🥃 Limoncello

Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur: lemon zest is steeped in ethyl alcohol, then water and sugar are added. The EU has no separate category for it. It is a liqueur under category 33 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787, which means at least 15% ABV (30 proof) and 100 g/l of sugar. Citrus liqueurs may be flavoured only with natural substances.

The EU register has two protected names for lemon liqueur from Campania, "Liquore di limone di Sorrento" and "Liquore di limone della Costa d'Amalfi", both since 2008. The Amalfi specification requires zest of "Limone Costa d'Amalfi IGP" lemons (the Sfusato Amalfitano ecotype), at least 250 g of whole lemons per litre, 200-350 g/l of sugar and a strength of at least 25% ABV (50 proof).

Only the yellow layer of the peel, the flavedo, is taken from the lemons and steeped in alcohol for at least 36 hours. Colourants, emulsifiers, stabilisers and flavourings are banned. A fresh liqueur can be cloudy and clears naturally over time, and the specification treats drops of essential oil at the neck of the bottle as a sign of naturalness. All stages except bottling take place in 13 municipalities of the coast, from Amalfi and Positano to Vietri sul Mare, and containers must be glass, up to 2 l.

Why this matters to you. The name "limoncello" is not in the EU register, so any lemon liqueur that meets the general rules can be sold under it. Only names with a geographical indication guarantee origin and raw materials, and for Amalfi liqueur the quantity of lemons must be stated on the label. WHO: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.