Dr. Jaglas San Limello. Non-alcoholic lemon aperitif with ginger, thyme, and honey – the non-alcoholic answer to Limoncello.
Dr. Jaglas San Limello is a non-alcoholic aperitif from Berlin: a lemon infusion, lemon and lime juice, and a distillate of ginger, grapefruit, honey, cinnamon, thyme, fennel, and chili, with sugar and natural lemon aroma, 0.0% vol, 500 ml in an apothecary bottle. Not a liqueur, not a syrup, not a soda – an aperitif base for the Limello Spritz.
San Limello by Dr. Jaglas is the bottle for anyone who loves the Limoncello from their Italian vacation but rarely opens one at home: too sweet, too strong, too late in the evening. The Limello takes the lemon and the yellow color, leaves out the alcohol, and replaces it with a herbal distillate of ginger, thyme, and chili that carries the drink. In a glass with tonic and mint, it is the aperitif that sits on the patio in summer and brings Sicily to mind in winter. For us, it is the second most popular bottle from Dr. Jaglas after the hibiscus – very popular among our customers.
Lemon up front, ginger and honey behind it, a hint of smoke to finish
The Limello tastes first of ripe lemon: sour, juicy, with the bitterness of the peel, as provided by a lemon infusion. Then the distillate kicks in, making the aperitif more than just lemon water – ginger with its sharpness, thyme and fennel as a herbal tone, honey and cinnamon as warmth, grapefruit as a second bitterness, and at the very end, a touch of chili that lingers in the throat.
The smoke aroma listed in the ingredients is a quiet note in the finish, more of an echo than a campfire. The color is a clear citrus yellow, colored with concentrate from apple, safflower, and lemon. With 13 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters, the Limello is sweeter than the hibiscus – diluted in a spritz with two parts tonic, it retains a sweetness similar to a good lemonade. The lemon aroma is natural and complements the infusion, juice, and extract; that is stated on the label.
If you are looking for a tart, dark aperitif, reach for the Herber Hibiskus – the Limello is the bright, lemony variety in the range, which is also enjoyed by people who do not care much for bitter flavors.
One part Limello, two parts tonic, a sprig of mint
The Limello Spritz is the recipe recommended by Dr. Jaglas itself: one part San Limello, two parts tonic water, ice cubes, served in a thin-walled wine glass with mint or in a tumbler with a slice of lemon. For a more festive touch, use non-alcoholic sparkling wine instead of tonic – and for those who want alcohol in the glass, use Prosecco, as suggested by the manufacturer for the classic version.
The Limello is too concentrated to drink neat; Dr. Jaglas explicitly sees it as a base for long drinks. With five centiliters per glass, the bottle is enough for ten drinks – that’s a summer evening with guests. It is also available pre-mixed with dealcoholized Sparkling Riesling as a Limello Spritz in a 750-ml bottle – ready to open and pour.
It pairs well with goat cheese, seafood, fruit, and nuts: grilled shrimp, a plate with melon and peach, a piece of young goat cheese with honey. For a fish dinner, the Limello Spritz is the aperitif that prepares the palate for lemon before the first plate arrives. And in a pitcher with tonic, ice, lemon slices, and mint, it is the non-alcoholic punch for an adult’s birthday party.
Our tip: Clap the mint against your palm once before garnishing, then put it in the glass – this releases its aroma without making it bitter. Once opened, the bottle will keep for at least eight weeks if stored in a cool, dark place.
Christina Jagla’s non-alcoholic answer to Limoncello
Dr. Jaglas is a Berlin-based manufacturer located at Choriner Straße 40, stemming from a family of pharmacists that has utilized medieval monastery recipes, classic compendia, and herbalism for decades – for high-proof elixirs in apothecary bottles as well as for the non-alcoholic San aperitifs. Christina Jagla developed the Limello as a non-alcoholic alternative to Limoncello, with the house’s expertise in herbalism in the background.
The distillate of ginger, grapefruit, honey, cinnamon, thyme, fennel, and chili is the part that comes from the pharmacy: herbs and spices that have been used in the manufacturer’s elixirs for decades, here placed into a non-alcoholic lemon base. The manufacturer describes its process as hand-maceration in small batches, certified herbal quality, and slow maturation; individual production steps are oriented toward the Pharmacopoea Germanica, the old German pharmacopoeia.
The fact that a lemon aperitif comes from Berlin and reminds one of Sicily is intentional: the Limello is an ode to the sweet life, as the manufacturer calls it – an aperitif meant to stand out, linger on the tongue, and surprise. That it achieves this without alcohol is where the pharmacy comes into play.
The aperitif for summer evenings, fish dinners, and guests who are driving
The Limello is the bottle for people who enjoy bright, lemony aperitifs and want to leave out the alcohol. A backyard barbecue where half the guests are driving, Sunday brunch, after-work drinks during the week, a visit from the in-laws – everywhere, there is a yellow glass on the table that tastes like a vacation. As a gift, the yellow apothecary bottle is the perfect souvenir for Italy lovers who have Limoncello in their cupboard but rarely open it.
If you want to explore the range further, add the San Pompello with pink grapefruit – together with the hibiscus, these are the three San aperitifs on our Dr. Jaglas page, alongside the elixirs containing alcohol. The Limello is not suitable for those who expect a dry, bitter aperitif – it remains sweet and sour, even with plenty of tonic.
Lemon, ginger, thyme, a hint of chili – the non-alcoholic lemon aperitif from Berlin for a Limello Spritz with tonic and mint.
