my modern artefact

Last year for our office secret santa exchange, I made several bottles of homemade limoncello, a traditionally Italian lemon digestif with a strong lemon flavor that is both sweet and highly alcoholic. This sweet liqueur was such a big hit, that I've decided to make another couple of bottles for holiday gifts this year. 

I always use the same simple recipe to prepare my limoncello with small variation. I choose to use everclear instead of the high-proof vodka that the recipe suggests, since I don't want the liqueur to pick up any trace notes of anything aside from the lemons. 

Also, I try to make this recipe when I see the Meyer lemons hit the produce bins as these special lemons (a cross between a standard lemon and a common orange) have a particularly bright and sunny taste, but you could use any citrus fruit you like. I think that a tangelocello would be divine!

Also, it's helpful to have a lemon zester onhand for this project. Any pith that is added to the mix will only add in bitterness. I love my new lemon gadget (a zester and cocktail twist maker in one) for this task.

Since the recipe calls for the lemon zest to slowly dissolve into the alcohol over the course of several weeks, I try to start the process at least a month in advance. I pour the finished cloudy yellow liqueur into these pretty little bottles for a great gift presentation.

[1-2. c. lynn]