A little reason to celebrate
National Limoncello Day
Drink ยท June 22
A day for limoncello, the bright yellow Italian lemon liqueur made from peels, sugar and spirit, usually served cold after a meal.
National Limoncello Day falls on Tuesday, June 22, 2027. That is 238 days away.
Limoncello is a sweet lemon liqueur from southern Italy. It is made by steeping lemon peels in a neutral spirit until the oils and color seep out, then mixing in a simple syrup of sugar and water. Only the zest goes in, not the juice, which is why it tastes so strongly of lemon without being sour.
The color is the first thing people notice. It sits in the glass a vivid, almost cartoon yellow, sometimes a little cloudy. The flavor is sweet and sharp at once, with a warmth that arrives a second later.
It is traditionally served very cold, often straight from the freezer, in small glasses after dinner. Because of the sugar, it tends to stay pourable even when frozen solid would seem likely. Some people keep the glasses in the freezer too, so the first sip stays chilled.
Beyond the small glass, limoncello turns up in desserts. It gets drizzled over sorbet or vanilla ice cream, brushed onto sponge cake, or stirred into a glaze. A splash in sparkling water makes a lighter drink for a warm evening.
Making it at home mostly takes patience. The peeling is the fussy part, since the white pith underneath the zest is bitter and best left behind, and then the jar simply sits for a while doing its quiet work.
Ways to celebrate
- Chill a bottle and serve small glasses after dinner.
- Drizzle limoncello over vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet.
- Mix a splash with sparkling water for a lighter drink.
- Try peeling lemons for a homemade batch, skipping the bitter pith.
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday, June 22 |
| 2027 | Tuesday, June 22 |
| 2028 | Thursday, June 22 |
| 2029 | Friday, June 22 |
| 2030 | Saturday, June 22 |
Also on June 22
Categories: Drink days