I hope you don’t think I’m going to give you a recipe for lemonade, because I’m not.
I am going to promote the idea of making homemade lemonade so you can prepare another wonderful recipe: Lemoncello. I know it’s early to be thinking of Christmas, but making this recipe ahead of time is a wonderful way to have a well rounded easy gift. I hope to get one from you!
Limoncello
Inspired by Crescendo's Limoncello, this dessert drink is perfect after a heavy meal.
Servings: 30 2 oz Gifts
Calories: 211kcal
Equipment
- Bottles with Corks – enough to bottle 2 liters (70 oz) of limoncello (see notes)
- A microplane for zesting the lemons and limes
Ingredients
- 8 lemons
- 3 limes
- 1 liter vodka or grain alcohol (if you like strong drinks)
- 3 cups white sugar
- 4 cups water
Instructions
Infuse the Vodka
- Zest the lemons and limes into a gallon jar. (Use the remaining parts of the lemons/limes for a wonderful lemonade.)
- Add the vodka to the zest, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 1 week.
Add the Syrup
- Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Do not stir. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Remove syrup from stove and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Add the syrup to the infused vodka, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 2 weeks. You may wish to stir the mixture every few days.
Bottle and Share
- Strain the final product into bottles and seal with corks.
- Store in freezer, and share with friends.
Notes
You will want to decide how you wish to share this wonderful treat. I use a larger bottle for sharing, and this recipe makes about five 375ml Nordic Bottles for a true gift. Of course, you may wish to share with more people, or use as a party gift. For this a 2oz Swing Top bottle will give you 30 or so gifts.
Did I mention, this is an alcoholic gift. So, be considerate when making your dessert. If you use 80-proof (40% alcohol) vodka, the final drink will be about 40-proof (20% alcohol). This is on par with a good port wine. It’s plenty strong and makes for a nice sipping dessert.
If you make it with EverClear Grain alcohol, you can get a bit carried away. Depending on your State you can get one or more of the following with a breakdown of the end product:
- EverClear 120 will end up with 60-proof (30% alcohol) Limoncello – about the same as as many specialty shots that your favorite bartender pours
- EverClear 151 will end up with 75.5-proof (37.75% alcohol) Limoncello – about the same as straight vodka – makes an amazing martini
- EverClear 190 will end up with 95-proof (47.5% alcohol) Limoncello – honostly too strong to drink straight – mix this with something non-alcoholic or use as a topper for ice cream
