Recipe: Limoncello

the appetizer:

Learn how to make your own liqueur from scratch with Luscious Liqueurs by A. J. Rathbun, including recipes like Persephonia; Limoncello; Basil Grappa; and Simple Syrup.

Cookbook

Limoncello

Makes about 3-1/2 pints

Limoncello inspires the writing of songs and poems in honor of its beautiful and powerful nature. Of course, if you spend all day penning paeans to this liqueur, you won't have time to sit enjoying it on a languid early evening. Limoncello is best served chilled, so keep it in the freezer.

4 cups grain alcohol
14 lemons
3 cups Simple Syrup

1. Wash, dry, and peel the lemons, trimming away any white pith. Put the peels in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. (Juice the leftover lemons to use in separate drinks or in cooking.)

2. Add the grain alcohol and seal. Place in a cool, dry spot away from sunlight. Let sit for 2 weeks.

3. Add the simple syrup, stir, and reseal. Return to its spot. Let sit for 2 more weeks.

4. Strain the liqueur through a double layer of cheesecloth into a pitcher or other easypouring vessel. Strain again through 2 new layers of cheesecloth into I large bottle or a number of small bottles or jars.

A Note: If you live in a state where grain alcohol is not readily available, you can substitute high-proof vodka here.

A Cocktail Suggestion: While Limoncello is great alone, it also is a key ingredient in the Princess, a drink my wife created. Fill a Collins glass three-quarters full with ice cubes. Add 1-1/2 ounces Limoncello. Fill to about 1/2 inch from the top with chilled club soda. Add 5 or 6 fresh raspberries, and stir well.

Buy the Book

from:
Luscious Liqueurs
50 Recipes for Sublime and Spirited Infusions to Sip and Savor
by A. J. Rathbun
Harvard Common Press, 2008
Hardcover, $12.95
ISBN: 1558323805
ISBN-13: 978-1-55832-380-3
Information provided by the publisher.