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The Pink Cello is a Cape Codder with limoncello in it. Vodka and cranberry is the base, and a half ounce of Italian lemon liqueur does the work that a squeeze of lime usually does in that drink, except it brings sugar and body along with the citrus.
Limoncello is worth understanding here. It is lemon peel steeped in neutral spirit and sweetened, so the flavor is all oil and zest rather than juice, which means it reads as bright and floral instead of sour. Against cranberry, which is tart and slightly bitter on its own, that works better than actual lemon juice would, since the last thing this drink needs is more acid.
Glass: Collins glass | Strength: Light | Serves: 1 | Prep Time: 2 minutes
Bartenders tip: Keep the limoncello in the freezer, which is how it is meant to be served anyway and means it arrives cold and slightly viscous. The original recipe leaves the cranberry unmeasured at fill, and four ounces is about right in a Collins glass over ice. Use unsweetened cranberry juice rather than a cranberry cocktail blend if you can, because the limoncello already sweetened the drink and the blends turn it flat. Squeeze the lemon wedge before dropping it in.
Steps
- Pour the vodka and limoncello over ice in a Collins glass.
- Fill with cranberry juice.
- Garnish with a lemon wedge and serve.
