Limoncello Cocktails

Summer Is Icumen In

English poetry begins with a stag breaking wind. Or, at least, it does if you pick up The Oxford Book of English Verse, where the song, ‘Sumer is icumen in’, begins the book’s selection from eight centuries of English poetry.

If you would rather start your summer in a different way, let us suggest Limoncello, the traditional Italian digestivo/aperitivo. This refreshing drink is popular in the Mediterranean region for good reason. It's made from the zest of lemons and combined with simple syrup for a sweet touch that's perfect for dessert. It's all you need on days and nights where you can’t bear the thought of a heavy beer or a bold red wine.

If you’re looking for ways of enjoying it other than straight, here are some ways to use the citrus drink, from a martini to a syrup-heavy margarita.

We posted the recipe for making your own Limoncello here:

http://aws-pittsburgh.blogspot.com/2016/06/what-is-second-most-popular-alcoholic.html

If you’d rather not make your own, there are several brands available in your local Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores ranging from $17 to $33.

Limoncello Margaritas

    

Ingredients:

2 oz. frozen limeade concentrate or lemonade concentrate

2 oz. water

2 oz. Triple Sec

2 oz. Silver Tequila

2 oz. Limoncello

½ oz. Agave Nectar

1 lemon- zest, yellow coarse cugar, and Margarita salt for the rim

2-3 cups crushed ice

Lemon Slices

Directions:

Combine coarse sugar, margarita salt, and lemon zest in a shallow bowl. Rub the rim of a cocktail glass with a half slice of lemon. Turn the lemon-rubbed glass upside down and dip the rim into the salt mixture. Set the glass upright to let dry a couple of minutes. Pour crushed ice into a cocktail shaker. Pour all drink ingredients over the ice, tightly cover, and shake for 30 seconds. Pour into prepared glasses.

Lemon Drop Martini

Add a splash of Triple Sec or orange liqueur if you want to add flavor.

 Ingredients:

2 oz. Vodka

1 oz. Limoncello

1/2 oz. lime juice

lemon twist, for garnish

ice cubes

Directions:

Fill cocktail shaker halfway through with fresh ice. Add vodka, Limoncello, and lime juice to the shaker and shake vigorously. Strain cocktail into martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and serve.

Paloma Cocktail

Try this as a refreshing summer drink.

Ingredients:

2 oz. Tequila

½ oz. Limoncello

6 oz. Grapefruit Soda

Directions:

Fill a glass with ice, Tequila, and Limoncello. Top with grapefruit soda. Rim with salt if desired, and garnish with a grapefruit slice and sprig of thyme.

Sparkling Limoncello Sangria

  

A sparkling sangria that's sure to be a hit at parties.

Ingredients:

1 cup raspberries

1 lemon, zest of

3 fluid oz. pink lemonade

2 fluid oz. Limoncello

1(750 ml) bottle sparkling wine (Cava, perhaps)

3 cups ice cubes

Directions:

In a large glass pitcher, mix together the raspberries, lemon zest, lemonade, and Limoncello. Refrigerate for about two hours. When ready to serve, slowly add the sparkling wine, stir gently. Fill glasses with ice cubes and slowly pour sangria over the ice, allowing raspberries to fall into the glasses.

Stop by the blog often for more tips, news, and tasting ideas!

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What is the SECOND most popular alcoholic beverage in Italy?

Summer will soon be here, and that means Limoncello time! Don’t you mean Limoncino? Well, yes and no. While both drinks are basically the same, they have different names, and like most things Italian, it’s a regional thing. In the North, around the Portofino/Cinque Terre region, it’s Limoncino. In the South, around Campania and Calabria, it’s called Limoncello.

Limoncello’s history is short and is not rooted in tradition, as is typically the case. There is no historical documentation regarding the use of Limoncello before the beginning of the twentieth century. Outside of a handful of families and social circles, few people drank it before 1988, when Massimo Canale of Capri registered the trademark “Limoncello di Capri” and began producing it in quantity for bars, restaurants, and supermarkets throughout the area, and then around the world.

In other words, Limoncello, as a commercial phenomenon, is the same age as the Internet!

I think the circumstances surrounding a new food or drink experience influence your feelings for a particular item as much as the item itself, and Limoncello has a place in my memory for that reason.

I first tasted this delicious liquore on our first trip to Italy, many years ago. We were young(er), naïve, and determined to be open to whatever Italy had to offer us. We had a wonderful lunch at a small ristorante just behind the Duomo in Firenze.  After the meal, as we waited for il conto, the waiter brought us a small glass of golden liquid. It was in an unmarked bottle, and he simply poured it for us without asking.  It was, of course, Limoncello, and it was fantastic!

There is a local restaurant in Sharpsburg that serves Crema di Limoncello (Limoncello mixed with cream), but only to a select few customers. I’m happy to say that we’re part of that select few.  Michele and Antoinette Bonaventura opened the doors of the Gran Canal Caffé in 1995 and have been serving the best of classic Italian cuisine ever since. (www.grancanalcaffe.com) Go there!  You’ll love it!

Below is my recipe for Limoncello. I used Meyer lemons, as they added a nice floral note. You can use regular supermarket lemons, but whichever type of lemon you use, use organically grown fruit, as the alcohol leaches the oils (and any residual chemicals) from the peels as it steeps.

Makes about 2 quarts

Ingredients

8 Organic Lemons

1 quart 90% alcohol (Everclear or Clear Spring)

14 ounces sugar

1 quart bottled still water

Instructions

1. Peel the lemons, trying to leave as little white pith attached to the peel as possible. Reserve the lemon fruit for another use.  You will use only the peels.

2. Put the peels in a large glass container with the alcohol, close it well, and leave it in a cool place for at least 4 days, preferably a week, or a month, or two months. Gently shake a couple of times a day. The peels will lose their brilliant yellow color, and become brittle.

3. On the fifth day or later, prepare a simple syrup of the sugar and bottled water, making sure the water never quite boils. Stir and simmer 5 minutes, then after the sugar has dissolved, allow the syrup to cool completely.

4. Strain the lemon infused alcohol through cheesecloth or a strainer, discard the peels, and mix the alcohol into the syrup. At this point the alcohol will take on a dense lemon color that you can’t see through. Stir or shake well before bottling.

5. Let the Limoncello sit for 2 or 3 days (if you can’t wait, it’s ok to taste a little right away). Serve cold as an aperitivo. I store the bottle in the freezer.

This liquore is delicious and refreshing on its own, but at 90 proof can be a bit strong for beginners.  It’s OK to dilute it with sparkling water or club soda, and makes a great cocktail when poured into a champagne flute and topped off with Prosecco.