How to drink limoncello: useful tips

Anyone who has ever been to Italy knows that limoncello is a traditional Italian alcoholic drink, without which no event can do. Limoncello is bought in a store and prepared on its own, it is drunk before and after meals, and limoncello is used as a separate drink and as a part of cocktails. Many provinces of Italy are still fighting for the title of discoverers of this drink. There is a legend about how this lemon liquor appeared. One hostess, once again not knowing what to do with a huge crop of lemons, decided to make a drink out of them. She mixed several ingredients and gave her husband and neighbors a try. Everyone was delighted with the unusual taste and aroma. Soon, the family of this woman acquired a patent for the production of limoncello and became rich, putting the production on a grand scale.

How to cook limoncello

Before you learn about the ways to consume this drink, we will tell you how to make limoncello properly at home.

1. To make lemon liquor, you will need a kilogram of ripe lemons, two glasses of ethyl alcohol, half a kilo of sugar and 400 ml of water.
2. Rinse lemons and carefully peel them. We need only the zest, the lemon itself can be used to make jam. When cutting the peel, it is very important to cut it very thinly so that the acidic juice of the lemon itself does not get into the composition of the future drink.
3. After that, you need to put the chopped zest in a glass bottle and pour it with alcohol. Leave the cooked lemon-alcohol mixture in a dark and cool place for 10 days. Every day you need to shake the future drink several times, so that the taste of lemon is more pronounced and rich.
4. Separately, sugar and water need to prepare a thick syrup. To do this, pour sugar in water and keep on low heat. When the sugar has dissolved and begins to thicken, the syrup is ready.
5. After 10 days, the tincture is filtered and mixed with sugar syrup. Your limoncello is ready!

However, do not rush to try the resulting liquor. The fact is that the proper use of this drink is the key to its true taste. It is impossible to drink Limoncello warm, so it is drunk not just cold, but almost frozen!

How to drink limoncello

If you decide to treat your guests with this unusual drink, it is worth considering a lot of nuances.

1. About an hour before the treat, the limoncello is placed in the freezer. Here you need to be very careful. Limoncello needs to be cooled enough, but not allowed to freeze the liquor - it will be irrevocably damaged.
2. There, glasses are placed in the freezer for drinking the drink. It is customary to drink Limoncello from glasses with thin frost on the walls. For this liquor it is better to use glasses with high sides, as for champagne. Before freezing, the glasses must be well dried, otherwise foreign moisture will spoil the taste of the drink.
3. The next question is when to serve the drink? In Italy, a drink is drunk both before meals and after. Lemon liquor plays out the appetite very well, so it is often served before the main course. If limoncello is served after a meal, it is likely that dessert is planned next.
4. It is very important to choose the speed of the drink. Of course, you should not drink limoncello in one gulp - you will not feel the taste of liquor. You need to drink with relish, warming the drink in your mouth before taking a sip. However, stretching pleasure too is not worth it. You must drink the drink before the glass melts. In any restaurant in Italy you will be offered to pour limoncello into a new frozen glass, if you did not have time to drink a drink.Do the same in hospitable homes. Many guests try to finish the limoncello before the glass melts so as not to bother the hostess.
5. Before you drink limoncello, smell it. A unique citrus aroma emanates from it. Then take a sip and exhale air through your nose. Thus, you will feel a unique aftertaste, for which many Italians love this liquor.
6. Limoncello is an independent drink that is not served snacks. The maximum that you can count on is a piece of lemon that decorates the glass. Any Italian table implies the presence of fruit and dessert on the tables, which can also have a bite of liquor.
7. Lemon liquor is very easy to drink. Due to the large amount of sugar and lemon, alcoholic notes are almost not felt. Therefore, many drink more than they usually could afford. Be careful, limoncello is an insidious drink that can quickly intoxicate.
8. After the next glass of limoncello should stand for at least 20 minutes before sipping the next glass. This will protect you from intoxication and help you taste the true taste of the drink.
9. If this is your first time drinking limoncello, you need to pour a little drink into the glass so that you can drink it before warming the dishes.
10. Many people are interested in what is better to drink, a home-made limoncello or a drink prepared at the factory. We, Russians, far from Italian culture and the natural taste of lemon liquor, it is better to try a real limoncello, prepared by a trusted manufacturer. Only knowing the original taste, you can try to cook something like that.

Knowing the technique of drinking, you can feel its true taste and enjoy the delicate aroma of Italian alcohol.

Limoncello Cocktails

As noted, limoncello is not only an independent drink. He quite successfully participates in many popular cocktails, introducing a subtle citrus aroma into them.

1. Orange Paradise. Mix 50 ml of orange juice with 20 ml of white vermouth, season with 30 ml of limoncello. Mix everything thoroughly and pour into a glass with ice.
2. Hot frost. The cocktail is made from limoncello (30 ml), vodka (the same amount) and a few drops of mint. Cocktail served with crushed ice.
3. Ice cream "Limoncello". Lemon liquor should be mixed in equal proportions with cream. It turns out such a "cremoncello", as the Italians say. It tastes like ice cream with an alcoholic touch.
4. Skills. This is a popular cocktail that is impossible to imagine without limoncello. Mix 40 ml of limoncello, add a little honey syrup, lemon juice and strawberry pulp. Mix all ingredients with crushed ice. Skills are served in a lemon peel. To do this, cut off the upper part of the citrus, clean the inside with a spoon, leaving only the peel, pour the prepared cocktail inside. Lemon is decorated with a cut hat and strawberry. Served with a straw.

Limoncello can be drunk with any citrus juice mixed in a one to one ratio.

For many Italians, Limoncello is not just a drink, but a culture. The traditions of Italian cuisine, as well as the taste of original alcoholic beverages, can only be felt in their homeland, in sunny Italy. Try limoncello, drink it correctly to truly appreciate the natural taste and aroma of this drink.

Video: how to make limoncello at home