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Nov 11, 2019 • 3 min read
What is Limoncello?
Italy’s renowned lemon liqueur, best served chilled in a shot glass, serves as a traditional aperitif or digestif. It is crafted from lemon zest, water, alcohol, and sugar. There are various stories regarding its origins, yet most agree that the key to Limoncello lies in using the highest quality lemons sourced from Southern Italy, as well as a premium neutral alcohol base. If you are interested in attempting to create this delightful drink at home, remember that homemade limoncellos can be challenging to stabilize without separation occurring over time unless you obtain the same quality alcohol base used by professionals.
Luxardo Limoncello
Luxardo has been producing its award-winning Limoncello (27% ABV: sip slowly!) since the 1840s. “We were one of the first Italian companies to export worldwide all of our products,” claims 7th-generation Nicolò Luxardo. “We have proof that we were selling our Limoncello into Singapore, and the US, before the First World War.”
Nicolò is not exaggerating about Luxardo’s remarkable early success; they have historical ledger records indicating exports of Limoncello to the US dating back to the late 1880s. Presently, it ranks as their third-highest export, following Maraschino and Sambuca.
Visiting the Luxardo Distillery
Liqueur enthusiasts can visit the distillery for complimentary tastings or purchase items that are exclusive to Italy, such as the esteemed Liquore St Antonio, the herbal liqueur from Padua. Additionally, there is even a Limoncello version of a rum baba (a small yeast cake drenched in liqueur syrup). The terracotta-colored shop, which is housed in a former farmhouse, is open from 9am to 12:30pm and 3pm to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, although it is closed Saturday afternoons from January through March.
A new visitor center is set to open in 2020, initially welcoming bartenders from around the world before eventually allowing the public to join in on distillery tours along with a tasting program. While currently a work in progress, its larch-wood-lined ceiling pays homage to the vats utilized in the distillation process.
If you anticipate discovering a recipe booklet in the shop, you might be disappointed. “The recipes are a secret kept inside the company: my father and my sister are the only people who know,” Nicolò explains. “Are they allowed to travel on the same plane? Yes, ha! But it is a risk! The rest of the family knows where the book is kept, though.”
The Luxardo Distilleries: Then and Now
The original Luxardo distillery was founded in 1821 in Zara on the Dalmatian Coast but was nearly destroyed during World War II. The only surviving brother of the 4th generation was Giorgio Luxardo, who relocated the distillery to its current location in 1947.
“Along with my grandfather, also named Nicolò, who was the 5th generation, they started again from scratch,” shares Nicolò. “Limoncello was one of the products that helped us rebuild.”
Situated among 30,000 Marasca cherry trees (which provide the base for their flagship Maraschino liqueur as well), the distillery is located in Torreglia in the Euganean hills, just outside of Padua.
The company is among the few family-owned businesses in this industry. “We will turn 200 years old in 2021,” states Nicolò. “Completely family-owned. We are eight family members working together today, representing three generations. My sister Gaia is the first Luxardo female to join the company. She focuses on quality control: not involved in the production process, but very much involved in the liqueur recipe process.”
Karyn Noble visited Italy with the support of Luxardo. iBestTravel contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for coverage.
