Why Sabrina Carpenter Loves the Limoncello Spritz

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Sabrina Carpenter will forever be pop's espresso girl — but espresso is a work drink. When summer comes, her glass changes. In 2025 interviews, the singer named her favorite warm-weather cocktail: the Limoncello Spritz, the Italian highball of limoncello, prosecco, and soda water that The Daily Meal aptly called "liquid sunshine in a glass." And she is not a casual fan: she told Rolling Stone that her social feed is full of "people making their homemade spritzes for the summer, like hugo spritz, limoncello spritz, rhubarb spritz," adding, "It's very wholesome." Of all of them, the limoncello is hers.

The Build

The 3-2-1 Spritz

  • 3 oz prosecco, well chilled
  • 2 oz limoncello
  • 1 oz soda water (a splash, not a flood)
  • Lemon wheel and a mint sprig, to garnish

Fill a large wine glass with ice. Pour the prosecco in first, then the limoncello, then top with the soda. And here is the spritz rule she and every Italian bartender agree on: do not stir. Stirring knocks the carbonation out of a drink whose entire personality is bubbles. The pouring order layers the flavors so each sip self-mixes — the first taste is bright lemon, the finish is sparkling wine. Limoncello is sweet enough on its own that no syrup is needed; if your bottle runs sugary, add an extra splash of soda rather than anything else.

What Is Limoncello, Exactly?

The Lemon Engine

Limoncello is southern Italy's famous lemon liqueur, born along the Amalfi and Sorrento coasts: the zest of large, fragrant local lemons is steeped in high-proof spirit until the oils surrender, then the infusion is sweetened and bottled. Traditionally it is served freezer-cold in tiny glasses as a digestivo — a whole lemon grove compressed into a shot. In a spritz, that intensity becomes an advantage: two ounces carry enough lemon aroma to flavor a full glass of bubbles without ever tasting diluted. Making it at home is simple but slow — zest, spirit, and about a month of patience.

Why This Spritz, Why Her

Built for Summer Hours

The spritz is a formula engineered for long afternoons: a flavorful liqueur, sparkling wine for lift, soda for lightness, and a modest alcohol level that lets the glass be refilled. The Limoncello Spritz is the sunniest member of the family — no bitterness like an Aperol Spritz, no herbal detour like a Hugo — just lemon, bubbles, and cold. It matches her public palate, too: this is an artist whose brand runs on sweet, bright, and precise. The drink is all three, with a garnish.

Make It Yours

  • Hugo swap: trade the limoncello for elderflower liqueur and keep everything else — her feed's other favorite.
  • Frozen version: blend the build with ice for a slushy spritz on the hottest days.
  • Basil finish: swap the mint for a basil leaf for a greener, more Italian-garden aroma.

FAQ

Q: What is Sabrina Carpenter's favorite summer cocktail?
A: The Limoncello Spritz — limoncello, prosecco, and a splash of soda water over ice, garnished with lemon and mint. She named it in 2025 interviews, and told Rolling Stone her feed is full of homemade summer spritzes ("hugo spritz, limoncello spritz, rhubarb spritz"), calling the whole scene "very wholesome."

Q: How do you make a Limoncello Spritz the right way?
A: Use the 3-2-1 build: 3 oz chilled prosecco, 2 oz limoncello, 1 oz soda water, poured in that order over ice in a wine glass — and don't stir, which would flatten the bubbles. Limoncello supplies all the sweetness, so skip syrup; if it tastes too sweet, add soda, not sugar. Finish with a lemon wheel and mint.

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