To make a liter of great tasting limoncello
you’ll need peels from 8-12 lemons. But what if you already have leftover lemon
peels from making super juice… Can you use those? Yes, yes you can. This is Super Limoncello,
made from what you’re left with after making super juice. How cool is that?
I’ll show you how to make it two different ways, how it compares to the original Limoncello
and then we’ll test it in two cocktails - A Negronicello and a Limoncello Spritz.
At the end I’ll tell you why I was so proud and excited to learn about Super
Limoncello, so stick around. Now, it’s Cocktail Time. Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy, especially in the region around
the Gulf of Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and Sicily.
It’s made by steeping lemon zest in high-proof alcohol, to release the
essential oils. The mixture is then strained and mixed with sugar and water.
A very simplified explanation, but we can go deeper if you’d like to see a separate
episode where I make the classic Limoncello. Today’s process will be a lot different.
For now, let’s just try the famous Italian limoncello and see what we’re going up against.
This is made using Sfusato lemons, exclusive to the Amalfi coast, which are delivered to
the distillery within 24 hours and infused immediately. That explains the bright yellow color
and the abundance of lemony freshness on the aroma and taste. It’s slightly too sweet for my taste,
but undeniably an excellent limoncello. Can the Super Limoncello compete with this?
Well, surely not in appearance. The rich essential oils in the classic
limoncello cause the louche effect, or spontaneous emulsification, when sugar and
water is added, turning it milky in appearance. and we’re just not going to get that with so much
essential oils going into making Super Juice. But I try to clarify most of
the liqueurs we make anyway, so let’s not knock any points off just for this.
So, after you’ve made your batch of super juice, which you can learn all about in
this video, including who created it, how I make it, and why I think it’s great,
you’ll be left with blended citrus peels. A question some of you probably
have is could you make the same thing with leftovers from lime super juice?
I think so, but lime-cello would be harder to compare with the classics than limoncello.
But yes, use up those spent lime peels and follow this recipe!
Start by weighing your blended lemon peels that were leftover on the filter.
If you’re making smaller batches of super juice you can freeze the used peels until you have
enough to make a small amount of super limoncello. Same as with super juice, you’ll again find a
calculator on kevinkos.com to help you figure out the amounts you need based on the peels
you have, but this time after making super juice. I’m starting with 200 grams of leftover
lemon peels from a few batches of super juice. To that I’ll add 125 grams of sugar. This time
we’re making an oleo saccharum, literally meaning oil-sugar. This is an old ingredient notably used
for making punch. Leave this to sit in an airtight container for at least 1 hour. As the sugar pulls
the last bits of essential oils from our peels we’ll get a flavorful citrus syrup, which will
be the key component of our super limoncello. After 1 hour transfer this to a sous vide bag
and add the spirit and water. Here you don’t need everclear, as your typical 40% ABV vodka will do
just fine. I need 330 ml. To further dilute this to a liqueur-ABV level I’m adding 110 ml of water.
And like we’ve done for most of the DIY liqueurs on the channel, vacuum seal the bag, always with
a double seal, and place in the sous vide bath, this time set to 55 °C or 150 °F, for 4 hours.
We’re going with a little lower temperature because we don’t want to activate the
pectin in the peels. That could form a gel, making the filtration harder. Shake the bag
every 30 minutes or so to ensure even cooking. After the process is complete, place the
bag in an ice bath to cool completely. Then cut open and strain our super
limoncello through a fine mesh strainer. To get all the liquid out of the peels I’ll
give them a squeeze with a potato ricer. Once that’s done you can filter it again
through a cloth filter for a clearer result. If we went for the cloth filter straight
away the peels would basically clog it up, making the filtration extremely slow.
Before I bottle this batch.. Let’s quickly go over the classic maceration of
Super Limoncello, if you don’t have a sous vide. Here, the infusion is slightly different, as I
didn't want to lower the ABV with water during maceration. So oleo saccharum of 200 grams
of spent super juice lemon peels and 125 grams of sugar remains the same, and this is then infused in just vodka -
same as before, 330 ml. Let this macerate in a sealed jar for at least
4 days, but monitor how the flavor develops. Once done, strain everything through a fine
mesh strainer, then dilute with water. But instead of just adding 110 ml of water into
the infused vodka, I’ll pour it over what’s left over on the filter. This way, the
water will rinse the lemon particles, absorb some lemon flavor and allow all the
vodka to be extracted from them. To really get all the liquid out I’m again using a potato
ricer, but you can place it on a cloth filter, then twist and squeeze as hard you can.
Again, you can re-filter the limoncello through a cloth filter for a clearer liqueur.
So then we’re back where we were before - bottle, add a label, and that’s it.
The full flavor will develop after a few days and the liqueur should
be good practically indefinitely. But you can go ahead and
give it a taste right away. The clear appearance of our limoncello will really
work nicely in the first cocktail today. The aroma still has a citrusy character, but with less
freshness than the original. On the palate, it's full-bodied and less sweet with
an interesting, subtly bitter note, which isn't a bad thing at all. It would be a
stretch to say this is better than the original. It’s almost an unfair comparison, considering how
different the production method is. But I’m really pleasantly surprised by how much lemon flavors
we've extracted from the super juice leftovers. For something we would have otherwise thrown
away, this turned out amazing, and I can’t wait to show you 2 cocktails with it.
First, let’s make the Negronicello, a White Negroni variation made with gin, Lillet
Blanc and in place of Suze Gentian liqueur, our Super Limoncello. I’m also adding
grapefruit bitters and saline solution. No mixing glass this time as we’ll make it
straight in a chilled low tumbler glass. First add 1 oz or 30 ml of gin. I’m going with
Tanqueray No. Ten, which sits at 47,3% ABV. Follow that with 1 oz or 30 ml of
Super Limoncello. As mentioned before, this has a subtle bitter note to it. Of course
not on the same level as Suze, but we’ll make up for that with bitters. First however, Lillet
Blanc. We’re keeping the equal parts ratio from the original so we need 1 oz or 30 ml.
And now for some added bitterness, 3 dashes of grapefruit bitters.
If you'd like the recipe for homemade grapefruit bitters, consider subscribing to the
Cocktail Times newsletter on kevinkos.com. You'll receive the recipe book directly in your inbox.
And the last part, 2 drops of 20% saline solution. Salt will enhance the bright citrus notes
that will really make this Negroni variant pop. Then stir to chill and dilute. Add more ice
to fill the glass before spraying and garnishing the cocktail with a grapefruit peel. I prefer
a small coin to a long swath, but you do you. I’ll take a few sips before I show
you the Limoncello Spritz and tell you the story of how I got introduced
to Super Limoncello in the first place. Saluti! Predictably, the Nigronicello has a citrusy aroma,
with lemon and grapefruit taking the lead on the palette as well. But all other elements are
doing their part too - the combination of gin and Lillet introduces herbal notes and
harmonizes this twist on the White Negroni. Let’s see if the Super Limoncello
works so well in the Spritz format too. Alongside our limoncello we’ll
also use prosecco, soda water, elderflower liqueur, and saline solution.
I’ll build this in the glass too, but here we’re of course using a chilled
stemmed glass, filled with ice. Start with 2.5 oz or 75 ml of prosecco. I’m of
course using FIOL, still thinking about that amazing weekend when they hosted us in Treviso.
Next, 1.25 oz, or 37,5 ml of homemade limoncello. Fun fact, bell jiggers usually
don’t have that measure marked, but some japanese jiggers do.
For a little floral flavor add 0.25 oz or 7.5 ml of elderflower liqueur. Bonus points
if it’s homemade, but St. Germain works too. Follow that with 2 drops of saline solution. Salt
will enhance the flavors, just like in cooking. And lastly, it wouldn’t be a spritz
without a spritz of soda water. Give everything a gentle mix with a bar spoon and
add the garnish - a mint bouquet. Give it a spank on the side of the glass to release the essential
oils, place it in the glass and say saluti. You’ll get mint, lemon and prosecco on
the nose, followed by a refreshing and citrusy taste. Elderflower subtly adds a
floral note but stays in the background. I’m not exaggerating when I say this is
one of the better spritzes you can make. That’s why you’ll quickly get to the bottom of
the glass, just like you did right now. Add a lemon emoji to let me know you’re still here.
I really love seeing how many of you make it to the end of the episodes, and today
I’m proud to share with you how I got the recipe for the Super Limoncello.
It was created at a cocktail bar I used to work at, by two of my students, Lovro and Djan.
With the bar going through a lot of super juice, they thought it was a shame to discard
the leftover lemons so they worked on a way to reuse them and created this lemon liqueur.
I love sustainable practices so it filled me with pride and joy to see them bring this to life.
You’ll find their instagram handles in the description. I hope you’ll give
them a follow to support their work. For more DIY liqueurs, check out this playlist.
I’ll see you next time, Friends of Cocktails!
