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A Light & Refreshing Sgroppino (Limoncello Prosecco Float with Lemon Sorbetto) is the Perfect Summer Sip! 🍋🍾
Our muggy Minnesota summer heat always demands a refreshingly cold treat to unwind with at the end of the day. These frothy, frosty prosecco limoncello floats are the perfect chilled light & fresh dessert. Hot summer days feel a little cooler with this sgroppino recipe!
I first experienced this after dinner drink during my time working at a fine dining Italian restaurant in Milwaukee. When our owner dined on our patio on warm summer evenings, he’d often skip the dolci menu & sneak behind the bar to make sgroppino (aka, a limoncello and prosecco float) instead. They always looked SO refreshing – the perfect digestif for a hot day!
It was only until I began making them at home that I realized how truly easy they are to prepare. They come together with 3 simple ingredients — Italian liquor, Italian sparkling wine, & sunshiny lemon sorbet. Equal parts sweet & sour, easy & elegant, dessert & cocktail, these gorgeous glasses wow everyone who tries them.
Sgroppino Recipe Highlights
This super easy, dessert-meets-limoncello cocktail is the perfect ending to a hot summer day. You’ll love sgroppino – it’s…
MADE WITH 3 INGREDIENTS. A scoop of sweet & tart lemon sorbetto & two boozy pours – it doesn’t get simpler than that!
LIGHT & BRIGHT. A double whammy of lemony goodness from a shot of limoncello & scoop of chilled sorbetto! These tart cocktails are essentially the grown-up, sunshine-flavored version of a root beer float.
EASY ELEGANCE. A sip of fancy-feeling sgroppino transports you to the Italian countryside. It’s the best way to end a hot day & a fun digestif to close out any summer dinner party. After all, who doesn’t love a dessert served in stemware?!
Cheers to dessert! 🥂 ♡ Read on to learn more about how to make Sgroppino (Limoncello and Prosecco Float with Lemon Sorbetto), or jump straight to the recipe & get cooking!
What is Sgroppino + More FAQs
What is sgroppino al limone? ⇢ These tasty, boozy desserts-meet-cocktails are simple, 3-ingredient limoncello and prosecco floats made with lemon sorbet.
What is the history of sgroppino? ⇢ Invented in Venice in the 16th century, sgroppino roughly translates to “untie a little knot.” This limoncello cocktail would be served as a digestif after the meal, helping you to digest, or untie the knot in your stomach.
How to pronounce sgroppino? ⇢ “Sgrop-pino” – it’s a little tricky, but give it a try! If it doesn’t roll off your tongue naturally, feel free to just call it a limoncello prosecco float.
Key Ingredients
These delicious dessert limoncello cocktails come together with just 3 simple ingredients.
Note: Full ingredients list & measurements provided in the Recipe Card, below.
You need…
- Sorbetto al limone – Also known as lemon sorbet here in the States! This simple frozen dessert is made from a blend of fruit juice, sugar, & water for a deliciously light, dairy-free alternative to ice cream. Look for sorbetto in the freezer section next to the gelatos. Lemon-flavored sorbet is traditional, but feel free to mix up your sgroppino with other fruity flavors.
- Limoncello – An Italian treasure! This lemon liqueur is mainly produced in Southern Italy around the Amalfi Coast & Gulf of Naples, where fresh lemons are abundant. It’s perfectly boozy, sweet & tart, & mostly commonly enjoyed as a digestif to close out a delicious meal.
- Prosecco – A delectably bubbly sparkling white wine, prosecco is essentially the Italian version of champagne. As a bonus, it’s usually much less expensive than the French kind!
What is Limoncello?
If limoncello is new to you then you’re in for a real treat. This Italian lemon-flavored liqueur is made by steeping lemon peels in vodka with a little bit of sugar until the booze is bright, tart, & slightly sweet & syrupy. It’s kind of like a boozy version of lemonade – pure summer sunshine in a glass! 🍋
Other limoncello FAQs:
- Where to buy limoncello? ⇢ While making homemade limoncello is a simple & fun kitchen project, you should be able to find a bottle ready to go at any well-stocked liquor store.
- Is limoncello gluten-free? ⇢ So long as the vodka base is made with corn, potatoes, or fruit, then yes – just be sure to check the labels.
- How to use limoncello ⇢ Limoncello has plenty of uses aside from this sgroppino recipe. Use it in lemon drops or mojitos, boozy Arnold palmers or simply serve it over ice. It can also be used to make lots of tasty desserts like granita, lemon-flavored tiramisu, or cheesecake.
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How To Make Sgroppino & Easy Cocktail Variations
Making these limoncello and prosecco floats couldn’t be easier – it takes 5 minutes, tops!
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
Scoop the sorbetto. Let the frozen lemon sorbetto warm up for 5 minutes on the counter for easier scooping, then place the scoops directly into chilled low-balls or wine glasses. Why? ⇢ Chilling your glasses in the freezer makes your limoncello and prosecco float even frostier & more enticing when it’s hot out.
Pour in the alcohol & serve! Add a shot of limoncello then slowly pour in the prosecco, watching as the bubbles soak up the lemony sorbetto. Serve with spoons & enjoy! Tip! ⇢ If you like enjoy bubbly as much as I do, then I highly suggest investing in a champagne stopper. This sgroppino recipe doesn’t use the whole bottle & this tiny investment will help you save the rest for later.
Easy Sgroppino Variations
As far as we’re concerned, sgroppinos = perfection. That said, there’s always room for customization. Here are some PWWB-approved variations on this classic Italian limoncello cocktail…
- Make it creamy! ⇢ Instead of sorbetto, use your favorite lemon-flavored gelato or ice cream.
- Try other fruity sorbetto! ⇢ The flavors in strawberry, raspberry, mango, or even coconut sorbettto will all pair nicely with limoncello and prosecco.
- Don’t have limoncello on hand? ⇢ Try swapping it with regular vodka. Your sgroppino will be a little less sweet, but the lemon flavor should come through with the sorbetto.
- Non-alcoholic sgroppino. ⇢ Just as delicious without the booze! To make it a mocktail, omit the limoncello & swap the wine with sparkling lemonade.
Serving Suggestions
With a crisp, bright flavor, sgroppino pairs beautifully with other light & lemony flavors. Serve this dessert cocktail after other Italian-inspired entrees like…
- Grilled Tuscan-Inspired Steak or Tuscan-Inspired Spatchcock Chicken
- Summery Zucchini Meatballs with a quick San Marzano Tomato Sauce
- Butterflied Grilled Leg of Lamb or Grilled Prosciutto & Asiago Stuffed Pork Chops
- Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
- Grilled Pesto Shrimp
- Marinated Tomato Pasta
- A grilled pizza party!
These limoncello and prosecco floats are the perfect dessert to serve after any dinner party. Your guests will be seriously impressed!
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe for Sgroppinos! These Italian limoncello and prosecco floats are so light, refreshing, & couldn’t be easier to make. Give them a try the next time you have friends over for an al fresco dinner – I’m pretty sure you’re going to love them just as much as we do!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy sipping!
More Recipes Like This:
Easy Summer Cocktails
Sgroppino (3-Ingredient Limoncello Cocktail with Prosecco and Lemon Sorbetto)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: serves 1
- Category: Drinks & Cocktails, Desserts
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Equal parts bubbly, frosty, sweet, & sour, Sgroppino al Limone – a 3-ingredient limoncello and prosecco float – is the ultimate summer cocktail!
I first experienced these refreshing after dinner drinks during my time working at a fine dining Italian restaurant. When our owner dined on our patio on warm summer evenings, he’d often skip the dolci menu & sneak behind the bar to make a tray of sgroppino for his family & friends instead.
Once I began making them at home, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy they are to prepare. They come together with 3 simple ingredients — Italian liquor, Italian sparkling wine, & sunshiny lemon sorbet – & they’re so simple to throw together, even on the warmest nights. It’s been my go-to summer dessert drink ever since – the perfect digestif for a hot day!
Be sure to check out the blog post, above, for a lot more notes on each of the ingredients, as well as some easy variations (including guidance for a mocktail!). ♡ Happy sipping!
Ingredients
- 1 large scoop lemon sorbetto (approx. ½ cup or ¼ pint)
- ¾ ounce limoncello
- 2 ounces prosecco (approx. ¼ cup)
Instructions
- Prepare the sgroppino al limone: Place the lemon sorbetto in a chilled low-ball or wine glass. Pour the limoncello over top, then finish with prosecco. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Jess’ Tips & Tricks:
- Sgroppino for a crowd: If preparing a large batch of sgroppino for a crowd, I suggest scooping all of the sorbetto in advance. Portion it into the individual glasses, then place them in the freezer until serving. From there, all you have to do is top them off with limoncello and prosecco – easy!
- Sorbetto tips: Sorbetto is Italian sorbet, a dairy-free frozen dessert made from fruit juice, sugar, & water. Bright & sunshiney lemon sorbetto is my go-to for sgroppino, though feel free to have fun with it & use another fruity sorbetto – mango, raspberry, & strawberry are all delicious with limoncello! To make a creamy cocktail, swap sorbetto with fruity gelato or ice cream.
- Non-alcoholic sgroppino: For a sgroppino mocktail, omit the limoncello & swap the wine with sparkling lemonade.
Recipe by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by Eat Love Eat
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This was absolutely horrible. My Mom loves Prosecco and lemon, so I thought this would be the perfect Mother’s Day dessert. Nope. We literally threw ours away. It can only be described as tasting “off”, almost medicinal. 🤢 And I followed the directions exactly.
Hi C, sorry to hear that! Limoncello does have a more intense concentrated lemon flavor than lemon alone. We appreciate the feedback and hope to add some of our favorite recommendations for limoncello, sorbetto, & prosecco brands to the post in the near future to help yield the best results.
Do you have any brands of Prosecco or limoncello that you recommend?
Hi Linda! I’ve used Pallini Limoncello before but any limoncello should work! As far as prosecco goes, I LOVE the Belletti Prosecco from ALDI!
I just popped into your blog because
limoncello and prosecco in a single cocktail was actually made for me and then I saw that you are from Minneapolis! And so am I! So then I stole your summer bucket list to email to my husband and tell him how many more things we have to do yet this summer! Thanks for the inspiration… And my patio drink this weekend!
thanks for stopping in danielle! these cocktails are SO good & SO easy, perfect for hot minne nights. i love that you loved our list! maybe we’ll see you & your hubs around the lake =) xx
girl, those pour shots are EVERYTHING. you are constantly killing the photography game and I love it! 1) I want to do every single thing on your list – except that I don’t have a dog so I can’t teach him how to swim and 2) when we get together in august, can we make these?!?!
hiiiiiii YES YES YES! thank you for your sweet words!! & YES absolutely, i’m so excited to see you soon!!!!!! is pat coming with you?! should we do cocktails & snacks at my house?!?!?!!!! so many exclamation points!!!! =) xx can’t wait!
I’m obsessed with limoncello so I will have to make these very soon! A few books I’ve read and loved recently are; The Woman In Cabin 10, Big Little Lies (it was a little slow at first and then I couldn’t put it down), and The Twilight Wife. I’ll be in Minneaplois this weekend, so if you have any food recommendations I would love to hear them..
Thank you for sharing amazing recipes,
Heather
http://www.newyorkrootstosouthernboots.com
hey heather! thanks for stopping in! i hope you give these cocktails a try soon – they’re SO refreshing & SO easy – if you love limoncello, you’ll love them! i love your book recommendations, thank you! – i watched big little lies on hbo/showtime/whatever network it was on & LOVED it but haven’t read the book yet, so that’s actually a really good call because i know everyone liked the book better. minne eats! there are so many to choose from – coffee from spyhouse (!), hola arepa is AMAZING (casual vibes, great cocktails!), surly is kind of incredible (HUGE courtyard with all the beer & bbq you could ever want), the kenwood is my FAVE (casual fine dining, SO GOOD), & if you want a fancy pasta dinner bar la grassa is where it’s at (seriously just BEYOND). let me know what you love!!!
nom this looks awesome! count my in for anything prosecco! i’m so sad it’s almost August, we have been having an amazing summer but it’s going too fast! one more thing to check off the list – dinner and drinks at our favorite spot in Hood River Oregon, oh and go berry picking again! happy august! x
love your 2 summer to-dos, g! berry picking is always a good one!!! xx