Limoncello

The limoncello worked. It is now sitting in the freezer, ready to be sipped upon in the next few days, and any remainders taken to the beach.

The recipe? A dozen lemons: peel them with a zester or a potato peeler, to get just the yellow part of the peel (any white will apparently turn the resulting drink too bitter). Place in a suitable container (everything I read said mason jar, but I used a bottle which had once held brandy) with a bottle (about 26 ounces, what they refer to here in the US as a "fifth") of superhigh proof (i.e. almost pure) grain alcohol. Cap the container tightly, and place in a cool, dark place for a week or two. Shake the container to mix the contents around every day or so. It will turn a yellowy-golden transparent hue.
After seven days, bring about 4 cups of water (about a litre) and two pounds of sugar (about a kg) to a boil, and gently boil for fifteen minutes to make a sugar syrup. Let the syrup cool to room temperature.
Strain the lemons from the liquor, top up with enough grain alcohol to get 3/4 liter alcohol, .and pour the liquor into a suitable bottle (about 1.75 litre bottle will work).
Now add a litre of the sugar syrup to the bottle. Cap the bottle, shake gently to mix. Enjoy watching the colour, and the texture of the colour, change: just like Pernod, or other varieties of Pastis, turn cloudy when you add water, so does this.

Put the bottle in the freezer (make sure that the bottle has a screw cap and is not full enough to burst if you made it too weak and the liquor freezes!) Pour small quantities into chilled glasses. Remember, this will have a kick to it, and you are drinking it straight, so drink slowly, partake with care, and please, don't drive!

Next: to try this with limes instead. And maybe with grapefruit.


Yours, in mixology mode,
N.