Considering that the brains behind Green Sonoma is of Italian descent, it should come as no surprise to hear yours truly cop to an obsession with the lemon-flavored liquor known as limoncello.
How fitting, then, that a small startup artisanal liquor distiller in downtown Sonoma has recently released a brand new, totally organic limoncello.
The company, HelloCello, is about as small as they come: it’s run by husband-and-wife pair Fred and Amy Groth. Their debut product, named simply Limoncello di Sonoma, is all-natural, all-local and (again, take it from a limoncello expert) one of the tangiest, cleanest and most drinkable liquors available today.
The story behind HelloCello is a (pardon the pun) juicy one.
The Groths fell in love with limoncello 13 years ago during their first trip to Italy, and have made it as a hobby ever since. After all that home-infusing, the duo decided to start making it commercially. They founded their company in December.
Rather than source ingredients from just anywhere, however, Fred and Amy decided they’d get everything from a 150-mile radius of Sonoma. They also opted to go exclusively organic.
This commitment to goodness starts with the base: grape brandy. This elixir hails from a certified organic and biodynamic grower named Marian Farms in Fresno. Most limoncellos are built around neutral grain spirits, which can be harsh on the palate. Because this one is made from grapes, however, it’s smoother and lighter, like wine.
Next, of course, come the lemons—local citrus sourced from a number of certified organic purveyors across Sonoma County. The Groths throw limited quantities of fresh agave syrup in the mix, as well, for sweetness.
They use what they describe as “custom water” as well, which has been filtered and run through reverse osmosis cleaning. It has not been sterilized with chemicals or ozone.
The infusion process isn’t as long as you might think; Amy Groth says she and her husband let the brandy soak up citrus and agave flavors for no more than two weeks per batch. The result: what Fred Groth deems as the first premium organic limoncello in North America.
So far the stuff is in short supply. The company’s first batch produced 100 cases, and though the product was available at roughly 25 locations in Napa and Sonoma, many places sold out in no time. The Groths say the next batch should be ready by this coming Friday, and should hit shelves later this month.
HelloCello doesn’t intend to be a one-trick pony; down the road, the Groths say they plans to produce a number of other flavored liquors, as well. Fred Groth is tight-lipped about what flavors might come next. If they’re anything like this one, however, they’re bound to be delish.
For more information about HelloCello, visit www.hellosonoma.com.