A little over 100 years ago my Grandfather immigrated to the USA from Italy, specifically from Ventotene, an impossibly tiny island 25 miles off the coast of Gaeta right between the borders of Lazio and Campania. Just to give you perspective, the islands is elongated, with a length of about 1.5 miles and maxium witdh of only 900 yards, and as of 2008 it had less than 800 full time residents. However its location is perfect for growing lemons and when life gives you lemons, I say…make Lemoncello, and so do the residents of Ventotene. My family brought back a recipe from a relitave a number of years ago, and Limoncello was then, is now and always will be in my freezer!

For those of you who are not familiar with Limoncello it is a lemon liqueur from Southern Italy, primarily around the Gulf of Naples, the Dorrentine Peninsula, the Amalfi Coast and the Islands of Procida, Ischia, and Capri. The origins of the liqueur is up for debate, but it is at least 100 years old and as long as I can remember, it has been an integral part of our family celebrations.
Traditionally, Limoncello is served chilled as a digestive after the evening meal. It is the second most popular liqueur in Italy behind Grappa and is growing in world wide popularity. One of the things that makes it so popular is the strong lemon flavor without any of the bitterness.

Limoncello is relatively simple to make and my family has been using the same recipe for years. It is also a great ingredient for mixing some wonderful cocktails. I prefer my family’s homemade version and I will share that recipe as well as a few great cocktails. And for those of you who have had my Limoncello, you understand what I’m talking about and for those of you who are not, be prepared for a wonderful new experience!

Limoncello

1 Liter Neutral Grain Spirit (95% ABV)
Peels of 8 Lemons (Use a potato peeler to avoid the pith which will cause bitterness)
700g (about 4 cups) of granulated sugar
1.5 Liters of Distilled water
3 One liter clean bottles.
Mix the neutral spirit with the lemon peels in an airtight glass container and place in a cool dark place for 7 – 8 days. Mix the sugar and water in a pot and cook over a med heat until they become totally incorporated into a syrup. Turn off the heat and let cool. Once the syrup has cooled to room temperature you will need to strain the lemon peels from the neutral spirits and combine the combine the syrup and spirits. Now you have Limoncello. You will need to pour it into bottles with air tight closures and store in your freezer.

The Paradiso

1.5 oz. Orange Vodka
.5 oz. Limoncello
.5 oz. Campari
1 oz. Fresh Orange Juice
Dried Cranberries (for garnish)
Chill a Martini Glass and set aside. Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into the chilled Martini glass. Garnish with dried cranberries on a cocktail spear.

The Méditerranée

1 oz. Pineau des Charentes
.5 oz. Limoncello
1 oz. Meyer Lemon Juice(fresh squeezed)
Zest of Meyer Lemon
2 Dashes of Orange Bitters
1 Sage Leaf

Chill a Martini glass and set aside. Add all ingredients except the sage to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Squeeze the sage leaf to release its aroma and rub the leaf around the rim of the glass. Strain the cocktail into the glass and garnish with the Sage leaf.

Tryst in Trieste

2 oz. Orange Liqueur
2 oz. Scotch
1.5 oz. Limoncello
Soda Water
1 Pitted Cherry
1 Lemon Wedge
Put one cherry and wedge of lemon into a mixing glass and muddle. Add ice, Limoncello, orange liqueur and Scotch, shake vigorously. Pour into a rocks glass with a long splash of soda.

Limon Bacca Baci (lemon berry kiss)
4 oz. Proseco
1 oz. Limoncello
4 – 5 fresh Raspberries
Crushed Ice
In a mixing glass, combine sparkling wine and Limoncello. Place a spoonful of crushed ice in a Champagne flute and mix with the Raspberries. Strain the sparkling Limomcello mixture over the berries and ice.

Limoncello has been a huge part of celebrations with family and friends or just sitting outside on a warm evening and enjoying a cold glass of Limoncello. Perhaps you will enjoy one of the amazing cocktails I listed above, and I hope that you will be able to incorporate it into your lives as well. Remember…It’s 5:00pm somewhere!