Limoncello – My Homemade Version – Bellissimo!

Limoncello is a beautiful beverage. And it’s easier to make than you may think. But be prepared to live by that old adage, “Good things come to those who wait.” And wait. And wait some more!

This sweet, yet tart alcoholic beverage is an Italian lemon liqueur that is often served around the Gulf of Naples. I just sorry I didn’t try the original version when I was in Naples while escorting a cruise group back in 1995. (That’s Mt. Vesuvius in the background!)

Limoncello is served ice cold right from the freezer. These bottles have not yet been frozen, but the tiny glasses were filled with the frozen drink. 

While planning a six course Italian dinner for friends, I decided to make my own version of Limoncello here in the Heartland. I plan to serve it at the very end of the meal since it is normally served as an after dinner “digestivo.”  And after six course meal, everyone just might need a digestive aid!

After researching many similar recipes online, I selected one that starts with a “good” bottle of vodka as the base of the beverage. Many Limoncello recipes call for using Everclear, but after reading how potent that mixture is I decided to play it a little safer and stick with vodka, even though it can slightly change the flavor of the finished product. I just couldn’t justify using Everclear which is banned from sale in some states!

The hardest, most time consuming part of making limoncello is peeling lots of lemons…and leaving all the white “pith” behind!

It’s very important to carefully remove ALL of the white part of the peeling, since it would cause your finished product to be a cloudy, milky color. And since it’s a lemon beverage it should look like a glass of sunshine. My fingers were quite sore and my fingerprints actually disappeared for a short time after that step in the process! 

The vodka and the lemon peels were combined in a squeaky clean glass jar. Then the waiting began.

After several weeks, I removed the lemon peelings from the vodka.

Next, a sugar and water syrup was added.

Then…more waiting!

And finally…I poured that liquid gold into sterile glass bottles. But first I poured a small amount of the limoncello into a glass and stuck it into the freezer. (I wanted to make sure the mixture would not freeze solid and break the bottles.) I figured they would not freeze completely because of the alcohol content of the vodka mixture. And I was right. The liquid froze into a wonderful, slushy consistency.

So into the freezer went those two glass bottles.

I found 16 of these sweet little glasses at a thrift store, and they’ll be perfect to serve the guests I plan to invite to dinner.

And my verdict?

This beverage is delicious! But next time I will use less sugar. (And there WILL be a next time, Probably at our snowbird home this winter.) And since the drink IS very sweet I may use some of it in other beverages like iced tea, tart lemonade, or maybe lemon drop martinis. And how about combining limoncello, prosecco, fresh mint and frozen raspberries? Now that sounds like a rainbow in a glass!!

So if you’re looking for the perfect ending to a holiday meal, this Limoncello might be just the ticket. But you’d better start the process now, so you’ll be ready to serve it to your guests!

Good things DO come to those who wait.

Saluti!!!