Limoncello - Lemoncello ???
Sunshine in a bottle. This is a slow, patient infusion — no fermentation required, just time and the best lemons you can find. Make it in winter when citrus is at its peak, and it'll be ready to pour over ice by summer. There is more detail in my book Wild Drinks. x
Ingredients
- 1 kg unwaxed organic lemons (approx. 10–12 large)
- 750 ml high-proof neutral grain spirit or vodka (95% if available, otherwise 40–50% vodka)
- 400 g caster sugar
- 400 ml filtered water
Method
1. Prepare the lemons
Wash your lemons thoroughly — scrub them well under hot water, especially if you're not certain they're truly unwaxed. Dry completely. Using a fine microplane or vegetable peeler, zest the lemons, taking only the bright yellow outer layer. Avoid the white pith entirely; it will make your limoncello bitter. I also juice those lemons and add that juice.
2. First infusion
Place the zest (and juice) into a clean, wide-mouthed jar and pour over the spirit. Seal tightly and store in a cool, dark place. Shake gently every few days. If using high-proof spirit, infuse for at least 2 weeks; with standard vodka, allow 4 weeks or more if you like for a deeper colour and flavour.
3. Make the simple syrup
When the infusion is deeply golden and fragrant, make your syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Do not boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely to room temperature before combining with the infusion.
4. Strain and combine
Strain the lemon-infused spirit through a fine-mesh sieve or muslin cloth, pressing gently on the zest to extract all that golden goodness. Discard the spent zest. Add the cooled sugar syrup to the strained spirit and stir to combine well.
5. Rest and bottle
Pour into clean glass bottles and seal. Place in the freezer for at least 1 week before serving — this rest period rounds out any sharp edges and gives the limoncello its characteristic silky texture. It keeps indefinitely in the freezer.
6. Serve
Serve straight from the freezer in small, chilled glasses. Limoncello should be poured ice-cold and drunk slowly. It's wonderful on its own, drizzled over vanilla gelato, splashed into sparkling water, or used as a base for cocktails and shrubs.
Notes
On lemons: This recipe lives or dies by the quality of your lemons. Seek out unwaxed, organic fruit — the zest is the maint thing here. Meyer lemons make a softer, more floral limoncello; Eureka or Lisbon give you something brighter and more classic. I tend to use a mixture as I get them from trees around the place.
On alcohol: If you can source high-proof grain spirit use it — the higher alcohol extracts more of the essential oils from the zest and gives you a cleaner, more vivid result. Standard vodka works beautifully too, and is usually what we have available to us here in Australia; just allow extra time.
Sweetness: The ratio above gives a pleasantly tart limoncello. For something sweeter and more traditional, increase sugar to 500 g. Taste and adjust the syrup before combining. I often do not use much sugar in mine.
Variations: Try the same method with other citrus — blood orange, mandarin, finger lime, or native lemon myrtle for an entirely Australian expression.
