The Journal Entry

Two years ago in early May our professor called a house meeting here in Venice to announce a surprise...the university was going to pay for us spend a week on the Amalfi Coast. Sun, sea and Roman ruins, what more could a group of frisky college students want?

The week was one of fun and debauchery, full of naked swims off the Capri coast and nights spent touring the islands in a rented boat. But most of all, there was a lot of drinking and partying. We sat out on the balconies of our hotel, Il Cavaliere, and watched the sunset and listened to Italian radio into the wee hours, consuming bottle after bottle of homemade limoncello, bought happily off of street vendors for $6-7 a liter. Whenever I have a drink of limoncello(which is what Villa Massa Liquore di Limoni really is), all I can think of is watching the sunsets off of the Amalfi coast, and I sigh...

The Lemon Story

Southern Italians, especially those on the Amalfi coast, have a love affair with the huge and delicious lemons which grow so energetically all over the area. Amalfi, Sorrento, the isles of Capri and Procida; all of them have dozens of traditional dishes and drinks based upon the citrus fruit. Two of them, limone crudo(raw lemon) and insalata di limone(lemon salad) are based simply on the happy marriage between a fresh lemon and sea salt.

Tasting Notes

To appreciate the taste of a fine liquor, it helps to know how the drink is produced, and making limoncello is one of the most work-intensive processes out there. The drink is created in a base of grain neutral spirits, blended with water, lemon and sugar. The pure liquor foundation of Villa Massa Liquore is what gives it the surprising 60 proof kick, quite high for a thick fruit product(compare to Peachtree Schnapps at 40).

The lemon in the recipe is actually just the zest of fresh lemons, the rest of the fruit is discarded. How many lemons go into a bottle of limoncello? The recipe I use to make my own calls for at least 26 large lemons to make 1 liter of beverage. That's a lot of peeling!

When you open a bottle of Villa Massa, the first thing you are struck by, obviously, is the rich aroma of fresh lemons, only sweeter. This scent proves to be an honest indicator of the liquor's flavor, in that it is quite lemony and even more sugary, a combination of sweet and tang that reminds me of sugar covered rhubarb devoured when I was really young.

But that battle of sweet and sour(with sweet packing more power)is exactly how limoncello is supposed to be, a thick and almost syrupy drink where every sip seems to be holding the essence of an entire lemon(and often is!). The opening is smooth and warm on the palate, and the finish is a silken coating on your throat, there is no burn here to reveal the secret 60 proof that Villa Massa cleverly hides. This is a wolf in sheep's clothing, a powerfully alcoholic and sweet citrus nectar...

Serving Notes

The most traditional way to serve limoncello is one ice, sipped and savored. At least that's the way I saw all of the locals drinking in Amalfi, and in mass quantities I might add.

Personally, I find that the ice tends to dilute the drink too much for me, so I recommend chilling the limoncello as long as possible prior to serving. The already thick beverage will become even thicker and sweeter in the freezer, and it allows you to serve the limoncello by itself, ice cold and refreshing.

Amalfi Sunrise--A Conti Original

1 ounce Limoncello
1/2 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce orange juice
1 teaspoon grenadine
1 slice orange

To prepare the drink, combine the ingredients(minus the orange) in a shaker with ice cubes and shake well. Strain into a glass and garnish with the orange slice. Serve and Enjoy!

Watch out with this one, it packs a real punch...

Pricing & Availability

According to its website literature, Villa Massa Liquore di Limoni is the brand leader in Italy. It has also proven itself popular on a more international plane, being served in 1994 at the G7 summit and currently on all Alitalia flights. At $20 a bottle it is competitively priced for a limoncello, the product always being somewhat expensive due to the labor intensive nature of its production.


The Final Verdict

I cannot recommend Villa Massa Liquore di Limoni highly enough, it is the ultimate Italian summer drink. Sweet and refreshing, subtle but with a hidden sharpness, it's the perfect addition to any night spent out on a porch or a balcony, just watching the sunset or waves lap in...



Recommended: Yes