Coterie Roots & Rituals limoncello cocktail

Roots & Rituals: A Limoncello Cocktail

Name: Roots & Rituals: A Limoncello Cocktail
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Recipe: Riley Lavin , Coterie , Charleston, South Carolina

Photo: Jonathan Cooper

March 24, 2025

The elements of Italian after-dinner drinks come together in one satisfying sipper.

This limoncello cocktail fortified with gin and kissed with amaretto and a splash of cold-brew coffee draws inspiration from bartender Riley Lavin’s grandparents. Her grandmother would spend all morning cooking and invite all who wanted to join the family for a meal. After dinner, her grandfather would serve gin over Italian lemon ice or a glass of homemade limoncello.

Ingredients

1 oz. gin
1 oz. limoncello
1/2 oz. amaretto
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. rosemary syrup
splash of cold-brew coffee (about 1/4 oz.)
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Homemade Limoncello
1 (750ml) bottle vodka
9 lemons, peeled
6 cups, 4 oz. water
3 1/2 cups sugar

Tools:shaker, strainer
Glass:coupe

Preparation

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake to chill and strain into the glass.Rosemary SyrupAdd a sprig of rosemary to 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan and simmer on low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes until the liquid is translucent. Remove from the heat, discard the rosemary sprig, and allow the syrup to cool. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Homemade LimoncelloBoil 6 cups of water and add sugar. Once cooled add the lemon peels. After 1 to 3 days, strain the peels from the syrup, then rinse the peels with 4 oz. of water but keep the peels and water. Add the peels and the 4 oz. of water back to the strained syrup in a large sealable container. Add the vodka, then seal and leave in the freezer or a cool place for 30 days. After 30 days, strain out the peels. Will keep for up to 2 years when stored in the freezer.
NOTEStore-bought limoncello can be substituted, but since it’s usually on the sweeter side, the amount of cold brew may vary because it’s used to balance the sweetness of the cocktail.