Staibano Limoncello / 70cl

Product Information

As an after-dinner digestivo, Staibano Limoncello is traditionally served chilled, in an ice-cold shot glass. Today, the lemons of Capri and the Amalfi Coast are considered extra-special. The trees clinging to the cliffsides hang heavy with fruit, sending a heady scent into the air. One of my favorite walks is along the meandering paths of this coastline, lined with lemon trees trained into arbors that provide refuge from the sun. Don Staibano would only use the freshest ingredients to create his recipes, all from the surrounding areas of Amalfi. Amalfi Smooth, manufactured in small batches, is still made with the same ethos. Next, the peels are soaked in pure, high-quality alcohol that remains unaltered in the freezer. Different producers use different neutral spirits derived from grain, grapes, sugar beets or sugar cane—even wine or vodka. These spirits have as high as ninety-five percent alcohol content and are ideal as a solvent to extract the oils—and therefore the flavor—from the lemon rinds. For at least forty days, the lemon rinds marinate in the alcohol in a dark place. The longer they steep, the richer the color and the more intensely lemony the taste.

Both types of lemons are regulated by a local limoncello consortium. Officials inspect the cultivation, harvesting, production, and labeling of both types of lemons, seeking to protect and promote these local products and their makers. Roman fresco painters depicted large citrus fruits on the walls of luxurious villas at Pompeii and Herculaneum, and surely lemons must have been cultivated for many centuries before the first documentary evidence of lemons along the Amalfi Coast, dating to the Renaissance. Chairing the second panel was Ben Lindsay, director of Garnish Communications, who was joined by Dmitry Mishin, general manager at Honest Burgers, and Josh Powell, head bartender, consultant and drinks writer.As in making a good risotto, a fine wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano, or a bottle of traditional balsamic vinegar, good limoncello results from quality ingredients, generations of knowledge, small but critical tweaks in the recipe, and well-kept family secrets passed down over generations. As a cooking ingredient (although it seems almost sacrilegious to do anything other than drink it!) it’s great in lemon possets and syllabubs

Meanwhile, my panel was sipping its way through a selection of Fruit liqueurs, which also presented two Master medallists. Maennerhobby’s lemon-­flavoured Zitronenlikör blew the judges away with its “zingy palate” and “sourness”. Giffard’s Rhubarb Liqueur was also deemed Master-worthy for its likeness to “rhubarb­-and-custard sweets” and “full mouthfeel”. Seven Golds and four Silvers were also uncovered in this flight. With trends such as low­-abv drinks and the current coffee craze, producers have wasted no time in putting their best foot forward to prove liqueurs can be just as on­-trend as any other spirit category – and with the quality to boot. In Italy, certain prized agricultural products are strictly regulated. Lemons grown in certain designated regions of Capri and the Sorrentine peninsula fall under the legal protection afforded by an I.G.P. (Indicazione Geografica Protetta), a protected geographic area. Two consortia protect the two main lemons cultivated there based on their cultural, historical, and culinary importance. These certified areas are protected under laws of the European Union. The place and when limoncello was born is up for debate. There are competing claims from many corners of the Italian peninsula and surrounding islands. The folks of Capri declare that the liqueur was first distilled on their island within the early 1900s. Anybody from Sorrento will let you know they had been the primary, in 1890, whereas in Amalfi you hear different tales about its origin.

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What we do know for positive is that, wherever the spirit got here from, it’s to this present day inextricably linked to all these three areas of Italy. Nevertheless, Amalfi is the present torchbearer, on account of its superior lemons. Sfusato lemons, also referred to as Sfusato Amalfitano, had been dropped at the Amalfi coast from the Center East some centuries in the past and they’re good for making limoncello.

Simply the place and when limoncello was born is up for debate. There are competing claims from many corners of the Italian peninsula and its surrounding islands. The folks of Capri keep the liqueur was first distilled on their island within the early 1900s. Anybody from Sorrento will let you know they had been the primary, in 1890, whereas over in Amalfi you’ll hear different tales about its provenance. Beyond the convent walls, making lemon liqueur became a family affair. Residents of the Amalfi Coast probably have been sharing bottles of lemon liqueur among family and friends for centuries. Recipes began appearing in regional cookbooks around 1900. Taste and quality can vary tremendously from producer to producer and from bottle to bottle. Bad limoncello tastes like window cleaner; good limoncello tastes pure and invigorating, like imbibing a ray of sunshine. The process now involves the maceration of the finest lemon peel in the world: the I.G.P. lemons of Amalfi, in fine grain spirit. The rinds are then removed and the alcohol is blended with milk and sugar. The result: a smooth lemon liqueur which tastes indulgent yet is refreshingly sweet and light with a 17% ABV – it can therefore be enjoyed at any social occasion.Creamy, zesty and unbelievably scrumptious – this limoncello hits all the appropriate notes and comes from considered one of Italy’s most influential distilleries, an organization that is been doing it for a very long time. Learn our full Tosolini limoncello overview. We too at Campania Wines were looking forward to a few weeks on the Amalfi Coast this year, sipping an after dinner limoncello, and taking in the breath taking views of Positano and Ravello. Alas, our plans were scuppered.

Sfusato Amalfitano: The word sfusato comes from the Italian word for “spindle,” and is a visual reference to this even more elongated, pointed lemon native to Amalfi. We’ve given out a few Masters today, which I wasn’t expecting,” admitted Lindsay. “There are some sub­categories that need work, but I found that particularly in the Traditional liqueurs, they offered exactly what they should.”At home in London after a nightmare flight from Bologna a few weeks ago. All the travel chaos makes me want to stay put. Piemme is one of the larger producers of limoncello on the Amalfi Coast; it’s owned by a conglomerate that holds hotels in the area. In spite of its large scale, Piemme insists on an artisanal approach to its limoncello production and is active in the consortium of Sorrento lemons. You can arrange for a tour of its facility and watch the fluorescent yellow liqueur be bottled before grabbing some to take home. 3. Look for homemade, artisanal varieties and unique products Well for this year at least, let the Amalfi Coast come to you. With our range of limoncello’s and gin from Staibano, still and sparkling wines, from personally selected vineyards, and selections of pasta’s and cooking sauces, it won’t take too long to re-create the Dolce Vita in your own home. You’ve just read an article in a favourite Swiss newspaper about cancel culture. It’s written from the perspective of a bemused correspondent based in Chicago who is a sharp critique of this US export. You conclude that this type of commentary would no longer get past most editors in US newsrooms, which makes it all the more intriguing. Do you send it to all of your US friends and colleagues to show them that freedom of thought and expression is alive and well elsewhere? Or leave them be? With most of the northern hemisphere in the full swing of summer, it must be time for The Monocle Common Sense Quiz, edition one. The rules are very simple and open to all timezones but you must respond by no later than 18.00 Zürich time on Tuesday to be eligible for one of three prizes. While there is always a right answer to everything, our editors will also allow for creative licence and award extra marks for wit and pragmatism. As common sense is at the core of the Monocle editorial mission and is the whole point of this quiz, please ensure you take this into account with your responses.