top of page

De Curtis Cocktail: Vodka, Limoncello and Basil

Jun 29, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Oct 26

A pale yellow cocktail in a coupe glass with a white foam top, a basil leaf garnish, and lemon zest sits on a marble bar counter, surrounded by fresh lemons, a bunch of basil, a bottle of limoncello, a cocktail shaker, and a plate of bruschetta.

Quick Definition: What It Is

De Curtis is a modern sour-style cocktail built on vodka, limoncello, fresh lemon juice, and sweet basil, finished with egg white for a dense, silky foam and a small saline dose to sharpen flavor definition.

The drink name is presented as a nod to an iconic Italian actor. “De Curtis” is also the surname associated with Totò (Antonio de Curtis), one of Italy’s best-known performers.


Why It Matters

For drinkers, De Curtis is an aperitif-leaning sour that stays bright and refreshing while still feeling refined because of its foamy texture and basil aromatics.

For bartenders, it is a compact example of three fundamentals working together in one glass:

  • balancing a sweet liqueur with fresh citrus

  • extracting clean herbal aroma without bitterness

  • building stable foam via dry shake technique


De Curtis cocktail recipe card

Yield: 1 cocktail

Prep time: 3–5 minutes

Method: Dry shake, shake with ice, double strain

Glassware: Coupe, 180–200 ml

Ice: Cubes (for shaking only)

Garnish: Basil leaf, or finely grated lemon zest


Ingredients / Components


Tools

  • Boston shaker

  • Hawthorne strainer

  • Fine strainer

  • Jigger


Ingredients (1 serve)

  • Vodka: 50 ml (1.7 oz)

  • Limoncello: 20 ml (0.7 oz)

                Want to read more?

                Subscribe to thedoublestrainer.com to keep reading this exclusive post.

                bottom of page