What does a PhD chemist, a 150-year-old Roman family company, and a lemon you can eat like an apple have in common? This episode, that’s what.

Dr. Micaela Pallini — President and CEO of Pallini S.p.A. — joins EmbellishPod from Rome to pull back the curtain on the world’s number one limoncello. Micaela is a fifth-generation family leader who left a career in chemistry to help perfect the recipe that now ships four million liters a year to over 80 countries. She is also the first woman ever elected president of Federvini, Italy’s leading spirits trade association.

In this conversation, we get into the sfusato amalfitano lemon — a PGI-protected citrus grown exclusively between Positano and Vietri on the Amalfi Coast that takes a full year to grow, can’t travel by ship, and will go moldy in your fridge in two weeks. We talk about what it means to infuse fresh peel in near 200-proof alcohol, why Pallini landed at 26% ABV, and how a family recipe became a global category leader without losing its soul.

We also get into Mistrà, Pallini’s original dry anise liqueur born from Venice’s trade routes; Limon Zero, their non-alcoholic limoncello launched during COVID; and Micaela’s own preferred serves — including a limoncello tiramisu recipe you’re going to want to write down.

This one’s live on all audio platforms, YouTube, and Substack if that’s your thing.

Find Pallini: limoncellopallini.com | @pallinilimoncello

EmbellishPod: embellishpod.com | @embellishpod | #PinkiesDown

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