Limoncello is my all time most favorite drink in the entire world….I’m not a big drinker but I do love my limoncello! The good news is that you can make it at home and it’s 100% better than the stuff you buy in the store. The other good news is that it’s SO simple and literally impossible to mess up.
Courtney and I each made a batch…well I made a double batch but who’s counting! We are both keeping some for our own stash and gifting the rest to teachers and to use as hostess gifts….or possibly bribery if need be! Who wouldn’t want to receive a bottle of homemade limoncello…especially a teacher after months of being stuck in a classroom with dozens of kids? Well deserved if you ask us!
We created these step by step videos to make the process as simple as possible for you. The only downside to the limoncello making process is that you have to wait 4 weeks for the lemons to ferment with the Everclear. It’s well worth the wait so just be patient!
Follow along with our videos and make your own batch. You can also substitute the lemon rind for orange rind if you prefer an orange flavor. If you’re feeling really sassy you can even throw in a few vanilla beans with the orange rind and make an orange vanilla version of limoncello. I think we may need to try that next, sounds amazing!
- 1 (750 ml) bottle Everclear grain alcohol
- 6 large lemons or 10 medium lemons
- 3½ C purified water
- 3 C sugar
- Pour Everclear into a large 2 quart mason jar. Use a wide mouth vegetable peeler to peel skin off of lemons - avoid peeling the white pith with the skin. Place the lemon peels in the mason jar with the Everclear. Put lid on mason jar and store in a dark cupboard for 3-4 weeks.
- After 3-4 weeks its time to put it all together! Add water and sugar to a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar completely dissolves to make simple syrup, approx 5 mins. Pour simple syrup over Everclear/lemon peel mixture. Cover and let it sit overnight. The next day use a fine strainer to strain the liquid into a pitcher. Add more water to dilute if it's too strong. Transfer to individual bottles and store in the freezer. Best served chilled in a cold glass.