Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1187612
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 30 DECEMBER 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY GARY TARDIFF FOOD STYLING BY BY NATASHA TAYLOR E AT + D R I N K E AT + D R I N K Unfortunately, most of the products that are imported from Italy into the United States have a few unwelcome additives they are not required to disclose, like "natural" and/or arti- ficial flavors, as well as yellow food dye. "[Ital- ian manufacturers] are sending us products they themselves wouldn't consume," Mastroi- anni says, noting that artificial colors and fla- vors extend the shelf life of the product—but also contribute a taste that has given the spirit a bad reputation with some Americans. Mastroianni knows firsthand. When he was first exploring ways to bring his product to market, he got a sample of "natural lemon flavoring" and didn't care for it. "It had no lem- ons in it," he recalls incredulously. "It smelled just like fake limoncello." He realized right then that he would be taking no shortcuts. "That's how I sleep at night," he says. And it's paid off. Fabrizia's locally made limoncello is widely available across the country, and it's even garnered attention back in Italy. When RAI, Italy's public broadcast- ing company, heard that Fabrizia was making limoncello using traditional methods—even importing lemons from Sicily—they sent a reporter to Salem to produce a segment for their national news. Sicilian lemons are only available for a few months out of the year, and while the cost is roughly the same as using lemons from the United States, "the headaches are infinitely greater," Mastroianni says with a laugh. But the extra reams of paperwork are worth it. "The Italian fruit brings a zestiness that is a step above," he says. "Most people can't taste the difference, but I can." And so can first-gen- eration Italian restaurateurs, he adds. "They say it's just like home." For their first five years in business, Mastroi- anni says they were "successfully struggling," focused on limoncello and actually discarding 100,000 lemons or so annually after stripping the zest. After all, the spirit only requires the peel. Inspiration to actually use the juice as well came from Mastroianni's sister, Jenna. She juiced some of the lemons to make a drink they jokingly called a "Jenna-rita"—lemonade mixed with limoncello and tequila. When she went to mix up another batch on a hot summer day, they got the idea to bottle it as a ready-to-drink CONTACT fabriziaspirits.com product. Thus the Italian Margarita was born. Unlike most ready-to-drink products, it features all-natural ingredients. Mastroianni stuck to the same principles as with his limoncello, using a combination of fresh-squeezed lemons and lemonade from concentrate and complete- ly avoiding any added flavorings or colors. These days, the Fabrizia line has grown to include canned products, plus a blood orange liqueur and Crema di Limoncello, a lemon cream liqueur that makes an elegant gift or holiday treat. Of course, the original limoncello will always have a place on the holiday table. "We pull a bottle out of the freezer after dessert," Mastroi- anni says, "and next thing you know, another hour has gone by. Nobody is rushing away; we're just enjoying each other's company." LIMOSA RECIPE I N G R E D I E N T S 1 part Fabrizia limoncello 5 parts Prosecco D I R E C T I O N S Pour ingredients into a Champagne flute. For a holiday touch, garnish with frozen cranberries.