How to drink limoncello

A sweet aromatic drink with a spicy sourness came to Europe from Italy. It was there that a unique recipe for insisting lemon zest on grape alcohol with the addition of sugar and purified water was born. Limoncello almost immediately fell in love with connoisseurs of exquisite tastes and is successfully used as a digestif. Pleasure is stretched thanks to the method of use, in which it is customary to drink it almost frozen. Gradually, warming in his mouth, he gradually reveals the whole bouquet of flavors.

What is limoncello

By definition, it is an alcoholic drink made using special technology with the addition of lemon zest. There are several recipes for its preparation; it is produced on an industrial scale and at home. It has a pronounced lemon note, a fresh citrus aroma, is used as an ingredient in cocktail mixtures and as a standalone drink.

The bulk of the liquor for export is made in the southern provinces of Italy. Drinks of the highest quality are considered to be those made in Sicily and on the Amalfi coast, which is known for its natural beauties and is listed by UNESCO. Also high quality liquors come from the island of Capri.

The recipe of the original drink quickly ceased to be a national secret, and now it is produced in the USA, France, and the Malta Republic.

Kinds

There is no strictly defined recipe and gradation for the fortress. There are rough guidelines that certain brands adhere to. The average value is the alcohol content in the range of 25–32 degrees. But there are species with an indicator of 15 or 45, which is also quite acceptable. Moreover, each manufacturer has certain features. The taste of the drink each time will be a small surprise for the connoisseur and connoisseur of lemon liquor.

10 brands of limoncello are officially recognized, each of which has its own advantages. It:

• Sorrento nature
• Bella Verde;
• Villa Massa;
• Caravella;
• di Capri;
• Limoncello di sicilia;
• Pallini;
• Toshchi;
• Limonce;
• Luxardo.

Almost all names are associated with the place of production. Although Italian masters claim that there are so many families in the country, there are so many recipes.

Judging by the fortress, then the highest degree is Limoncetta di Sorrento and Villa Massa, where the value reaches 31–32. Soft and relatively light recognized Limoncello Pallini with a value of 26 degrees. Considering that the drink is intended for afternoon conversation and is consumed in very modest quantities, it does not harm health and does not affect the reasonableness of judgments.

Composition and calorie content

Typically, the number of calories in alcoholic beverages is not considered, thinking that they will not affect body weight. Indeed, one glass of sweet liquor with a capacity of 40 g will bring little damage. But for fun, it’s worth knowing that 100 g contains 325 kcal, and this is 21% of the average daily intake.

Those who strictly monitor the calorie level of food should consider choosing 300 g of meat or a serving of lemon liquor. It's all about the high sugar content used in the recipe. If we consider the composition of BZHU, then in limoncello zero values ​​of fat and protein, but carbohydrates are 100%. But if you approach the issue without fanaticism, then there will be no total harm from the digestif. But the mood will slightly increase from the refined taste, digestion is slightly activated.

The composition of the drink includes sugar, alcohol, lemons of a certain variety and drinking water. A characteristic of the liquor is a high content of vitamin C.

Interesting: During cooking, slight deviations from the recipe are allowed.

How to drink limoncello

Each drink has its own characteristics of consumption. A full bouquet of taste can only be felt if all the conditions are met. The requirements for wine, champagne and cognac are best known. But limoncello is also not easy and requires a special approach.

Terms of use

Just pouring a little drink on the bottom of the glass and tasting it, you can be very disappointed in the description of the liquor and declare all the enthusiastic stories of lovers an idle fiction. Limoncello hides his secrets from the uninitiated. To enjoy the drink to the full, you need to consider several points.

1. The liquor contains a large amount of sugar, so in the classic version it is served after dinner. Its use is also allowed as an independent dish. Just like they call for a cup of tea, in Italy and other countries they can invite a bottle of limoncello, especially of their own preparation.
2. To reveal the taste, the liquor is cooled not just in the refrigerator compartment, there is not enough low temperature for it. The bottle is placed in the freezer. The minimum cooling time is 1 hour. You can hold it for longer, provided that there is a firm confidence in the quality of the drink. Subject to the recipe, the balm calmly tolerates low temperatures, especially if it is a stronger variety and is prepared on water rather than cream. Do not freeze the drink. It is stratified into its constituents and irretrievably loses all its properties and taste.
3. Pour liquor into small elegant glasses. Form in this case is very important. It should be elongated, with a long thin leg. This is another secret. It is necessary to keep limoncello cold as long as possible. To do this, not only the bottle is cooled, but also the glasses themselves. And you need to do this until a thin frosty coating appears on the walls. Only after that the appliances are ready for a drink.
4. One wonders how people do not get a sore throat, if there are wine glasses in ice and liquor from the freezer. No one is afraid of the disease, since the amount poured into the glass is very small, and they do not drink it in sips, but slowly savor it, holding it in the mouth and rolling it on the tongue. From this point of view, limoncello is very economical for both guests and hosts. After a sip is taken, the air is exhaled in a thin stream through the nose, while feeling citrus notes and maintaining a refreshing aftertaste.
5. It is considered normal if the hostess, sophisticated in the intricacies of serving the drink, offers the thoughtful guest to pour the distilled warm liquor into a new chilled wine glass.

Than have a bite

Despite the modest amount poured into a glass, the drink has a considerable degree. The method of its use provokes the ingress of alcohol immediately into the blood. So that gatherings do not turn into booze, you should in advance find out about recipes compatible with Italian liquor.

The sweetness of the drink does not allow combining it with hearty snacks, so the choice is limited:

1. A slice of lime or orange, a cocktail berry, serving as a decoration of the glass, it is quite possible to use as a snack.
2. A fruit dish or a light fruit salad seasoned with whipped cream will not break the etiquette.
3. A few pieces of bitter chocolate or ice cream cone will not cause complaints.

Other products are considered incompatible.

Limoncello Cocktail Recipes

On the basis of liquor, many low-alcohol drinks are prepared. They vary in taste and alcohol content. The basic rule that is strictly observed is the presence of ice. There may be exceptions, but they rather confirm the generally accepted canon.

Frosty noon

The ingredients are such that the strength does not decrease, but even increases slightly. This must be taken into account when planning it in the holiday menu. The composition includes:

• 30 ml of liquor;
• 50 ml of vodka;
• ice;
• mint.

Elementary cooking. Both liquids are mixed in a shaker, poured into a chilled glass with ice cubes on the bottom. For decoration use sprigs of mint. As dishes choose thin-walled tall narrow glasses or wine glasses.

Tangerine dawn

It has a rich citrus flavor, as it is prepared on the basis of tangerine juice. For 50 ml of the main ingredient take:

• 20 ml of white vermouth;
• 30 ml liquor;
• ice;
• berries for decoration.

Drinks are mixed with ice crumbs. In addition, 3-4 ice cubes are spread in a glass, the mixture is carefully poured and decorated with a cocktail cherry. The martini glasses look the most spectacular.

Skills

The secret of rich taste lies in the use of only fresh lemon pulp. Canned juice will spoil an exquisite combination of ingredients. For cooking you will need:

• 1 large thick-skinned lemon;
• 40 ml of liquor;
• 15 ml of honey syrup;
• ice;
• 3-4 berries of strawberries.

Honey syrup is prepared in advance. For this, honey is diluted in hot water at a rate of 1: 2, cooled, filtered. The top is cut off from the lemon, about 1 \ 5 of the volume, carefully remove all the flesh with a spoon. Squeeze juice from it and leave it to make a drink. Then combine all the ingredients and beat thoroughly, adding ice crumb. Served not in a glass, but in a chilled lemon shell, immersed in a straw, garnished with orange chips and a leaf of mint.

Important: Before serving, the cocktail must be filtered.

Lemon Mulled Wine

The drink will decisively break stereotypes and perfectly warm on a chilly autumn evening. It is served extremely hot, so you have to cook it before serving, when the guests have already gathered. In the composition of:

• 150 ml of dry white wine;
• 20 ml of lemon liquor;
• zest of orange and lemon 20 g each;
• 1 tbsp. a spoon of honey;
• cardamom to taste.

For cooking, you need a small pan or ladle for 500-750 ml. The wine and limoncello are heated, honey is added and, not removing from a slow fire, stirred until completely dissolved. Then, zest and cardamom are immersed in the composition. The mixture is heated for another 10 minutes, avoiding boiling. Then it is filtered and poured into an irish glass. It turns out about 180 ml of a fragrant warming drink with an unusual citrus flavor and a touch of grape.

How to make limoncello at home

Unfortunately, not everyone can board a plane and in a few hours find themselves in sunny Italy to try traditional liquor. But you can cook it at home, especially since the main process, insisting on lemon peel, lasts only 3-4 days.

For a real branded drink using thick-bumpy bell-shaped lemons grown in the southern provinces of Italy. Any large, well-ripened fruit, preferably local, is suitable for a home-made drink. Import goes for a long time and is also stored for a long time, losing all its taste and aroma.

The drink is prepared in 2 divided doses. First, insist on the lemon zest, and then combine the resulting syrup.

Procedure

10 lemons are thoroughly washed in running water, dried with a napkin and rubbed to remove wax coating. With a sharp knife or a peeler, cut off only the yellow part of the skin without affecting the white layer. When ingested, it gives bitterness and spoils the final result. Cut crusts are placed in a hermetically sealed jar, filled with 1 liter of alcohol with an indicator of at least 95.6%, corked with a lid and left in a cool dark place. The minimum exposure time is 3 days.

A signal of readiness will be a change in the color of alcohol. It will turn yellow, and the zest will turn white. So, it's time to strain the infusion and pour into another container, again corking well.

A syrup is prepared from 800 g of sugar and 1-1.2 l of purified water. The mixture is heated until sugar is completely dissolved and the zest infusion is gradually poured there. In the language of professionals, it is called a macerate. The solution becomes cloudy, this is a normal reaction to the dissolution of essential oils. The drink is cooled to room temperature and poured into sterilized containers. Store it in the refrigerator and not longer than 1-2 months.

Italian tips

Unlike the French, who make everything a secret of universal proportions, Italians are more open. They are so sure that no one will make a better drink than they willingly share tips. In their opinion, the basis for success is the correct choice of the variety of lemons and respect for proportions. Lemons will be needed large, with a thick wrinkled skin. In Italy, they strictly follow the maturity dates and are harvested only by hand. Fruit that has fallen to the ground is considered unsuitable for making refined liquor.

To obtain a perfectly balanced taste, 30 g of zest is taken for every 100 ml of alcohol. Classical proportions suggest the ratio:

• 1 liter of alcohol;
• 1.1 liters of water;
• 660 g of sugar.

In this case, the output is a drink with a sweetness of 26% and a strength of 37%.

Important: at all stages of preparation and storage of liquor must be hidden from direct sunlight.

The little secrets of the mistress

There are several subtleties that will improve the taste of the drink.

1. The container with zest in alcohol must be shaken daily, and even better, turned over to evenly dissolve the essential oils.
2. After a week of insisting, the taste will not change, so that the process can be delayed.
3. Italians in many recipes use grape spirit, in our conditions it is easily replaced by grain.
4. Only high-quality purified water is used, any impurity affects the taste of the finished product.

There are craftswomen who replace the water with cream or milk, calling the species Crema di Limoncello. So the fortress decreases.

The benefits and harms of limoncello liquor

In small quantities, and drink liquor that way, it partially replenishes the deficiency of vitamin C and protects against colds. Liquor stimulates digestion, improves immunity and mood.

Like any alcohol-containing drink, it should not be given to children, it is not recommended to treat them to pregnant and lactating women. You should not try it for those who are diagnosed with an allergy to citrus fruits, diabetics, with exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases, peptic ulcer, gastrointestinal disorders with high acidity.

Interesting Facts

1. Limoncello is used instead of syrup for watering ice cream.
2. It is part of many cocktails, giving them a rich taste and a steady citrus aroma.
3. The most expensive bottle of alcohol in the world is considered a container filled with D’Amalfi Limoncello Supreme. The price is $ 43.6 million. The catch is not in the drink itself, but in the bottle, which hides 4 diamonds of 13 and 18 carats. Until a rich man was seduced by such an exclusive.

Light refreshing fragrant Italian liquor is known all over the world, goes well with fruits and gives an exquisite pleasure to those who know how to drink it correctly.

Photo of Limoncello liquor