Our process

Four ingredients, and nowhere to hide.

When the whole label is spirit, lemon zest, cane sugar and water, there is nothing to cover a shortcut with. So we don't take any. Here is exactly how a bottle of Fratelli Sanna gets made.

A 750 ml bottle of Fratelli Sanna Limoncello
Where the recipe comes from

Three generations, one recipe.

Our grandfather learned to make limoncello in Agrigento, on the southern coast of Sicily. His sister, Susanna Sanna, known to the family as Zizi Su, was a nun at a convent in Cefalù, where she made it for the whole community.

It wasn't a delicate after dinner sip. It was strong enough to get the whole convent laughing.

That is the recipe we still make today. Unchanged, full strength, and true to where it came from. Fratelli Sanna means "Sanna Brothers," because that is exactly what we are.

A bottle of Fratelli Sanna Limoncello with fresh lemons on a Sicilian tablecloth
How it's made

Five steps. No shortcuts in any of them.

Small batches, made by hand, the same way every time.

01

We zest the lemons ourselves

Fresh lemons, zested by hand, peel only. None of the white pith underneath, which is what turns limoncello bitter. It is the slowest part of the whole process and the one we will never hand off.

The oil in the peel is the entire flavor of the drink. Everything after this step is just carrying it.
02

A long steep in a serious spirit

The zest rests in a clean, high quality neutral spirit until the peel has given up its color and every bit of its aroma. No extracts. No essence. No artificial lemon flavor standing in for the real thing.

You cannot rush this and you cannot fake it. The color in the bottle is lemon peel, not dye.
03

Simple syrup, made from scratch

Premium cane sugar, cooked and cooled in small batches until the ratio is exactly where we want it. Never a store bought syrup, never corn syrup. This is the step that decides whether a limoncello is balanced or just sweet.

Getting it right is why ours finishes clean instead of coating your mouth.
04

The best water in the world

We make this in Michigan, surrounded by the largest system of fresh surface water on earth. Water is a full quarter of what is in the bottle, and using good water is not a detail. It is the difference between bright and flat.

Sicilian recipe, Great Lakes water. We think it is a fair trade.
05

Bottled at full strength, and tracked

40% ABV, 80 proof. Roughly twice a typical limoncello, and exactly what the family recipe called for. Every batch gets its own lot code before it leaves, so any bottle on any shelf traces back to the day it was made.

One batch, one lot, one code. We can follow a single bottle all the way back.
The whole label

Four ingredients. No exceptions.

Neutral SpiritClean and high quality, so the lemon is the only thing you taste.
Real Lemon ZestZested by hand from fresh lemons. Peel only, never the pith.
Cane SugarCooked into syrup from scratch. No corn syrup, ever.
WaterMichigan water, from the biggest freshwater system on earth.

No artificial lemon flavor. No dyes. No corn syrup. If it isn't lemon, sugar, alcohol or water, it isn't in the bottle.

Why it's different

Full strength. Full stop.

TYPICAL LIMONCELLO

  • 24 to 26% ABV
  • Freezes solid in the freezer
  • Has to be cut with vodka for cocktails
  • Often mass produced, with artificial flavors and sweeteners

FRATELLI SANNA

  • 40% ABV, 80 proof
  • Stands on its own, no freezer trick needed
  • It is the base spirit. No vodka required
  • Real lemon zest, nothing artificial

This isn't the limoncello you mix with vodka. This is the vodka.

Taste it and you'll get it.

Find a bottle near you, or let us bring one by your bar or shop. Samples and staff tastings are on us.

Or reach Joseph directly. Call or text (313) 284 1877 · Joseph@SannaBrothersLLC.com