A heavenly after-dinner cocktail from Italy with love: Sgroppino al Limone
From the Negroni to the Americano, Bellini, and Aperol Spritz, the list of famous cocktails invented in Italy goes on and on.
It’s hard to pick a favourite, but if you’d ask me, these days with the temperatures going up, I am definitely looking ahead to enjoy a Sgroppino al Limone more frequently again.
This delicious drink is made with lemon sorbet, vodka, and prosecco and is the perfect after-dinner drink or served as dessert.
What is Sgroppino?
Like so many classic Italian drinks, the origins of the Sgroppino lie in the Veneto region in the northeast of Italy, or more precisely in Venice. Here it was already served to the Venetian aristocracy in the 16th century as a digestif after a sumptuous dinner or in between courses as a palate cleanser.
Indeed, the Sgroppino takes its name from the word ‘sgropin’ which means to loosen or to untie.
Five hundred years later, the Italians are still deeply in love with this delicious after-dinner drink, which is also often served instead of dessert. Go ahead and try it if you wonder why.
How to make Sgroppino al Limone
The original Sgroppino was made with grappa, the Italian brandy made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems left over after pressing the grapes for making wines.
Today, most recipes will call for vodka instead of grappa which makes for a likewise delicious drink. And if like me, you are up to experiment, you could still substitute the vodka with gin, limoncello, or any other spirit of your liking.
And since we are talking about tweaking the recipe, you are of course not limited to lemon sorbet either. Swap it for other fruit-flavoured sorbets or use ice cream instead of sorbet for a creamier version.
As for the amount of Prosecco to add, that depends on how thick you want your Sgroppino to be.
So, if you are looking for a refreshing way to end your dinner on a hot day (or on any other day of the year), go ahead and make yourself a Sgroppino.
Recipe: Sgroppino al Limone
Serves 1
2 generous scoops lemon sorbet
30 ml ice-cold vodka
50 ml Prosecco (or more depending on your preference how thick or light the Sgroppino should turn out.
Remove the lemon sorbet from the freezer 10 to 15 minutes before using to allow it to soften a bit.
Blend the lemon sorbet and vodka together until very smooth. For an even smoother, thicker version, ad 1-2 ice cubes and blend again.
Pour the mixture in a cocktail glass or champagne flute. Top up with Prosecco.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy.
Carrots and Tigers 