If you’re anything like me, I’m always looking for new ways to impress my family and friends with fancy cocktails when they come to our home for the evening. Limoncello is an underrated liqueur that can be used in so many different ways.
It’s an Italian liqueur that’s made from the zest of lemons, sugar, water, and alcohol, and you can even make your own if you are feeling particularly creative! Today I’m going to share with you fifteen different ways you can use limoncello, and you’ll be sure to wow everyone at your next party with this wide selection of cocktails.
15 Great Limoncello Cocktail Recipes You Should Know
1. Italian Limoncello Margarita
Margaritas are the perfect drink to serve on any occasion, and adding limoncello to this Mexican classic gives it the perfect combination of sweet and sour tastes. This recipe from A Sassy Spoon is inspired by a drink at Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park and uses only natural ingredients. Make sure you learn how to dip the rim of your glass in salt for the complete presentation.
2. Cranberry Limoncello Cosmo
Cranberries go perfectly with limoncello, thanks to their tart yet sweet flavor. Cosmos are famous for their bright colors, and this one from Mighty Mrs has a lovely pink-red hue to it. This drink offers a nice balance of sweetness, a little tartness, and a good amount of alcohol, without being too overpowering.
3. Limoncello Moscow Mules
Limoncello adds a fun twist to a classic Moscow Mule, and this is a refreshing cocktail to enjoy on a hot summer evening. This recipe from Sue Bee Homemaker mixes freshly squeezed lemon juice, ginger beer, and vodka, before adding lemon slices for the finishing touch.
4. Strawberry Limoncello Slush
If you used to enjoy slushies as a kid, you’ll love this strawberry limoncello slush cocktail from This Silly Girl’s Kitchen. It’s great for those hot summer evenings and is delicious and easy to make. It’s an extremely simple recipe that uses homemade strawberry lemonade with fresh strawberries as a base. After freezing the lemonade into ice cubes, you’ll put it into your blender with limoncello, and you can even top it off with a splash of sparkling wine.
5. Limoncello Mojito Cocktail
Mojitos are a crowd-pleaser, and this recipe from Inside the Rustic Kitchen adds a taste of Italy to this classic cocktail. Made with limoncello, fresh lemons, and plenty of mint, it’s a refreshing cocktail to enjoy while sitting poolside in the sun during the summer months.
6. Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco
This cocktail takes just five minutes to make and is sweet, bubbly, and delightful. Damn Delicious shows us how to make this wonderful drink, which requires you to simply mix prosecco, limoncello, frozen raspberries, and fresh mint together in a large pitcher, and then you’re ready to serve in your favorite stemless cocktail glassware!
7. Blueberry Limoncello Cocktail
The perfect cocktail for Thanksgiving and holiday parties, this is a vibrant and festive drink featuring blueberries and limoncello. It takes just five minutes to make and uses blueberry juice, limoncello, lemonade, and soda water. It’s a pretty effortless drink to make, from Pepper Delight, that will impress all of your guests this year with your creativity.
8. Limoncello Sangria
Combining tastes from Spain and Italy, this European blend is easy to make with limoncello and white wine. A Night Owl shows us how to make a pitcher of sangria that will be an excellent choice for any summer barbeque or outdoor gathering.
Related: How to Make a Classic Greyhound Cocktail – Simple Recipe
9. Strawberry & Limoncello Rosé Sangria
For those Rosé wine lovers in your family or friend group, this is the perfect drink for them. The sweetness in the wine flawlessly complements the limoncello’s tartness, and you can mix a pitcher of this sangria in just ten minutes thanks to this recipe from The Kitchn.
10. Limoncello Vodka Collins
Barefoot Contessa shares her simple recipe for this light yet enjoyable cocktail, which uses a minimal amount of ingredients. She recommends using high-quality vodka and club soda for the best results, and you’ll also add plenty of freshly squeezed lemon juice for a tart, refreshing drink.
11. Blueberry Limoncello Party Punch
There’s nothing simpler than putting together a big bowl of punch for a party or special occasion. It’s easy to make and takes up little time in the kitchen when you are worrying about preparing food and mingling with your guests. This blueberry limoncello party punch from Tablespoon uses champagne to make a decadent cocktail that all of your guests will enjoy.
12. Ginger Limoncello
Bar Notes shares a great recipe for ginger limoncello that combines fresh ginger and ginger beer with limoncello and lime juice. Topped with the contrast of jalapeno and cool mint, it’s an exotic and flavorful cocktail that takes only minutes to make.
13. Watermelon Limoncello Cocktail
Watermelon is often underused in cocktail making, but it’s a fantastic, refreshing fruit to add to any drink. What’s Cookin’ Italian Style Cuisine shares this fun recipe that can also be made without alcohol if you are catering to kids as well.
14. Homemade Limoncello
If you’ve been inspired by now to create your own limoncello, this recipe from Wholefully is simple and quick to make. It creates a sweet, citrusy alcoholic drink, and it’s the perfect drink to bottle up for a cheap but thoughtful gift this holiday season. There’s no need to buy a store-bought bottle of liqueur after you see how easy limoncello is to make at home.
15. Coachella Cello Cocktail
If you’re looking for a fun cocktail to make for a girls’ night at home, this is the drink for you. It mixes together sparkling wine, limoncello, and a strawberry-thyme simple syrup. This cocktail can be presented in a photo-worthy glass, as the strawberry syrup settles lower in the glass to create a faded effect which is perfect to capture for Instagram! Love Happy Hour provides an easy to follow recipe that uses only three ingredients, with ice and thyme to finish it off.
Limoncello is such a versatile liqueur that adds a little tartness to any sweet cocktail and can be combined with many other alcoholic drinks, fruits, and syrups to create concoctions that will be enjoyed all year round. I’d highly encourage you to try creating your own limoncello at home, as it’s simple and easy to make. With the holiday season coming up soon, impress your family and friends with one or a selection of these fun cocktails to mix up your drink offerings at your next party.