The liqueurs of the Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast is famous for the production of excellent liqueurs. Steeped in history, born from ancient anecdotes and still surrounded by old legends, they are produced with artisan care, using only top-quality local ingredients. We have selected for you those you cannot miss, to make your holiday on the Amalfi Coast a journey through flavours!
The limoncello
The most famous is undoubtedly limoncello, the sweet liqueur made from a combination of ethyl alcohol and IGP Amalfi Coast Lemon peel, which has become so universally known that it is produced by just about everyone. It has an intense lemon scent and a taste that provides the palate with a pleasant sensation of aromatic freshness. Its alcohol content is around 30° and it should be stored in the freezer. Omnipresent in bars and coolers on the coast, it can be consumed both as an aperitif and as a digestive after a meal. A tasty and more wintry variant of this famous liqueur is limoncello chocolate, an infusion made by mixing low-fat cocoa powder with 90° alcohol and, of course, the traditional limoncello.
The concerto
After limoncello, the most popular drink on the Amalfi Coast is concerto, a dark and very dense herbal distillate with a unique and unmistakable taste. The name derives from the harmony of herbs and spices that make it up, a true symphony, not of music but of flavours. It has an alcohol content of around 30° and is one of the oldest liqueurs on the coast. Its invention is attributed to the nuns of the Royal Conservatory of Saints Joseph and Teresa of Pucara (a hamlet of Tramonti), from where it then spread throughout the Amalfi area. It was invented by a certain Sister Cecilia, who one day decided to prepare a rosolio by mixing together coffee, barley, liquorice, fennel, cloves, nutmeg, edelweiss and mint.
The nanassino
Nanassino is a liqueur made from the prickly pears that grow wild (and in abundance) on the slopes and rocky ridges of the Amalfi Coast. Historically, it was prepared by wealthy families to be offered on special occasions and during festivities. Even today it is still prepared according to an ancient recipe, which involves macerating the skins of prickly pears, harvested at the right point of ripeness (towards the end of August) in ethyl alcohol for about 10-15 days. After the steeping period, the infusion is filtered and diluted with an equal amount of syrup prepared with water and sugar. More or less intense yellow in colour (depending on the colour of the skins used), it should be consumed cold.
The fennel liqueur
Fennel liqueur is typical of the Amalfi Coast, due to the rich and luxuriant presence of wild fennel on the coast’s magnificent cliffs. The unmistakable perfume and aroma that this plant releases makes it very pleasant and exceptionally good. Straw-yellow in colour, it has an alcohol content of around 30° and is much appreciated for its strong digestive properties (making it one of the meal-ends par excellence). It is obtained by macerating dried wild fennel seeds in ethyl alcohol for 15-20 days. After the steeping period, the infusion is filtered and mixed with a syrup of water and sugar. To fully appreciate its taste and fragrance, we recommend drinking it cold.
The nocino
Nocino (or nocillo) is much more than a walnut liqueur … its preparation is linked to a precise, almost ritualistic methodology. Tradition dictated that the walnuts should be harvested on the night of St John’s Eve, the magical night of the Summer Solstice, as all the herbs and plants would have beneficial properties as well as an ‘amplified’ taste, aroma and flavour. Beliefs and rituals aside, the liqueur is obtained by macerating walnuts (including hulls) in ethyl alcohol for about 30-40 days in well-stoppered glass bottles exposed to the sun. After the steeping period, the mixture is filtered and diluted with a syrup prepared from sterilised water and sugar, and flavoured with cloves and cinnamon. After bottling, it is left to rest for at least two months before consumption. Dark in colour and with a pleasantly bitter taste, it is renowned for its strong digestive properties.
The blueberry liqueur
Blueberry berries, which grow wild in the woods of the Amalfi Coast, are used to make a tonic and stimulating liqueur with an aromatic fragrance and a sweet, dry taste. To be drunk straight, on the rocks or as an ingredient for cocktails. Dark purple in colour, it has an alcohol content of around 30°. The berries are left to macerate in ethyl alcohol for about 20 days. A syrup is then prepared by boiling water and sugar, which is added to the macerated berries when cold and crushed with a fork.
