How to make limoncella

Homebrewing — By on October 1, 2007 at 2:53 pm

While traveling in Italy, we came across a very interesting drink called Limoncella (lemoncella or Liquore al limone).  It is a bit like a lemon drop, but much better.  For this recipe you need 8 lemons, sugar, water, and a liter of vodka.  In Italy they actually use a very high alcohol brandy (not easily found in the United States), however any high alcohol neutral spirit should work.

Here is the recipe:

  • Peel 8 (or more) lemons using a vegetable peeler.  Try to remove as much of the rind (white part) of the lemon skin as possible.  Put the peels in 32 ounces (1 liter) of neutral alcohol (vodka) and wait at least 4 days.
  • Next prepare a syrup made of 32 ounces (1 liter) of lukewarm water and 2 1/4 lbs (1 kilogram) of sugar.
  • Combine the syrup and the lemon infusion and mix well.  Store for another 3 days.
  • Filter the solution through a coffee filter (or paper towel if you don’t drink coffee).  This will remove the peels and any other impurities.

Serve the Limoncella very cold.  The limoncella is usually served after dinner in a small port-like glass.

Enjoy!

Lemon grove in Italy

Lemon grove in Italy

I am a avid homebrewer and winemaker. I’ve been making my own beer and wine for many years. I started making beer when I was in college (mostly because the drinking age in the United States is 21). My first few beers were horrible. The beers are much better now, and I often supply my neighborhood with free beer!

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  • Fabio Saliu

    I suggest to keep the peels more time in infusion, at least 2 weeks-a month. In Italy we use 95% ethanol, considering that the vodka is 40% with this recipe you will have a lighter lemon taste. The molecules giving the lemon flavour are soluble in alchol but not in water, so less the alchol less the taste.
    The most common recipe is:
    1lt 95% ethanol (i wonder why is hard to find in the USA)
    600/700gr of sugar
    roughly 1lt of water

    Maybe using vodka you should use just few water to keep it alcholic, tipically is around 35% but it’s a matter of taste at the end.
    Just be sure to be using pesticide free lemons!