How this Southern California Italian restaurant capitalized on a viral limoncello that takes months to make

When life gives people lemons, most try to make the best out of a bad situation. Instead, Beau du Bois, vice president of bar and spirits at Marisi Italian restaurant in La Jolla, California, found himself with an incredible opportunity.

In 2021, the Adler and Lombrozo families, owners of the Puesto Mexican restaurant chain, tapped du Bois to build Marisi’s bar program from the ground up. One of the first actions du Bois took when learning about this new venture was starting a batch of limoncello, using a lesser-known Amalfi Coast technique.

“They told me about Marisi almost exactly a year before we opened,” du Bois tells Fast Company. “And the very next day, even though I’ve got 364 days to get the restaurant open, I started making the limoncello right away.”

Du Bois had excellent timing, as the appetite for limoncello in the United States has been on the rise. According to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, global limoncello volumes grew at a compound annual rate of 8% between 2019 and 2024.

In 2024, the top three markets for limoncello were Italy, Germany, and the United States, in that order. The U.S. has seen steady average annual growth of 5%. The IWSR predicts the figure will continue its upward trend, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 2% from 2024 to 2029.

Even though Du Bois’s preferred preindustrial limoncello process has been a part of the restaurant since its 2022 opening, it’s recently made a big splash on social media.

An Instagram reel documenting the procedure has garnered over four million views and reveals larger trends in the hospitality industry. 

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Six months but worth the wait

Similar to with the slow-food movement and the craft beer craze, people are yearning for more than just rushed meals or cocktails. They want to have an authentic experience and learn about the thought and preparation that goes into crafting the food and drink that ends up on their tables.

Du Bois’s limoncello takes six months to prepare, and this time-intensive undertaking is displayed as a kind of decor throughout the restaurant, with glass carboys lined up on shelves.

The process itself is fairly simple: Sorrento lemons are suspended in a cheesecloth above Everclear in large, clear containers.

As the temperature gets warmer, the Everclear turns into gas, but since it has nowhere to go, it eventually turns back into liquid, washing over the outside of the lemons. The alcohol only comes into contact with the outside of the lemon, where the sweet oils are found making a much more pleasing product, du Bois says.

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The final step is to proof down the mixture with just the right amount of water and sugar.

There’s a method behind the madness, according to du Bois. 

“You completely remove that need to counterbalance your limoncello with too much sugar because your traditional maceration is too bitter,” he says. “No matter how sweet you make it, you’re still going to have this bitter oil all over your mouth. And that’s not a soigné experience.”

Du Bois even got the ultimate seal of approval for his creation.

“We were doing a tasting before we officially opened and we were operating out of one of our other restaurants,” he says. “We had food vendors coming in and tasting us. I had a very specific small Italian portfolio come through with a lot of beautiful amaros and a lot of different Italian liquors. And, of course, even though I didn’t request it, he brought limoncello. He doesn’t know that I’m making it.”

Du Bois went along with the tasting, but at the end told the man he was making his own and offered a sample. The Italian salesman was rightfully skeptical that a person from Indiana located in San Diego could create a palatable liquor, but he was willing to try it.

“I poured it for him. If I’m remembering it correctly, I think I almost saw a tear. And he was like, ‘Why did you do this to me? . . . This is the best limoncello I’ve ever had in my life,’” du Bois recalls.

It was just the affirmation he needed.

“Innovation shows you a way” 

Marisi’s signature limoncello is indicative of the overall ethos of the bar program. “It’s a technique-driven cocktail program,” he explained. “It has been since day one, but I wanted the menu to be very approachable. So we’re not spotlighting the techniques necessarily on the menu, but the staff is trained very, very thoroughly on the techniques.”

This is not to say that du Bois doesn’t feel the tension between authenticity and innovation, but he believes there is a way to marry the two concepts.

“You can rest in the laurels of authenticity and tradition until innovation shows you a way to keep the cocktail true to itself in terms of flavor and the ethos of the drink originally,” he says. “But the minute you find a better way to do it, if you don’t do it, somebody else will.”

Ramping up production

Marisi’s Bellinis are made by clarifying white peaches in a centrifuge and adding a crisp Vinho Verde. Then all the ingredients are force carbonated so that when it’s poured for you, it’s not only ice cold but also has the same effervescence as a good champagne. 

Another hurdle du Bois had to face was making his technique-driven program service efficient. Time is an ingredient in his limoncello, so he has to make sure to have an abundance of it on hand at all times.

Du Bois believes that part of his job description is educating the public about the process.

“I always want you to think about me when you’re with someone else,” he jokes. “You’ve been to Marisi and you had a Bellini or you had the limoncello. Then you go to another Italian restaurant. You are like, why is this so different? And it’s just because we overthought it.”

Du Bois puts in the work so you can enjoy the best cocktail possible. And he isn’t afraid to share his recipes and insights either.

Since the initial Instagram post, there have been two follow-up videos revealing more about the process and responding to comments.

The restaurant has since seen a 40% increase in limoncello sales, especially among younger customers.

This has “forced our team to ramp up the production of it significantly,” Du Bois says. “We’ve also incorporated our limoncello into a popular cocktail on the menu as well as our new Tiramisu.”

“You’ve gotta find a way to get to a larger audience,” he adds. “And bring in new enthusiasts. If I share my recipes, I’m increasing the likelihood that I will have a good cocktail in the city tonight.”

So the next time life gives you lemons, consider taking yourself out for a meal and drinks. Ask your server about the process behind your favorite food or drinks, because it will make them taste that much better.

Both your appetite and your mind will be satiated. 

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