Limoncello
Homemade Amalfi Coast limoncello, made the way Antonio's family has always made it — with lemons so good they don't need much else.
The Story Behind This Recipe
Antonio's family has grown lemons on the terraced slopes above Positano for four generations. The lemons on the Amalfi Coast are a different thing from what you find in a supermarket: fat, heavily aromatic, with thick pithy rinds and a sweetness underneath the acid that makes them almost edible on their own. When Antonio peels one, the oil from the skin mists into the air and you can smell it from across the room.
His grandmother made limoncello for family. His mother made it for neighbors and the small village trattoria his uncle ran for thirty years. Antonio makes it for himself, for guests, and now for us — CDV groups who sit in his terraced garden in the late afternoon, the sea below, and share a cold glass before dinner.
The recipe is disarmingly simple: lemon zest, alcohol, sugar, water. The craft is entirely in the waiting and in the quality of the lemons. Antonio won't tell you how long to infuse — he'll tell you to taste it every few days until it's right, which is exactly what his grandmother told him. The limoncello you make at home will not be the same as what you drink on the Amalfi Coast. But it will remind you of it, which is worth a great deal.
Tuscany & Amalfi Coast
10 Days · Up to 12 guests · From $5,495 per person
Maria will teach you her grandmother's pasta. Marco will pour wine from vines his family has tended for four generations. By day three, they'll greet you by name.
Ingredients
Serves 12- 10 large organic, unwaxed lemons (Amalfi or Sorrento if you can find them)
- 700ml (3 cups) grain alcohol (95%) or the best unflavored vodka you can find
- 600g (3 cups) granulated white sugar
- 700ml (3 cups) filtered water
Directions
- 1
Wash the lemons thoroughly with a brush under warm water. Dry them well. Using a vegetable peeler or sharp zester, peel the lemons in long strips, taking only the bright yellow zest and leaving behind the white pith. The pith is bitter — take your time.
Tip: Antonio holds each lemon up to the light to check for any white showing through the strips. Even a little pith will make the final limoncello cloudy and bitter.
- 2
Place the lemon zest in a large clean glass jar (at least 1.5 liters). Pour the alcohol over the zest. Seal the jar tightly and store in a cool, dark place for a minimum of 7 days, ideally 14. Give the jar a gentle shake every couple of days.
- 3
After the infusion period, the alcohol will have turned a vivid, deep yellow and smell intensely of lemon. Strain out the zest through a fine-mesh sieve and discard it.
- 4
Make the simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely — about 5 minutes. Do not let it boil hard. Remove from heat and let it cool completely to room temperature.
Tip: The syrup must be fully cold before mixing with the alcohol, or it will cloud the limoncello.
- 5
Combine the cold syrup with the strained lemon alcohol. Stir well. Taste: it should be intensely lemony, pleasantly sweet, and warming but not burning. Adjust sweetness by making a little extra syrup if needed.
- 6
Pour into clean glass bottles (sterilized with boiling water) and seal. Store in the freezer. Limoncello is served ice-cold, straight from the freezer, in small chilled glasses. It will keep for up to a year in the freezer, though it won't last that long.
Tip: Antonio stores his bottles in the freezer for at least another week before serving. The flavors continue to mellow and integrate.
Tuscany & Amalfi Coast
10 Days · 12 guests max · From $5,495
Maria will teach you her grandmother's pasta. Marco will pour wine from vines his family has tended for four generations.
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