International Limoncello Day | This Italian lemon liqueur gains popularity
International Limoncello Day - Credits SpecialPixels
International Limoncello Day - Credits SpecialPixels
Today, Wednesday 11 August, we celebrate the International Limoncello Day. The popularity of this originally Italian lemon liqueur is on the rise worldwide.
And today and the next few days it’s beautiful weather here in the Netherlands, the moment to enjoy a Limoncello straight or with ice, a Limoncello & Tonic or a Limoncello Spritz on a terrace. Read on for some background information about this drink and about the only Dutch Limoncello Superiore, Fiorito.
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Limoncello is more popular than ever, we even celebrate an International Limoncello Day!
In the Netherlands we mainly knew Limoncello from Italian restaurants that served the liqueur after dinner. Limoncello has now grown into a serious drink category here. Limoncello is nowadays not only served after dinner, but also as an aperitif in the mix with, for example, tonic. And as a refreshing drink during a night out. Limoncello is not only more popular than ever in the Netherlands. There is a huge increase in Limoncello consumption worldwide.
Amalfi, Capri or Sorrento
Limoncello is originally an Italian drink. The southern Italian towns of Amalfi, Sorrento and Capri all claim to have invented Limoncello. Sorrento residents claim that the drink was served there after meals as early as 1900. Historians write that farmers and fishermen drank Limoncello during cold nights and early mornings to keep their limbs warm. The most believable story is that the drink was invented by Maria Antonia Faraca. She owned a lemon garden on the island of Capri. Her grandson ran a bar after World War II selling ‘Limoncello’, based on his grandmother’s recipe. It was not until 1988 that he registered this Limoncello as a trademark.
Fiorito Limoncello Superiore
In Italy, Limoncello is often made at home, following a family recipe passed down from generation to generation. In recent years, the drink has made an international breakthrough and there are many different limoncellos on the market. Fiorito Limoncello is the only Dutch Limoncello that is allowed to carry the Limoncello Superiore quality mark. The brand of the brothers Franco and Benno Fiorito, is traditionally made from lemons from Siracusa and is based on a recipe from their Italian family.
