It’s time to ditch Aperol — this is the ultimate summer spritz

I love Aperol, don’t get me wrong.

An oversized glass of that sunrise-hued, bittersweet, spritzy liquid with a slice of orange bobbing around on top gives me the summer feels.

I’ve flirted with other spritzes, of course. As we all have. Only last year, the Hugo gave me an elderflower moment, the Campari spritz fixed my bitter orange cravings and Sarti gave me a refreshingly citrussy-tropical hit. I’ve even given white port and tonic a whirl, Portugal’s go-to refreshing aperitif you garnish with a sprig of mint.

But this summer, there’s a new spritz in town that’s seriously hitting the spot.

We’re all familiar with Limoncello, that impossibly yellow, lemony liqueur served in shot glasses after a slap-up Italian meal. Bizarrely though, I didn’t know anyone who consumed it unless they were in an Italian restaurant or on holiday in Italy, until now.

Aside from the perception of Limoncello as a freebee at the end of a meal, the problem with many big-brand, imported Limoncellos is that they can be over 50% sugar syrup blended with perfumed lemon peel, with little to no actual juice.

Things are changing thanks to a new wave of craft producers, with our old friend limoncello evolving from sugary, date-night trattoria-fuel to the tart and authentic-tasting main ingredient in this summer’s must-drink spritz.

One brand in particular, RamTang Cello, has caught my attention. It centres around a ‘Lemon Cello’ made by a 72-year-old English lady who lives in Tooting, lovingly known as, ‘Mama Cello’. She also makes a Lime Cello, for a unique twist on the citrus liqueur.

Sally Chilton is her name, an ex-chef with two grown-up sons. Sally set out to make a version of Limoncello that was authentic but not quite so sweet, in her own kitchen. She started off, ‘playing with lemons and white label vodka’ until her son, Christopher, thankfully convinced her that the product was good enough to sell. The result is a range of two citrus cellos, each with 25% less sugar and distilled locally. Well, in Rutland.

Limoncello is traditionally made by steeping lemons (Sally started out with Amalfi, but became frustrated by their seasonality) in a neutral spirit (vodka), then mixing it with sugar syrup. And because Italian Limoncello isn’t a legally designated PDO, like say Champagne or Prosecco, it can be made anywhere in the world. Hence, London.

Many of the new wave UK versions, such as RamTang, Shakespear or Three Wrens slash the sugar, use clarified lemon juice and the zest of actual lemons. This eliminates any artificial, air-freshener notes and gives a ripe citrus intensity which allows them to cut down on sugar.

I tested RamTang Cello against supermarket limoncellos half the price, neat and in a spritz. I even gave the supermarket RTD Limoncello spritzes in cans a go, made for anyone who simply can’t be bothered to prepare a spritz from scratch. You know who you are, myself included.

Here are the results…

The Cellos

I tasted these neat, straight out of the freezer. And don’t worry, an open bottle of limoncello can last for up to a year if it’s stored properly, in the fridge or freezer.

RamTang Lemon cello, £26, ramtang.com

Score: 9.4/10

Intensely lemony on the nose, a beautifully textured and pithy palate that smacks of home made lemon meringue pie. Flecks of lemon leaf for added herbaceous balance, very good.

The Cambridge Range Limoncello, £27, saragusta.com

Score: 9.4/10

Part of the new wave of UK limoncello producers, this time from Cambridge. And it’s truly exceptional stuff. On the nose, it’s 100% reminiscent of Amalfi lemon drizzle cake which follows though to the palate. Creamy with just the right level of sweetness-to-spirit. Nailed it.

Pallini Limoncello, £16.25, Sainsburys

Score: 9.2/10

Slightly spirity on the nose, but the palate is nicely rounded, lightly textured, creamy and full of zesty fresh lemon flavours. Very good and widely available.

Villa Cardea, £12.50, Asda

Score: 8.9/10

Fresh lemons on the nose, a leaner-texture in the mouth with creamy, lemon sherbet notes and a soft and citrussy finish not far off lemon curd. Good.  

Limonici Limoncello, £11.99, Aldi

Score: 7.9/10

Very spirit-heavy on the nose, which follows through in the mouth, sadly overpowering some bright lemon notes, a creamy texture and a lively sherbet finish.

RamTang Limecello, £27, ramtang.com

Score: 7.8/10

Beautiful lime-forward nose, though the palate is over-concentrated with notes of lime essence over the fresh kind. Textured and well made with a key lime pie-flavoured finish. Add in a splash to intensify your Margarita cocktail.

M&S Limoncello Spritz, £2.50, M&S and Ocado

Score: 8.3/10

Fresh lemon on the nose followed by a palate of candied lemon and creamy sherbet notes. Not bad.

Funkin Limoncello Spritz, £2.30, Tesco

Score: 7.8/10

Candied lemony nose, the spritz is on the sweeter side with confected lemon flavours. Could do with a spritz of fresh lemon, though not a bad version.

Limoncello Spritz, £4.49, Aldi

Score: 7.5/10

Attractive candied lemon peel nose, with lemony boiled sweet characteristics on the palate with slightly cloying, lemon drop aftertaste.

Joy Spritz Lemon, £5 (save £2.10), Sainsbury’s

Score: 4.8/10

An enticing nose of zingy lemon zest, though the palate doesn’t live up to the promise, unfortunately. There’s a lemon air freshener note that jars, and an off-putting bitterness on the finish.

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