Limoncello Gin Cocktail

This Limoncello Gin cocktail is really REFRESHING and so delicious! With a fresh mint flavor, a little bit of sweetness, some tang from the lemon, and sparkling water. Combined with the fresh Limoncello and spicy Gin it's the PERFECT summer drink for sure!

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This is a recipe that's great in summer when hosting a cocktail party. It combines all those refreshing flavors that are great and two of my favorite summer drinks: Gin and Limoncello.

This was inspired by a recipe from Jody of the blog Ongewoon Lekker (a Dutch blog), and pairs well with these amazing appetizers: stuffed endive appetizers (three delicious ways) and the watermelon appetizers.

This Limoncello Gin cocktail is really refreshing and delicious. It's the perfect summer drink for sure!

Jump to:

• Substitutions
• Variations
• Storage
• Top tip
• 📖 Recipe
• Food safety

• Limoncello - This Liqueur is mainly produced in the South of Italy. It's slightly turbid, but that's because there are some essential oils suspended in this drink. It's made of the zest of the lemons. Make sure to buy a good quality, because it might become bitter in poor quality drinks.
• Gin - A drink originated from the Netherlands. It was used as a medicine in the early days. It's got a predominant juniper berries flavor.
• Sparkling water - or soda water. It's water containing carbon dioxide gas, which forms pleasant bubbles when drinking. You can use any kind of sparkling water, but I used San Pellegrino because it's got a soft flavor.
• Mint, Sugar, and water - With these three ingredients we make Mint syrup. This syrup is easy to prepare and leftovers store well (up to six months in a covered glass in the refrigerator.)
• Lemon and mint leaves - Use them as garnish.

See recipe card for quantities.

Step 1 - Mint syrup

1. Bring water and sugar to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Then reduce the heat and add the mint. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Take a coarse sieve and put it on top of a bowl. Pour the mint mixture on top. Discard the mint leaves. Let the syrup cool down to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator until use. I store the mint syrup in these . This way it can be stored for up to six months.

Step 2 - Add Limoncello and Gin

1. Put some ice in the glass and pour the limoncello into it.
2. Also, add the gin.

Step 3 - Add mint syrup and lemon juice

1. Take the cooled mint syrup and pour it into the glass.
2. Then juice a lemon and add the juice.

Step 4 - Add soda water and garnish

1. Add some sparkling water until the glass is full.
2. Add some lemon slices and mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Substitutions

• Limoncello - If you find it too tangy you can substitute it with crema de limoncello (where the limoncello is combined with milk)
• Gin - You could replace it with Vodka or white rum.

Variations

• More Italian - add basil instead of mint syrup. The cocktail will become less sweet.
• Limoncello Fizz - Mix 2 tablespoons limoncello with ⅓ of a cup (80 ml) Prosecco. Garnish with lemon.
• Limoncello Margarita - Substitute Gin with Tequila. Discard the mint syrup, but add 4 tablespoons of lime juice.

Storage

• Store the mint syrup up for 6 months into the refrigerator in a jar with lid.
• Store the mint leaves in a slightly wet paper towel in the refrigerator. They'll stay well for two days.
• The lemon slices can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Good for 2 days.
• When the ingredients are combined, you can't store this cocktail. Serve it immediately.

Top tip

• Use the ingredients cold from the refrigerator. This way your cocktail will stay cold for a longer time.

Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!

📖 Recipe

Food safety

• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove