Fruit liqueurs from Chile

Looking for gifts this holiday season?  In search of something different for a special occasion? Then maybe Gina’s limoncello or one of her other homemade fruit liqueurs would fit the bill. Serve them chilled as a refreshing after dinner drink or top them up with sparkling wine to make a delicious cocktail.

When Gina Ferretti travelled to Italy to do a course in 2011, she had no idea that she was taking the first step towards a complete career change. While there, she tracked down family members she hadn’t seen in 30 years, They invited her for a meal, at the end of which they served their homemade limoncello. Gina loved the lemon-flavoured liqueur and asked for the recipe.

When she got home, she made a batch of limoncello and her family and friends loved it and persuaded her to develop this into a new business.

Today Gina makes 11 different flavours of fruit liqueurs with different types of fruit from Chile. She sources her ingredients carefully, for instance the murtillas come from the Juan Fernandez archipelago, while the walnuts and loquats are from a smallholding in Olmué. She looks for fruit that is as natural and chemical-free as possible and some of them are organic.

Her drinks are around 18% ABV, making them a pleasant, light and fruity after dinner drink rather than the syrupy, high-alcohol liqueurs served in many restaurants.

Gina uses recycled bottles, which also involves a lot of work – cleaning the bottles thoroughly and removing the labels but her desire to be kind to the environment is manifest.

The best way to serve these drinks is chilled, neat. But they also are delicious in desserts or as cocktails, topped up with sparkling wine.

Tasting notes

Limoncello : Delicate lemon aroma and fresh, pleasant and uncloying in the mouth.

Morello cherry : Lovely cherry nose and very pleasant and easy to drink. Begs for some chocolate to go with it.

How to buy

You can order products direct from Gina – for more information, check out her website or Facebook page.  They are available in 200 ml / 375 ml and 750 ml sizes and as gift packs.