Lemoncello

My parents own a beautiful cabin in Pinetop, Arizona. It's a wonderful place to go to get away from the heat in the summer, enjoy snow in the winter, and just get away from the busy "city" life.



My parents have lots of fun and interesting neighbors in Pinetop. There is a particular couple who are originally from Italy and they now share their time between Phoenix and Pinetop. Carmine shared his recipe for Lemoncello, a wonderful Italian, lemon sipping beverage, with my Mom who's been making it ever since. It's very strong, but oh so good!



There are lots of versions of Lemoncello recipes out there, but I know this comes from a real Italian and it turns out very smooth. You can adjust the amount of simple syrup to your taste depending on how sweet you like it.

Lemoncello
(from Carmine Pasilicco)

1 bottle Everclear alcohol (save the bottle!)
8-10 lemons, peel just the yellow rind from lemon
Soak lemon peels in Everclear for at least 8 – 12 days in an airight container.

After lemon peels have been soaking, make the simple syrup in a large pot on the stovetop:

Simple Syrup
1 ½ Everclear bottles of water
2 lbs sugar
Cook until sugar is dissolved

Strain lemon peel from Everclear and mix with simple syrup.
Pour beverage into glass bottles. Store in freezer and serve cold.

You could also make this with limes, oranges, or a mix of your favorite.

When ready to drink, pour into a small sipping glass (they even sell lemoncello glasses) or a shot glass. I found my glasses at an antique store in Seattle for $3 a piece!

Once you've made the Lemoncello, you can make Lemoncello Martini's. Combine 1 1/2 ounces of vodka with 1/2 ounce of lemoncello. Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. We had these once at Sassi and they were wonderful. I haven't tried them at home yet though so the amounts may need to be adjusted.