Acqua di Cedro – a Drink and a Panna Cotta

Move over Limoncello. Acqua di Cedro has arrived. This clear liqueur is made with citron, cedro in Italian (botanical name – Citrus medica.) Poor unattractive and underused citron, aside from its candied peel used for Christmas baking, it is pretty much ignored in my kitchen. Not so however on my dressing table where its essential oils form the base of many of my favorite perfumes. This most ancient of citrus with its gnarled and bumpy skin is said to have flourished in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and was brought to Italy by Alexander the Great – this baby’s got some history behind it. Well known to members of the Jewish faith, the citron, or etrog, is used at the harvest celebration, Sukkot. But for many of us, the citron is relegated to tea towels with drawings of the members of the Citrus Family. Not for long. Not after word of this gets out. Give it a chance and it will dazzle.





This liqueur comes to us from the Nardini Family, famous for making grappa since 1779. Visit the distiller’s I love Grappa blog for articles and recipes and download their Grappa Handbook. The brand is synonymous with smooth, exceptionally smooth. No firewater from these folks, and their Acqua di Cedro is no exception. They use fruit grown in the region around Lago di Garda, where by the way, the people have a knack for using their citron in everything from pastries to chocolate to liqueur. Pick up a citron, and you will be surprised by its light weight compared to a lemon of the same size. In fact, you might at first mistake it for a lemon. But the light weight is a result of very little watery pulp; a citron is mostly peel and pith, and only the very fragrant peels are used in the production of Acqua di Cedro.


Side by side with Limoncello (Caravella brand), the Acqua di Cedro came up the winner for me. They look completely different – Limoncello is an opaque yellow and Acqua di Cedro is crystal clear. The Limoncello is all lemon, all the way, while with the Acqua di Cedro I got the big flavor of citron (think lemon with a whisper of lime and the scent of green citrus leaf) floating on a sea of sweet. Where Limoncello might to some taste a bit medicinal, Acqua di Cedro is pure citrus, and lacks the huge sugary hit of Limoncello. It is still sweet, don’t get me wrong, it is just somehow more refined, but the clincher is the finish. Limoncello is sweet to the end. Acqua di Cedro is dry. Drink it neat and very cold, over ice or in mixed drinks. This is my new favorite lemon liqueur.


And for the particulars – Acqua di Cedro is 29% alcohol by volume, whereas the Caravella Limoncello is 32% alcohol – just enough difference for the Acqua di Cedro to get slushy when you put it in the freezer. Acqua di Cedro can be a bit hard to find, but K&L Wines does have it on their shelves.

Acqua e l’acqua

Enjoy Acqua di Cedro combined with the taste of basil and the fizz of club soda. The basil simple syrup marries beautifully with the liqueur, and the club soda lightens the flavors turning this into a perfect long drink for summer evenings.

1 ounce basil simple syrup (recipe follows)
1 ounce Acqua di Cedro
club soda
sprig of basil

Fill a 12 ounce glass 3/4 full with ice. Pour basil simple syrup over ice. Add Acqua di Cedro and top with club soda. Stir with a bar spoon, and finish with a sprig of basil. For extra drama, garnish with Opal basil. Serve at once.

Basil Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is quick and easy to make and has many different uses in the kitchen. It can be plain, just sugar and water, or it can be flavored with anything from anise to vanilla, or as here, basil. Plain, it is the ideal sweetener for cold drinks – no need to worry about your sugar not dissolving. Mix it with spirits to moisten layers of cake. A simple rule of thumb for flavoring simple syrup is if you are using herbs, such as mint or basil, add them at the beginning right along with the sugar and water. If you are adding spirits, do so after you remove the finished syrup from the flame. Generously flavored with basil, this syrup is wonderful over fresh fruit or as a sweetening agent for lemonade.

2 cups basil leaves
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water

Place all ingredients in medium saucepan. Heat over medium high until sugar has dissolved and mixture has come to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Mixture will be completely clear when sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Cool, strain and store in refrigerator up to 5 days.

And you had to know it was coming. Yes. Oh yes.

Acqua di Cedro Panna Cotta

makes 6 servings, 1/2 cup each

I have never been a fan of real boozy desserts. This Panna Cotta is lightly flavored with Acqua di Cedro, perfect for a summer evening. I went for a firmer set than usual, so if you want it a bit softer, decrease the gelatin to 2 3/4 teaspoons.

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups whole milk, divided
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Acqua di Cedro
1 scant tablespoon KNOX Unflavored Gelatine

Combine heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk and sugar in medium saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar, until small bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile pour remaining 1/4 cup milk into a heatproof bowl with a broad bottom. Sprinkle gelatin over milk. I suggest the use of a broad bottom bowl because there is a large amount of gelatin to soften, and all of it must come into contact with the liquid (in this case milk) in order to soften properly. Allow gelatin to soften 5 minutes.

Place a medium sauce pan filled with 1 inch of water over heat, and bring to a simmer. After gelatin has softened 5 minutes, place bowl with gelatin and milk mixture in sauce pan, and stir to completely dissolve gelatin. The mixture will thin considerably when completely dissolved. This is a departure from my usual directions, but since there is a large amount of gelatin, it can be slightly more difficult to soften and dissolve.

Once gelatin has dissolved, pour into hot cream mixture. Stir to combine. Strain into clean bowl. Add Acqua di Cedro. Combine well. Place over ice water bath, stirring occasionally to promote even cooling. Pour into serving glasses. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Garnish with chocolate shavings at service.

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I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.