Some of the Best Italian Limoncello is Made in New Hampshire
How two brothers turned an obsession into a spirits company
Summer is the season of citrus. When the weather turns warm, we tend to gravitate to refreshing lemons, limes, and oranges for their hydrating, sweet/tangy properties.
Italy’s Amalfi Coast and Sicily revere the lemon, where the fruit grows plump and sweet. They’re used in everything from pasta to pastries to perfume. But the most famous of all is the limoncello. This liqueur, made from lemon zest, is the traditional end to a glorious dinner.
The liqueur is a symbol of the sunbaked Southern coasts of Italy, so it’s curious to note that some of the most delicious limoncello is made in the United States — and in New Hampshire, no less.
Phil Mastroianni, co-founder of Fabrizia Spirits Company with his brother Nick, explains that his love for Italy led to a career making limoncello. “As an Italian-American growing up in Boston, I became obsessed with Italy. I started making homemade limoncello in college,” he tells Broken Palate. Mastroianni shared some of his homemade limoncello with his Uncle who was so impressed with the flavor he suggested it turn into a business. “I was living in my parent’s basement at the time and I thought about it all night.”
That suggestion turned into a business, with the brothers at first sourcing lemons from the local supermarket. As the company grew, the lemons were purchased in bulk from California, but something was missing, explains Mastroianni. “In 2017, my brother Nick and I realized that even though we were making limoncello the old-fashioned way, it wasn’t an Italian product. As Italian-Americans, we decided we should source the lemons from Italy.”
The brothers took an extended trip to four of Italy’s best lemon-producing areas: Sorrento, Amalfi, Sicily, and Calabria to learn about lemons in-depth. “There are hundreds of varieties grown in Italy,” says Mastroianni who notes the most significant difference between Italian and U.S. lemons: “In my opinion, at least for lemons, the agricultural goal in America is for everything to look consistent. In Italy, lemons could be weird looking as long as they taste good.”
During their travels, they found the Villari family, who grow lemons on the Eastern Shore of Sicily, just outside of Siracusa. At first, the brothers thought importing lemons from Italy would be cost-prohibitive, but were delighted to find out that their company was producing enough limoncello to purchase an entire shipping container of lemons. For the past six years, the Villari family has been the source of lemons for Fabrizia limoncello.
Now, Fabrizia limoncello is available in 25 states and one specific world. Mastroianni explains, “Disneyworld is our biggest customer as of this past February.” The limoncello is featured at Epcot’s Italy pavilion.
With the brand growing steadily, Mastroianni’s new mission is to get more people to drink more limoncello. “When we first started, we were all about, ‘let’s get our limoncello on the degustation menu. By all means, we’re happy for that to happen and that’s the traditional way to enjoy it — chilled and neat after a great meal.”
But there are so many other ways of enjoying the sunshine-hued liquid, according to the spirits maker. “Lemon is such a major ingredient in so many cocktails, and cocktail culture has really been embracing limoncello.” He suggests using limoncello in recipes from Lemon Drop martinis to margaritas.
And his favorite recipe? The Limoncello spritz. “I love the whole Aperol Campari spritz movement. To hear that in Italy Limoncello spritzes are getting popular is very exciting. I love the fact that Italians are getting behind the Limoncello Spritz.”
The Limoncello spritz is made using the classic 3/2/3 spritz ratio of 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts limoncello, and 1 part soda water. Then garnish with a lemon wheel or sprig of basil or rosemary and enjoy.
June 22 is National Limoncello Day — why not toast with a Limoncello spritz?
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