Rom-Com Cocktail Night: Sparkling Limoncello Recipe

Movie-lovers and cinema-buffs, this one is for you! Here’s a way to level up your next rom-com viewing night: themed cocktails to pair with your favorite classic flicks. Tonight’s showing is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, starring the beautiful and diamond-frosted Sparkling Limoncello cocktail.

So, grab your popcorn and settle in—this is one blockbuster you don’t want to miss!

Movie-Themed Party: The Trailer

Recently, I attended a movie-themed evening. I love anything over-the-top and glittering with allusion, so instantly my interest was piqued. The plot was simple: create an app or a drink inspired by a movie. More ideas were floating around in my mind than there felt to be previews before a long-awaited movie as a kid!

I decided to choose a popular chick-flick for my theme: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, featuring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. Vibrant limoncello would pay homage to Andi Anderson’s iconic silk gala dress, while sparkling elements (Prosecco and a sugared rim) referenced advertising mogul Ben’s opportunity to work with the famous DeLauer Diamonds.

Fans of the classic ’90s rom-com will remember Ben’s fabulous cherry-glazed rack of lamb dinner he made to woo Andi—until, of course, she “reveals” that she “doesn’t eat meat.” In keeping with the theme, I whipped up some cherry-glazed lamb meatballs to enjoy on the side. That recipe is coming soon to a theater near you my blog, so stay tuned.

Feeling inspired? Let’s fast-forward to the main scene!

Sparkling Limoncello Materials & Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make a sparkling limoncello cocktail, perfectly outfitted for a romantic-comedy-themed girls’ night:

• Glass pitcher and tasting glasses (for mini cocktails) or wine glasses (for full-sized cocktails)
• Limoncello—this is an Italian liquor, so be sure to choose one of Italian origin (such as Pallini, Caravella, or Limoncello di Capri) for an authentic, flavorful cocktail
• Prosecco
• Club soda
• Vanilla frosting—feel free to use homemade American buttercream or store-bought
• White sanding sugar—this may be labeled as “white sprinkles,” but be sure to pick sugar crystal sprinkles (NOT jimmies, nonpareils, dragees, or shaped sprinkles)
• Colorful striped straws—I used yellow ones to match my rom-com theme, but you can switch the color to match another movie
• Party supply wedding rings (or another fun favor with which to garnish your drinks)
• Mini print-outs of your favorite rom-com movie poster—more info on how to do this below

How to Print Mini Movie Posters

I imported my image into Photoshop, resized it, and printed it, but here’s a simple way you can do it without any paid tools or fancy skills:

1. Use Google to find the movie poster or image you’d like to use. Right-click on the photo and choose Copy Image.

2. Open a new Google document (Google Docs is free to use and available to anyone with a Google account).

3. Right-click in the doc and choose Paste (or use Command/Control V).

4. Click on a dot over one corner of the image and drag to resize. (Remember, the page by default is set up to measure 8 1/2 by 11 inches, so you can estimate how large the images will be when you print them by viewing them in relation to the page borders on your screen.

5. Once the image is resized to your liking, click on it, use Command/Control C to copy it, then repeatedly use Command/Control V to paste it as many times as you need.

6. Go to File > Print to print the sheet of mini posters.

Finally, grab a pair of scissors and carefully cut around each mini movie poster. To fit the straw through, gently fold the poster in half down the center portrait-wise, and make a small, 1/8-inch snip at the top and bottom.

Unfold the mini movie poster to check the size of the holes for the straw and readjust if necessary. When you’re happy with the cuts, slide the straw through!

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Cocktail Recipe

Here’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the star of the show has arrived! Follow this sparkling limoncello recipe for a citrusy-sweet cocktail with just the right amount of bubbles—kind of like a movie theater soda, but better!

Tips to Make a Better Sparkling Cocktail

Before getting started, review these tips so that your cocktail night is a blockbuster hit:

• You can prep sparkling beverages a little in advance, but not much. Otherwise, the bubbles in the Prosecco and soda will burst, leaving the cocktail to taste flat. I recommend combining the ingredients just before serving.
• Stirred, not shaken, is the way to go with this beverage. Too vigorous stirring will release the carbonation and ruin the light, bubbly flavor.
• Pour carefully! While the sugar crystals are large and hold up pretty well, any moisture that splashes onto your rim will start to dissolve the sugar and drip down the glass.
• Use a special Champagne bottle sealer to plug up your Prosecco after opening, helping preserve those light, tantalizing bubbles ’til round two!
• If you’re hosting and have more than a handful of friends to invite, consider creating pairs of invitees—one person from each pair creates a mini cocktail taster and the other makes an appetizer or dessert to complement it. This way, everyone can have a taste of each creation and there’s not too much of anything—keeping things perfectly balanced and enjoyable!

Movie-Themed Cocktail Night: The Credits

End scene! I hope you like this idea as much as my friends and I did! Feel free to leave any feedback or questions in the comments below.

To see how this cocktail turned out, watch my reel on Instagram! While you’re there, be sure to connect with me so we can keep in touch.

If you liked this recipe idea, feel free to sign up for my mailing list—I’ll send a quick email when I publish a new blog post like this one. The “sequel” to this post is coming soon: cherry-glazed lamb meatballs!

With that, I bid you adieu.

~The End~