On July 18, I shared the following dilemma with you:

I now have 6 bottles of Limoncello and 4 bottles of Vanillacello in my basement, and I have no idea what to do with them. I realize that I could simply give a few of them away, but before I do that, I am hoping to gather some interesting cocktail recipes that I could include as serving suggestions when I finally start gifting bottles of this tasty stuff to friends and family. Although I dabble in the occasional cocktail creation, I am far from an expert, so I am asking for a bit of help from you, our Dear Readers. Here’s the plan: Step 1: Readers will give us some cocktail recipe suggestions in the comment section or email us directly at boozedancing@gmail.com.

Readers will give us some cocktail recipe suggestions in the comment section or email us directly at boozedancing@gmail.com. Step 2: We will do a follow up post that lists our favorite Limoncello based cocktail recipes and ask you to vote for your favorite one.

We will do a follow up post that lists our favorite Limoncello based cocktail recipes and ask you to vote for your favorite one. Step 3: The cocktail recipe that gets the most votes will be featured in a third and final post with full credit being given to the cocktail creator (with proper shout outs on Twitter, Facebook, Drinkwire, Instagram, and Pinterest!).

With Step 1 out of the way, we can now move on to Step 2…

I am happy to report that we received some tasty sounding recipes, so without further ado, here are my six favorites listed in the order that they were received (my apologies to Ed of The Dogs of Beer blog for not including his suggestion, but I don’t think pouring Limoncello into a shot glass counts as a cocktail):

_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Scurvy’s Bain” by Oliver Gray of the Literature and Libation Blog

1 oz Limoncello

1 oz Gin

1 oz Midori

2 oz pineapple juice

Mix vigorously in a tumbler over ice. Strain into a martini glass, decorate with mint.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Limoncello Ricky” by Limpd

1 oz Limoncello

1oz Hendrick’s Gin

Club Soda

Ice

Wedge of lemon

Fill a Collins with ice. Pour in the Limoncello and Hendrick’s Gin. Pour in the Club Soda. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Gin-Limon Refresher” by Susannah of the What Tastes Good Blog

3 cucumber slices

4 basil leaves

1/8 cup of pineapple chunks

1 oz Limoncello

1 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin

Ice

Seltzer

Muddle the fresh cucumber slices, basil leaves, and pineapple chunks in the bottom of a highball glass. Add the gin and limoncello. Stir to combine. Top with ice and seltzer. Garnish with a slice of cucumber.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

“The Italian Sidecar” by the Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide Blog

1/3 brandy or cognac

1/3 Cointreau (triple sec is just fine)

1/6 limoncello

1/6 lemon juice

Orange wedge or maraschino cherry for garnish

Combine ingredients in glass shaker, give it a shake, and pour in the glass of your choice.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Sun Tea Alla Napoletana” by The Hip Flask

Ice

One part Limoncello

Three parts Sun Tea

San Pellegrino Blood Orange Soda

Lemon wedge

Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in the Limoncello and Sun Tea. Add a splash of Blood Orange Soda. Stir to combine, but don’t overdo it. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Limon Pledge Punch” by The Wookie

2 cups Limoncello

8 cups Cranberry Juice

2 cups Cruzan Black Strap Rum

1 cup Aged Silver Light Rum

Add some sliced fruit (one sliced lemon, orange, lime, etc..)

Mix, chill, find some friends, serve over ice in a Red Solo Cup, and garnish with a lime wedge.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Now that you’ve read the recipes, it’s time for you to pick the winner. Please take a moment to vote for your favorite Limoncello Cocktail recipe:

Many thanks to everyone that submitted a recipe. May the best bartender win!

Stay tuned for Part 3…