Tart and tangy, lemon-based flavors are hard to pass up. Citrus can help cleanse the palate between courses, but it also can be a refreshing component in beverages.

Anyone who has enjoyed a tall glass of lemonade on a warm day understands how thirst-quenching it can be. Limoncello is a lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy, particularly in the region around the Gulf of Naples. Limoncello is made from the zest of lemons, which is then steeped in alcohol, like vodka.

The lemon-infused liqueur also is mixed with a sugar syrup.

While Limoncello can be sipped on ice all on its own or poured over ice cream as a delicious syrup, it is equally at home in this recipe for “Creamy Limoncello Shooters” from “Small Sweet Treats” (Gibbs Smith) by Marguerite Marceau Henderson.

Creamy Limoncello Shooters

Serves 1

2 tablespoons chilled Limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur)

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon grated lime zest

Place the Limoncello in a chilled shooter glass. Top with cream and the lime zest.