Bickford's Australia spirits producer, 23rd Street Distillery, is expanding into Australia’s growing limoncello category, with the launch of two new products designed to meet evolving consumer drinking habits – 23rd Street Limoncello and Limoncello Fizz RTD.
While limoncello continues to gain momentum globally, the company stated the category remains relatively underdeveloped in Australia, presenting a significant opportunity for retailers looking to diversify their citrus and aperitivo offerings.
23rd Street Distillery brand manager, Julia Foley, said the launch reflects broader shifts in the way Australians are drinking.
“Limoncello is one of those categories that combines heritage, flavour and occasion in a really compelling way,” said Foley.
“We're seeing Australians embrace spritz culture more than ever, but there is still significant room for growth in the local limoncello category. We wanted to create a range that feels authentic while showcasing the incredible citrus coming out of South Australia's Riverland.”
The dual-format release taps into growing demand for citrus-forward serves, spritz-style drinking occasions and aperitivo culture, while providing retailers with multiple opportunities to drive trial and trade-up within the category.
Crafted using Eureka lemons sourced from a third-generation citrus grower in South Australia's Riverland region, celebrating one of Australia's most important citrus-growing regions. The lemons are hand-selected at peak ripeness before the zest is macerated in fine grape spirit, creating a bright, zesty flavour profile inspired by generations of limoncello craftsmanship.
23rd Street head distiller, Paul Burnett, said the team focused on creating a limoncello that respected tradition while showcasing local fruit.
“For us, it started with the lemons. We're working with exceptional Riverland fruit, so the goal was to capture that vibrancy and freshness as purely as possible,” said Burnett.
“We've taken a traditional approach to extraction, carefully macerating the zest to build depth of flavour, while ensuring the final spirit remains bright, balanced and approachable. It's a style that works beautifully on its own, but also lends itself naturally to spritz serves, which we know is how more Australians are enjoying limoncello today.”
23rd Street Limoncello (700mL, 23% ABV, RRP $50) and Limoncello Fizz RTD (300mL, 5% ABV, RRP $20 per four-pack) are now available through independent bottle shops nationally.
