Breaking out of its traditional after-dinner occasion, limoncello is tapping into contemporary trends, helped by the rise of the Limoncello Spritz. “Limoncello is evolving beyond its roots as a traditional digestif into something much more dynamic that allows brands to attract new and younger consumers, making it an increasingly relevant product in international markets,” says Nicola Dal Toso, chief executive of Antiche Distillerie Riunite. Elena Branda, marketing manager for Perlino, is seeing a change both at home and abroad. “In the past year, Italian consumers have increased their limoncello purchases and its international appeal is growing too,” she says, adding that the company’s Villa Cardea has already doubled its volume versus 2023.
“The category will continue growing, driven by several key trends such as the enlargement of production capacity, innovation in product offerings and new ways to use it as a cocktail ingredient,” adds Branda.
Among those increasing their production capacity is Zamora Company for its Villa Massa brand. “We’re seeing accelerating growth of the limoncello category in a broad selection of countries, driven by consumers enjoying limoncello in a refreshing Spritz before dinner, besides the traditional neat consumption after dinner,” says Rudy Stol, global brand director for Villa Massa.
Meanwhile, the category is evolving, according to Alessandra Titta, export sales manager for Antica Distilleria Petrone. “While the core product remains beloved for its refreshing lemon flavour, limoncello’s expansion into premium, low-sugar, flavoured and international variants is creating opportunities for producers and attracting new consumers,” she says.
The figures reflect this optimism. According to the IWSR, global volume sales of limoncello grew 14% between 2022 and 2023. While less pronounced in Italy, with growth of 2% over the period, other countries achieved much higher growth, with Germany, the category’s second-largest, at 32%. “In Germany, limoncello has been gaining momentum in recent years, moving from its traditional position as a digestif to an aperitif drink under the Limoncello Spritz,” says IWSR research director Humphrey Serjeantson.
The cocktail is reportedly doing wonders for the category, and not just in Germany. “We see the Limoncello Spritz increasingly featured on drinks lists worldwide,” says Dal Toso, adding, however, that it hasn’t yet caught on in Italy. Micaela Pallini, president and chief executive of Pallini Company, adds: “The Limoncello Spritz trend is what has sparked demand for the category again.” Pallini says promotion for the brand is now based around the Spritz, including co-packs and a full range of POS.
Mamma Mia co-founder Jean-Robert Bellanger sees this as an extension of a broader trend. “People are still loving the Spritz, but they are looking for new twists,” he says. “Bartenders are developing specific Spritz menus, and the addition of a Limoncello Spritz is the new favourite.”
The same is true in The Netherlands, according to Godelief van Erve, global marketing director for De Kuyper Royal Distillers, distributor of Italian brand Fiorito. “While classics like the Aperol Spritz and Campari Spritz remain favourites, we’re now seeing a rise in the Limoncello Spritz in bars and restaurants and at-home gatherings.”
But it’s not all about the Spritz. “Cocktail culture is having a huge impact on the popularity of the category, making it more relevant to a wider audience,” says Dal Toso. Branda agrees. “Consumers are discovering new ways of consumption, testing limoncello with other ingredients to create innovative cocktails with delicate and soft flavours.”
“It adds a bright, citrusy kick to drinks like Margaritas, or even Negronis,” says Titta. “Cocktails such as the Limoncello Mojito or Limoncello Mule have helped to introduce limoncello to younger, trend-conscious consumers.”
Along similar lines, Bottega president Sandro Bottega says that, “thanks to its versatility and greater freshness, limoncello can replace traditional liqueurs characterised by orange flavours”.
Diverse uses
Growing appreciation for limoncello’s potential in cocktails has helped to extend the category globally in the on-trade, says Luxardo export director Matteo Luxardo. “The demand for diverse uses in cocktails and mixed drinks has driven experimentation with limoncello in various forms and combinations, reinforcing its presence in both traditional and contemporary bars worldwide.”
This is a focus when it comes to the company’s domestic market too, he says. “We collaborate with local bartenders to encourage innovative uses of limoncello in cocktails, adapting to the ongoing cocktail culture in major Italian cities.”
There’s still work to be done, according to Luigi De Michele, trade marketing manager at Gruppo Lucano. “Mixology is still a marginal trend in Italy,” he says, citing research conducted with NIQ showing that two out of three limoncello consumers would never use it in a cocktail.
Limoncello’s adoption as a cocktail ingredient elsewhere is helping to move the category in a more premium direction, says Bellanger. “Now that it’s served as a standalone cocktail, bars and restaurants are more willing to buy a quality limoncello than a cheaper offering.”
Serjeantson is seeing a similar change in the sector. “Long dominated by value-priced products at a global level, the category has seen strong growth in standard and premium-priced lines in the past 20 years, and especially in the wake of the Covid pandemic.”
“As the market diversifies, brands emphasise natural ingredients,” says Luxardo, who believes a focus on locally-sourced lemon peels, for example, “resonates well in a market increasingly interested in provenance and craft production”. Aligned with this is an increased focus on natural, sustainable products, with a prime example being Fiorito, made with organic lemons and now B Corp certified.
“Many limoncello producers are moving away from artificial additives, placing a strong emphasis on sustainability and organic ingredients,” says Van Erve.
Limoncello can be made anywhere but, with a growing focus on premium ingredients, Italy has a distinct advantage. As Serjeantson puts it: “Producers who are able to use high-quality ingredients, such as lemons from Sorrento in the Amalfi coast region of Italy (which benefit from IGP status), are likely to increasingly be able to charge higher prices, as consumer interest in product origin and production continues to grow.”
Villa Massa is made with the peels of PGI-certified Sorrento lemons. “Consumers are increasingly looking for products made with natural, high-quality ingredients,” reports Stol.
Gruppo Lucano’s Limoncetta di Sorrento is also made with Sorrento IGP lemons. “Trends that we see becoming increasingly important are the strong focus on the provenance of raw materials, and on certifications – first and foremost IGP,” says De Michele. “The widespread trend for premium products is also spreading in the limoncelli segment, as is the focus on sustainability.”
Building on this increasing awareness of provenance in the category, Bottega added a Limoncello di Sorrento to its range two years ago, joining its Limoncino, made from Sicilian lemons. “In this way we are able to off er our consumers two variations, and interest has grown in the past two years.”
Bottega has addressed another prominent trend with the recent launch of its alcohol-free Limoncino 0.0, and it’s not the only one, with Petrone among the others innovating in this space.
“We have started production of an alcohol-free limoncello designed specifically for younger consumers, but also for people who are either avoiding alcohol for lifestyle, health, or personal reasons, or those who want a refreshing, sophisticated drink without the effects of alcohol,” says Titta.
“The limoncello category, like many spirits and liqueurs, has been evolving in response to changing consumer tastes.”
Developments like these are contributing to a rapidly evolving category that is nevertheless, according to Serjeantson, in its early stages. “The rediscovery of limoncello is relatively recent, and its category size is still relatively small when compared to other aperitifs and liqueurs,” he says. “The category still has plenty of room to expand, and captivate new consumers.”
As the Limoncello Spritz becomes increasingly prevalent and new launches focus on consumer demand for premium, lower-abv and convenient products, this Italian liqueur certainly seems to be on the right track.
