Summer may be over, but in the South, September holds enough balmy days to justify a spritz. Developed for the Garden & Gun Club in Atlanta by resident bartender Corey Newton, this refreshing cocktail takes cues from an iconic Italian sip. “This may sound like a classic ‘Goes to Italy once’ type of story,” he says with a laugh, “but when I was nineteen or twenty, I took a solo backpacking trip to Europe and ended up in Cinque Terre, where limoncello was invented.” In the years since, the punchy liqueur has reminded the mixologist of sunny days and adventure, and inspired this cool, Italian-style drink.
For the Lemonade Stand, Newton makes limoncello from scratch—a simple yet time-consuming process in which he steeps lemon peels in grain alcohol and vodka for upwards of two weeks before straining. To make the drink on the fly, store-bought versions work just as well, especially when paired with cherry and something bubbly. In Newton’s words: “It’s a bit like an adult cherry lemonade,”—perfect for stretching out the summer just a tad longer.
