Is Limoncello an Alcoholic Drink?
 

I hear so much about it. I'm on my way to Italy and thought I'd give it a try but I don't drink alcohol. Thanks for an answer.

Yes. It is a sweet lemon based alcohlic beverage usually served chilled. <BR><BR>M

Yes. Very much so. Very strong! It's like a lemon concentrate flavored potent vodka, served in a small shot type glass. <BR>Very good though.

Different varieties; limoncello cream, chocolate limoncello, the original stuff etc...made from lemon RIND. Bottle kept in freezer for maximum damage.

Good morning, Sai LIMENCELLO is also<BR>a drink that you can make, ran across<BR>as receipe for it, while check out<BR>Sorrento web sites, basically alchol<BR>and lemons, aged... Richard of LaGrange Park, Il.<BR>Have found it mostly in Italian Marts<BR>here in Chicago..

Here is a recipe--you can do a &quot;hurry-up&quot; version for about 10 days. Sorry about the formatting--don't have time to clean it up.<BR><BR>Two (750 ml) bottles of 100 proof vodka Zest from 15 large lemons &lt;BR&gt;<BR>4 c. sugar &lt;BR&gt;<BR>5 c. water &lt;BR&gt;<BR>Very large mason jar or jar with a lid &lt;BR&gt;<BR>Peel the lemons making sure not to get any of the pith. I used my good grips peeler and took it off in strips. I also scrubbed my lemons with soap, hot water and a scrubby pad first to make sure I didn't get any waxes or anything in the brew. Put the peel in a large mason jar. Pour over one of the bottles of vodka. Place the jar in a cool, dark place for 40 days. &lt;BR&gt;<BR>&lt;BR&gt;<BR>At the end of 40 days, cook the sugar and water together for about 5 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and it is starting to get a little syrupy. Cool. Pour into the jar along with the 2nd bottle of vodka. Put back in the cool dark place for another 40 days. &lt;BR&gt;<BR>&lt;BR&gt;Here is a recipe. It is REALLY good!

It is absolutely my favorite. Carried a few bottles back from Italy (Sorento area has the best, if not only). Finally found a liquor store in Boston's North End that sells it - cheaper than going to Italy every time I run out.<BR><BR>Cheers

I think it tastes like cough syrup. Terrible stuff.

Lemon martini: equal parts vodka, Bacardi Limon, Limoncello. Oh my gosh - it is SOOOOOOO good! And ain't a martini just so safisticcated?

Thanks for the above replies. I'm sure the information will be useful to many. Unfortunately, I will not have the opportunity to try limoncello....too many years in recovery to give it a shot! (pun intended)

Good for you Sal. Nice to hear of a strong person like you.

Limoncello comes in the most gorgeous bottles in Italy - almost worth dumping the booze and keeping the bottles. They are lovely reds, blue, yellows, etc. in different heights and shapes. My sister took 3 home and they sit on her wall cabinet..I wish I had thought of it.

Well, Au Contraire, limoncello comes in different &quot;grades&quot;. I have had some pretty terrible cheap stuff that tastes like cough syrup and some expensive, velvet smooth, max lemon flavor limoncello. Has to be served ice cold as well and a cold glass that has been in the freezer helps, too. Serve small servings so it doesnt have time to warm up. <BR><BR>I like Pallini Limoncello. Purchased it here in the CA Bay Area at that large discount liquor store chain whose name escapes me at the moment. More expensive than the other but tastes great.

Beverages and More (or www.bevmo.com)

The &quot;good stuff&quot; definitely doesn't taste like cough syrup. This is an instance where you get what you pay for, particularly when you buy it outside of Italy. The store referenced in the North End in Boston (if the same one I go to) imports it directly from Sorrento, so it's got to be good!<BR><BR>If however the &quot;straight stuff&quot; is too potent for you, I highly recommend the creamy version, which is Bailey's Irish Cream texture/consistency with the lemon flavor. Still serve it icy cold though, in frosted glasses! ;-)

I don't think it's hard to find in the states. I tried it in Venice(?) last year, then found it sitting on the shelf in the local package store in Silver Spring, MD, when I returned home.

whooo --- it's strong stuff! I've never bought any there as I didn't want to hassle with lugging bottles back with me. Curious --- anyone ever tried to bake with it? Instead of making a rum cake, create a limoncello cake? <BR>

I have. I poured it into a lemon cake batter and it was really good. Then when the cake was cooked I poured some more on top and let it soak in. Yum. Good with vanilla ice cream, too bad no good gelato here in LA.

Mario Batali has the recipe that I use on the Food TV website. Its better when made with Everclear than with vodka. BTW, an excellent variation substitutes fennel fronds for lemon. Try it, you'll like it!

Nancy, mmmmmm that sounds good. Now I'm thinking maybe I should have bothered bringing back at least a small bottle. Plus your recipe is easier than one that I found on web,<BR>http://www.castiglionistore.com/ricette/dessert/001-tortaallimoncello-i.htm<BR>

JBX, I am sort of notorious in my family for pouring liquors into my cakes. I can make a perfectly normal white or yellow cake and then turn it into a fire hazard. You don't want to light birthday candles on my cakes, lol.

Limoncello is typically a less potent drink than say your typical 40% fare, like whiskey gin rum etc. Typically you'll find it between 17-30%.

Nancy: Great idea about the cake, I'll try it this weekend. Still can't decide which I like better though, the clear or creamy. I didn't buy it in Sorento the first time I was there, waited for Rome before our return home. Looked high and low and never did find any. So on my 2nd trip to Sorento, I stocked up big time! It's gone so I'm glad for the North End.<BR><BR>Cheers

Are you kidding? This stuff is great but make certain a chair is nearby.

I have made Limoncello several times. <BR>It is easy and fun. I have done the blind taste test for friends and family and they always pick mine as being the best compared to store bought. I have brought some back from Italy and a liquor store near me sells 3 different brands. In the grocery store in Italy they have up to 12 brands. <BR>I use the recipe Gretchen talked about.<BR>Try it, you will love it. It takes 80 days but it is well worth the wait.

I recently tasted Melloncello for the first time in Campania. Color and taste of canteloupe, but not as strong as the lemon version. Delicious!

a little limoncello in a glass of champange is delicious - a wonderful champagne cocktail.<BR>:)<BR>

I've heard of the Melon flavor, but haven't seen it here. Same stores in the North End in Boston have Mandarinello, which is orange flavored. The &quot;straight&quot; stuff is a bit too sweet for me, but the creamy version is very nice. Anyone ever try either of these over orange or lemon sherbert on a hot summer day? Nice!

Here's the scoop on its availability in the US.<BR><BR>I first tasted it at an Italian dinner a few years ago at some friends' home --he is Italian. They said you couldn't get it in the US and they hand carried several bottles back every time they visited his family in Italy. I had never seen it before it Italy, but we raved about it so much that they insisted on giving us what was left of the bottle.<BR><BR>Next time I went to Italy, I saw it EVERYWHERE, and when I came home, it was readily available in the US. So I think it's just one of those esoteric items that suddenly catches on, and then it's in your corner liquor store.<BR><BR>Can't wait to try making it!

I wouldn't say it's in the &quot;corner liquor store&quot;. I'm abou 30 miles north of Boston and can't find it at home. I have to come in to Boston to get it (also at the New Hampshire State Liquor Store as well). But yes, it is clearly available in the US.