It's time to ditch Aperol — this is the ultimate summer spritz
An oversized glass of that sunrise-hued, bittersweet, spritzy liquid with a slice of orange bobbing around on top gives me the summer feels.
I've flirted with other spritzes, of course. As we all have. Only last year, the Hugo gave me an elderflower moment, the Campari spritz fixed my bitter orange cravings and Sarti gave me a refreshingly citrussy-tropical hit. I've even given white port and tonic a whirl, Portugal's go-to refreshing aperitif you garnish with a sprig of mint.
But this summer, there's a new spritz in town that's seriously hitting the spot.
We're all familiar with Limoncello, that impossibly yellow, lemony liqueur served in shot glasses after a slap-up Italian meal. Bizarrely though, I didn't know anyone who consumed it unless they were in an Italian restaurant or on holiday in Italy, until now.
Aside from the perception of Limoncello as a freebee at the end of a meal, the problem with many big-brand, imported Limoncellos is that they can be over 50% sugar syrup blended with perfumed lemon peel, with little to no actual juice.
Things are changing thanks to a new wave of craft producers, with our old friend limoncello evolving from sugary, date-night trattoria-fuel to the tart and authentic-tasting main ingredient in this summer's must-drink spritz.
One brand in particular, RamTang Cello, has caught my attention. It centres around a 'Lemon Cello' made by a 72-year-old English lady who lives in Tooting, lovingly known as, 'Mama Cello'. She also makes a Lime Cello, for a unique twist on the citrus liqueur.
Sally Chilton is her name, an ex-chef with two grown-up sons. Sally set out to make a version of Limoncello that was authentic but not quite so sweet, in her own kitchen. She started off, 'playing with lemons and white label vodka' until her son, Christopher, thankfully convinced her that the product was good enough to sell. The result is a range of two citrus cellos, each with 25% less sugar and distilled locally. Well, in Rutland.
Limoncello is traditionally made by steeping lemons (Sally started out with Amalfi, but became frustrated by their seasonality) in a neutral spirit (vodka), then mixing it with sugar syrup. And because Italian Limoncello isn't a legally designated PDO, like say Champagne or Prosecco, it can be made anywhere in the world. Hence, London.
Want to make a delicious drink with RamTang Lemon or Lime Cello? These are the ingredients you'll need. Mix together and garnish before serving…
Adult Lemonade 40 mil RamTang' Lemon cello100-150 mil (small can) Fever Tree Lemonade
Garnish: Ice, lemon wheel and sprig of mint
Sicilian Spritz40 mil Dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Vino Verde LIDL)20 mil Lemon RamTang'100-150 mil Franklin's Tonic
Garnish: Ice, lemon wheel and sprig of mint
RamTang' Lime Spritz40 mil Dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Vino Verde LIDL)20 mil Lime RamTang'100 – 150 mil (small can) Schweppes Pink Soda
Garnish: Ice, lime wheel and cucumber
RamTang Sicilian Spritz
I followed Sally's recipe, though I used Balfour Bacchus (as it's English Wine Week) instead of the Lidl wines she suggested. Ultimately I ended up tweaking the levels of alcohol upwards. Shocker. I found 60ml white wine and 40ml RamTang Limoncello intensified the drink nicely. To be honest, I free poured until I was happy with it. The result was a balanced and zesty alternative to an orange aperitivo which I'd score a 9.5/10. If, like me, you miss the vivifying bitterness of an Aperol, upping the limoncello levels gives you a citrussy jolt to replace it.
Many of the new wave UK versions, such as RamTang, Shakespear or Three Wrens slash the sugar, use clarified lemon juice and the zest of actual lemons. This eliminates any artificial, air-freshener notes and gives a ripe citrus intensity which allows them to cut down on sugar.
I tested RamTang Cello against supermarket limoncellos half the price, neat and in a spritz. I even gave the supermarket RTD Limoncello spritzes in cans a go, made for anyone who simply can't be bothered to prepare a spritz from scratch. You know who you are, myself included.
Here are the results… The Cellos
I tasted these neat, straight out of the freezer. And don't worry, an open bottle of limoncello can last for up to a year if it's stored properly, in the fridge or freezer.
RamTang Lemon cello, £26, ramtang.com
Score: 9.4/10
Intensely lemony on the nose, a beautifully textured and pithy palate that smacks of home made lemon meringue pie. Flecks of lemon leaf for added herbaceous balance, very good.
The Cambridge Range Limoncello, £27, saragusta.com
Score: 9.4/10
Part of the new wave of UK limoncello producers, this time from Cambridge. And it's truly exceptional stuff. On the nose, it's 100% reminiscent of Amalfi lemon drizzle cake which follows though to the palate. Creamy with just the right level of sweetness-to-spirit. Nailed it.
Pallini Limoncello, £16.25, Sainsburys
Score: 9.2/10
Slightly spirity on the nose, but the palate is nicely rounded, lightly textured, creamy and full of zesty fresh lemon flavours. Very good and widely available.
Villa Cardea, £12.50, Asda
Score: 8.9/10
Fresh lemons on the nose, a leaner-texture in the mouth with creamy, lemon sherbet notes and a soft and citrussy finish not far off lemon curd. Good.
Limonici Limoncello, £11.99, Aldi
Score: 7.9/10
Very spirit-heavy on the nose, which follows through in the mouth, sadly overpowering some bright lemon notes, a creamy texture and a lively sherbet finish.
RamTang Limecello, £27, ramtang.com
Score: 7.8/10
Beautiful lime-forward nose, though the palate is over-concentrated with notes of lime essence over the fresh kind. Textured and well made with a key lime pie-flavoured finish. Add in a splash to intensify your Margarita cocktail.
M&S Limoncello Spritz, £2.50, M&S and Ocado
Score: 8.3/10
Fresh lemon on the nose followed by a palate of candied lemon and creamy sherbet notes. Not bad.
Funkin Limoncello Spritz, £2.30, Tesco
Score: 7.8/10
Candied lemony nose, the spritz is on the sweeter side with confected lemon flavours. Could do with a spritz of fresh lemon, though not a bad version.
Limoncello Spritz, £4.49, Aldi
Score: 7.5/10
Attractive candied lemon peel nose, with lemony boiled sweet characteristics on the palate with slightly cloying, lemon drop aftertaste. More Trending
Joy Spritz Lemon, £5 (save £2.10), Sainsbury's
Score: 4.8/10
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An enticing nose of zingy lemon zest, though the palate doesn't live up to the promise, unfortunately. There's a lemon air freshener note that jars, and an off-putting bitterness on the finish.
If you count yourself a purveyor of the finer things in life, Metro's Drink Up column is where you need to be.
Immerse yourself in the world of good drink, fronted by industry expert Rob Buckhaven – a place for readers to whet their whistle with the latest and greatest in the world of drinks. From unpacking the best supermarket wines from Aldi, Tesco and Lidl, to introducing audiences to the wallet-friendly Cremant out-bubbling the fanciest of French Champagnes (or the best wines to drink after sex), and finding out what it's like to go on a bar crawl with Jason Momoa, this is a haven for those who love to celebrate.
Stay ahead of the curve as Rob plucks from the vines the wines of the season and the spirits you need to know about; speaking with experts and mixologists while unpacking the latest concoctions, finding the best non-alcoholic options for those looking to moderate, discovering the best food pairings for your drops, and going up against the latest TikTok chatter to demystify the liquid landscape.
What are the best drinks to take to a summer picnic?
Wine that you should never serve at a wedding
And, truly, how should we be storing our wine?
Read More.
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It's also worth bearing in mind a top tip from Rossetto Kasper, which I almost miss because it's not included in her actual recipe: 'I discovered a trick for making pasta with raw tomato sauces taste lustier. Slightly undercook the pasta. Drain it. Spoon the juices that raw sauces always throw off into the empty pasta pot. Set it over medium-low heat, add the pasta and toss until the juices are absorbed, then add the pasta to the sauce.' Very little extra work, and well worth it. 'Only boxed factory-made dry pasta is a good match for this sauce,' Hazan instructs, 'and spaghettini, thin spaghetti, is the most strongly recommended shape.' Nevertheless, good old spaghetti is the most common choice in the recipes I try, although the River Cafe's ravioli is a hit with my testers, even though I choose one with an entirely unsuitable asparagus-based filling. Also popular is Maccioni's linguine, which Catherine declares has 'more about it than the spaghetti', and the aforementioned spaghettini, which Anna and I enjoy for its springy, almost ramen-like consistency. (Rossetto Kasper's alternative fusilli does not, according to Olivia, 'look quite as classy … it's a bit of a bully texture-wise, so the tomatoes get lost'.) A common complaint as the dishes go around the table when we're finally at the tasting stage is that some recipes are a bit mean on the tomato. Maccioni uses a mere four tomatoes for four people in contrast to Rossetto Kasper's bountiful loth to reduce the quantity of pasta, I've opted for a similarly generous serving of tomatoes, bearing in mind that this is a pasta dish and not a tomato salad (or, God forbid, a pasta salad. Do Italians even eat pasta salad? Please let me know in the comments below). This is where things really get interesting around the table. Good olive oil is, of course, a must, but the two best-rated recipes, from Hazan and the River Cafe, also contain red-wine vinegar – something I would invariably sprinkle on a fresh tomato salad. The appreciative noises ('almost restauranty', someone says proudly) this elicits strongly suggest that it has to be part of my final recipe – though Claire, in particular, is a fan of the fresh simplicity of Davies' vinegar-free version. Salt is also a must; a tomato is nothing without it, and there is a feeling that those in charge of Del Conte's recipe (I name no names) have perhaps been a little parsimonious on that front: 'I only said did it ask for seasoning?' Karina demands, laughing. Lesson learned; be generous with the salt, unless you fancy Hazan's slightly more complex Ligurian take complete with black and green olives, capers and anchovies, in which case a little restraint might be wise. We all love these additions – 'a really interesting mix of flavours and textures', Claire observes – but I've left them as optional extras, because I do feel that in a pasta con pomodoro crudo the tomatoes should be the star attraction. (The same goes for Maccioni's mozzarella, which, delicious as it is, makes some of us feel as if we're eating an M&S pasta salad on a train.) Herb wise, basil is the most popular choice, and the clear favourite; Leigh's mint, meanwhile, gets mixed reviews. No one can detect Hazan's marjoram or parsley, and fennel seeds divide opinion; we all agree we love them in other dishes, but here, as Anna says, they overpower the tomato. Davies' optional chilli flakes prove more of a crowdpleaser, but, again, they're very much gilding the lily. Garlic, however, is another must, though the quantity is up to you. It's not cooked, so I've been quite restrained, but you may prefer a punchier, fierier result. 'No cheese is necessary with this sauce,' Del Conte says sternly in her brilliant collection On Pasta. Rossetto Kasper disagrees, and her salty pecorino gets many compliments – not least because, well, who doesn't love cheese? That said, Leigh's wonderful savoury, crunchy anchovy pangrattato, or crisp flavoured breadcrumbs, also have their fans – 'these smell really good', Victoria says happily. Though they're certainly not foundational, I do like the contrast in texture, as well as the fact that they're easily veganised (simply omit the anchovy for a fully plant-based dish). Though this isn't a pasta salad, I'm reliably informed that pasta con pomodoro crudo can be served warm or at room temperature – but 'never chilled', Rossetto Kasper counsels, as if the very idea of cold pasta wasn't enough to warn you off in itself. This makes it an utterly brilliant dish for a summer evening: make ahead, enjoy yourself, then casually toss into bowls with a sprinkling of basil when it's time to eat. The Italians know a thing or two about warm weather dining, it turns out. Prep 15 min Cook 12 minSteep 30 min Serves 4 800g ripe but firm tomatoes, preferably, but not necessarily, plum 2 tbsp red-wine vinegar ¾ tbsp flaky salt, plus extra for cooking the pasta4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp extra if making pangrattato2-3 plump garlic cloves, peeled4 tbsp dry breadcrumbs (optional)1 tinned anchovy fillet, drained (optional)400g spaghetti, or spaghettini1 small bunch fresh basil Optional extras60g olives, black, green or a mixture, stoned and chopped1 tbsp capers (rinsed if packed in salt), chopped4 anchovy fillets (rinsed if packed in salt), chopped½ tsp chilli flakes Cut the tomatoes into fairly small dice (this is much easier if you have a sharp knife) and put them and all their juices in a bowl with the vinegar, half the salt and all the oil. Mash the garlic to a paste with the remaining salt, then stir that into the tomato bowl, too, along with any of the optional extras. Leave to sit for at least 30 minutes, though longer won't hurt (but don't leave it so long that it requires refrigeration). If making the pangrattato, put a tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat, then mash in the anchovy, if using, until dissolved. Turn up the heat, stir in the breadcrumbs and fry until crisp and golden. Season if not using the anchovy, then set aside. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until just shy of the recommended cooking time. Meanwhile, drain the tomato mix, reserving the juices. Drain the pasta. Pour the reserved tomato juices into the empty pan, set it over a medium heat, then return the cooked pasta to the pan and toss until it has absorbed the juice. Turn off the heat, tip in the tomatoes and toss well. If serving immediately, scatter over the pangrattato and tear in the basil; if serving at room temperature, do so just before serving. Pasta con pomodoro crudo – is it a primo or a salad? Which pasta do you favour? And what's your top tip for bringing out the best in the tomatoes?
