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    Home » Limoncello

    July 31, 2011 Cocktails

    Limoncello

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    This easy homemade limoncello recipe is very low effort and super high reward! All you need are lemons, Everclear, sugar, water, and patience.

    Jump to Recipe
    limoncello in a glass

    what is limoncello?

    Italian Limoncello is a lemon liqueur made with grain alcohol. I like to make my mine with Everclear.

    It is consumed as either an aperitif (before dinner to whet the appetite) or as a digestif (after dinner to aid in digestion.)

    how to drink it

    Limoncello is best consumed when chilled then strained into a stemmed glass.

    The type of glass you use is really at your discretion, many people enjoy using a small tulip-shaped grappa glass, but I stick with my Nick and Nora glasses, as they are easier to clean and one less thing to keep in the cupboards.

    authentic limoncello recipe

    how to make limoncello

    Although you can purchase it in the store, I find the store bought varieties to be syrupy in consistency and generally too sweet. Homemade limoncello is so much better, because you can control exactly how sweet you want the final lemon liqueur to be with how much simple syrup you add to it!

    To make it:

    • steep organic lemon peels in Everclear
    • strain the liqueur and discard the lemon peels
    • add simple syrup to taste
    • store in the freezer for at least a year, if not indefinitely
    two limoncello glasses

    If you like this homemade limoncello recipe, you might also like:

    • Limoncello Spritz
    • Limoncello Lemon Drop Martini
    • Homemade Kahlua
    • Aperol Spritz
    limoncello in a glass

    Limoncello

    Homemade limoncello is truly a delight to have around! Lovely in cocktails or as a small chilled sip before dinner, a little bit of planning lets you have Italian Limoncello whenever you want it!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cocktail
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: limoncello
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Resting Time: 21 days
    Total Time: 21 days 10 minutes
    Servings: 0.5 Gallon

    Ingredients

    • 1 750 ml bottle of grain alcohol like Everclear
    • 10 - 12 lemons
    • 6 cups water
    • 4 cups sugar

    Instructions

    • First things first: clean those lemons! You don't want any wax or pesticides in your limoncello. I buy organic lemons if I can find them for a reasonable price and use a mushroom brush to give them a light scrub underwater, then a quick rinse.
    • Use a vegetable peeler to remove the yellow rind from all of your lemons. Avoid the white part (aka the pith) as this will make your final product bitter.
    • Throw the peels in a large container with a lid, pour the alcohol over the peels and put the lid on it. Give it a good shake, because, well, shaking things is fun and gets those oils from the lemon peels moving, place it somewhere cool and dark for at least three weeks.
    • After three weeks have passed, open the jar and strain the mixture, discarding the lemon peels. ( See Notes )
    • Now, time to make the simple syrup which will sweeten your limoncello!  I like a light syrup, so. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Turn the heat off and stir in the sugar, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow it to cool.
    • Once cooled, add the lemon concoction to the simple syrup, stir to combine and pour into two 750-ml glass containers.  It's best if stored in the freezer.

    Notes

    Limoncello is best served ice-cold, in tiny keep-you-out-of-trouble glasses
    Strained Lemon Peel are excellent at cleaning disposals! You can set yours aside and throw a few into your disposal, run it with hot water for a few seconds, and BOOM! So fresh and so clean.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @basilandbubbly or tag #basilandbubbly!

    I updated the photos on this limoncello recipe, but I always love comparing old vs new, so here are the old photos! 

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    My name is Marianne, and I'm two parts food, one part booze, and a dash of snark. I live in Atlanta, GA with my two cats. My personal motto: Champagne and stretchy pants. Sign up for my mailing list to keep up with the new and seasonal recipes!

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