Homemade Limoncello Liqueur
There was a time in my life that I worked as a waitress in a bar which led me to become a bartender. Many times, I picked up a few different bottles of alcohol or liqueur and tried to create drinks on my own. I don’t think the word “mixologist” was used back then but it is what I was doing…
We all have our favorite foods, desserts, cocktails and wine 🍷. The big advantage I had of working in a bar was to try different kinds of alcohol and mixed drinks. As some of you may already know, I love lemon 🍋 flavor so when I came across this particular Italian liqueur, I was quite pleased. Also back then, I was dating my Italian boyfriend and through his family and friends, I tried a few interesting homemade liqueurs such as Grappa, Nocino, Amaro (do not confuse it with Amaretto… it’s not the same) as well as Limoncello. One day, years later after Carlos and I broke up, I thought it shouldn’t be that hard to duplicate some of them so here’s my version of Homemade Limoncello Liqueur!
This awesome lemony liqueur is very versatile. Not only is this homemade Limoncello liqueur great for cocktails but it can also be used as an ingredient for savory or sweet recipes such as my Tarragon Limoncello Halibut or my Limoncello Crème Brûlée. A couple of years ago, I also shared one of my “mixology” creations with you which was my Cosmocello. I will be posting more recipes that use this lovely liqueur so stay tuned!
I use Meyer Lemons 🍋 because this hybrid fruit is a cross between lemon and mandarin/pomelo giving them the lowest acidity. Can you use another kind of lemon? Of course, as long as you find some with low acid levels so the liqueur doesn’t taste bitter. Traditionally, the lemons used for this lovely liqueur is Sfusato d’Amalfi because of their low acidity level.
I make my Limoncello with pure alcohol but if you can’t get any or depending on your Government laws, you can always substitute vodka.
Some quick trivia…
Did you know that Limoncello is the second most popular liqueur in Italy? The star is Campari. I thought I would just throw that out for fun 😀
The cost of making this liqueur is pretty low 💰 considering that you will have almost 3 liters after the recipe is made. This Homemade Limoncello Liqueur is so flavorful… it’s definitely a beautiful way to enjoy this amazing classic Italian liqueur. Like I always say when I post any “alcohol beverages”, please drink responsibly and don’t drink & drive… it’s not cool!
Salute!🥂
NOTE: To sterilize the bottles, place them with the lids open so the water can get inside in a large pot of boiling water and let them sit for 10 minutes before carefully removing and inverting them to drain any excess water.
Check out these other tasty cocktail recipes…🍸🍹🥃
– Manhattan Cocktail
– Blood Orange Martini
– Blackberry Mojito
– Mixed Berry Margarita
– Golden Sunset
– Spanish Sangria
– Chocolate Grasshopper Martini
and for even more great cocktail, smoothie, and alcohol-free beverage recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Beverages
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Homemade Limoncello Liqueur
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Ingredients
- 8-9 large lemons preferably Meyers, washed and dried
- 1.14 liters (40 ounces) 94% alcohol
- 4 cups granulated sugar Footnote
- 5 cups distilled water
Directions
- Remove the lemon peel with a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, avoid removing the white pith which is bitter.
- Transfer the peels to a 1 gallon glass jar. Pour in alcohol, stir, close tightly and place the jar in a cool, dark place, undisturbed, for 5 weeks.
- Juice the skinless lemons and pour the liquid into an ice cube tray (volume of each cavity is about 1 tbsp.). Transfer to the freezer until solid. Transfer lemon cubes in a re-sealable plastic freezer bag until needed for a recipe that calls for 1 tbsp. lemon juice.
- When the 35 days period is up, place cheesecloth at the bottom and the sides of a colander; place colander over a large pot. Pour in the alcohol and peels into the lined colander; drain well. Remove the cheese cloth and discard the peels.
- Transfer the pot to a stove and add sugar with distilled water. On medium-high heat, stir mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Just before the limoncello starts boiling, remove from the heat to cool off.
- Pour the liqueur into sterilized bottles, close the lids, wipe and let them sit for 7 to 10 days before serving.
Notes
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