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This ice-cold, citrus-bright drink can even double as dessert.
About the cocktail
Ah, the humble float. Also known as a spider, the float is, for many of us, our first – non-alcoholic – experience of drink-mixing magic. You scoop some ice cream into a glass and top it up with a soft drink, and the result of this simple chemistry is somehow unique to both, creating delightful new textures and flavours. That’s essentially the basis of our Limoncello Sorbet Float, which blends the icy freshness of lemon sorbet with gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and our favourite liqueur of the moment, limoncello. Our cocktail team has then opted to sub out soft drink from the original and top it all off with sparkling wine. It’s proof (as if we needed it) that cocktails can be fun and whimsical and a little nostalgic while still being complex and, y’know, adult. The beauty of the Limoncello Sorbet Float (besides all that nostalgia and whimsy) is that it can pair up beautifully with some great moments. Afternoon treats in the summer (especially post-beach or pool); in place of dessert after a lovely meal; a much more fun way to toast any special news you need to celebrate. Yeah, we can see plenty of Limoncello Sorbet Float moments coming up very soon.
Ingredients
1 scoop lemon sorbet (about ¼ cup) 15mL limoncello 30mL gin 15mL fresh lemon juice 15mL sugar syrup 60mL dry sparkling wine, prosecco or Champagne Glass: small rocks
Method
Pop your glass in the freezer to chill for about 20 minutes Add the sorbet scoop to your frozen glass and place it back in the freezer Add the remaining ingredients, except the sparkling wine, to a cocktail shaker with cubed ice Give it a short, sharp shake until it’s just chilled Strain it into your prepared glass with the sorbet, and carefully top with the sparkling wine
Dan’s top tips
There aren’t any fancy techniques here, but there is a trick – to make sure the sorbet stays cold enough. If it melts, you’ll lose the texture and temperature and instead get a lemon puddle. The best way to manage the temperature is to ensure your serving glass is icy cold and that the sorbet and glass go back into the freezer after scooping. As long as everything else gets nice and cold in the cocktail shaker, you’ll be fine. As for the sorbet, this is a good excuse to find some that’s high quality. Much of the flavour in your Limoncello Sorbet Float will come from the sorbet, so it’s best to look for a natural one or something that lists lemon juice as one of the main ingredients. If you’ve got a great gelato place nearby, go for it. The recipe also leaves the choice of sparkling wine up to you. Considering the sweetness of the sugar syrup, limoncello and sorbet, it’s best to go for something dry, but otherwise there are no limits. For a light and citrusy version, choose prosecco. For more of a green apple tartness, a dry Aussie sparkling is great. If full-on luxury is your speed, choose Champagne. It’s totally your call.
- What is limoncello?
Limoncello is a traditional Italian liqueur made with lemons. The flavour is sweet and lemony.
- What sort of sorbet is best to use in a Limoncello Sorbet Float?
For the Limoncello Sorbet Float, we recommend using a good quality natural sorbet – or at least a sorbet that gets its flavour mostly from lemon juice.
- When should you serve a Limoncello Sorbet Float?
A Limoncello Sorbet Float can serve as a grown-up dessert after a big meal, but it would be excellent when sitting in the shade on a hot day, too.
image credits: Kayla May (photography), Bridget Wald (styling).
