Limoncello, Moment of Truth

Today is was time to filter and bottle my second attempt at making homemade limoncello. So it was off the local this-and-that store for decorative bottles and cheesecloth.

To recap, in the first batch of this favorite Italian liqueur of mine, I used Luksusowa, a Polish brand of vodka made with potatoes, as my base, and Meyer lemons as the closet equivalent to the special sort of Sorrento and Amalfi fruit used in Italian limoncello. That result was OK, but a bit rangy and fullsome for my tastes. I attributed this is part to the influence of the potatoes, and vowed to used a grain-based vodka the next time around. This I did, employing White Nights, a Belgian vodka which is just being introduced to the American market and is priced quite reasonably. I also made a change in the fruit component. I used Meyers again, but a friend suggested adding the zest of a couple blood oranges. The point is to approximate even close the flavor of those glorious Italian lemons.

I still have some of the old limoncello (let's call it the 2007 vintage) on hand, so I decided to do a side-by-side taste test to see if I fared better this time. First the old stuff: as I remembered, the 2007 was viscous, a bit meaty, almost doughy, with strong notes of marzipan along with the lemon and honey you expect. It has mellowed with age, but I still can't get past the idea that its took thick and syrupy. It lacks that silky smoothness I like in the best limoncello, and the citrusy zing.

The 2008 vintage was an improvement, no doubt. Not a great leap, but a step forward. The color is deeper, more lovely. First off, it was not as thick on the tongue. The drink was lighter, with a nice hint of an edge. The orange hints came through, and the creamy feeling was less pronounced. I also sense that this potion will be changing with the weeks.

What I'm dealing with, I now realize, is essentially rustic liqueur. It is homemade, after all. It's not going to have that sleekness I find in the commercial product. I may be asking too much of the stuff. Still, I'm going to keep trying. Perhaps I should find some Everclear and give that a go. Maybe the basic recipe I'm using is a bit off. Reserch goes on...

Limoncello, Take Two

With spring, a man's fancy turns to Limoncello.

Last year, I made my first attempt at home-made liquor: a batch of Limoncello—one of my favorite alcoholic beverages and, coincidentally, one of the easiest to make. I used Luksusowa, a Polish brand of vodka made with potatoes, as my base, mainly because the recipe called for 100 proof vodka, and Luksusowa was the only brand I could find at that level. (Most topped off at 80 proof.) The recipe called for Meyer lemons as the closet equivalent to the special sort of Sorrento and Amalfi fruit used in Italian limoncello.

The procedure took 80 days and was split into two distinct periods: 40 days with the lemon peel soaking in half the vodka and 40 days with another bottle of vodka added plus four cups of sugar dissolved in water. I was reasonably pleased with the result, but found the taste of big rangy and not as refined as I would have liked. The batch definitely improved with the months, but I nonetheless resolved to try a different, less pungent vodka the next time around, chalking up the unusual flavor to the influence of the potatoes.

A salesman at a local liquor store confirmed my suspicion that the potatoes might have married strangely with the acid in the citrus. He suggested I try White Nights, a Belgian vodka which is just being introduced to the American market after an attempt by Absolut to run the company out of business in their native country. It's priced quite reasonably, and is good quality for the cost. Though it is only 80 proof, I thought it more important this time to use a grain-based liquor.

I also made a change in the citrus component. A friend suggested added the zest of a couple blood oranges to my usual component of Meyer lemons, and I've done so. The point is to approximate even close the flavor of those glorious Italian lemons. The results should be ready by the end of April. I'm keeping some of the first batch in Limoncello on hand to make a side-by-side comparison. Stay tuned.