LimoncelloDay.