In a recent article about Sicilian lemons, writer Sharon Kurtz gathered some insight into what goes into making divine limoncello (aka lemoncello), a classic digestive traditionally served chilled after dinner or with a dessert course. While enjoying it at the source, in Sicily, might be ever so much more enjoyable, the next best thing is enjoying it after a great dinner and with great friends. Here, we riff off of the method provided to Sharon in her article and turn it into a reason to host a limoncello-making party! Last summer, a few RealFoodTraveler.com writers and I got together to make our own limoncello and it was a huge success. Here’s how to throw a Limoncello-making party with a Sicilian twist.

Visitors to Sicily will find lemons and other citrus fruits at open-air markets. Photo courtesy Sharon Kurtz.

You could divide up who brings what any way you want but here’s our suggestion for what the host provides versus the guests. But you can provide more or less depending on your desires, budget, and just how much you like these people!

Host provides:

1. Enough lemons for each batch of Limoncello that will be made.
2. The necessary tools, as listed below.
3. A large, lidded jar for each batch in which to put the initial stage of the Limoncello. (Guests will make the simple syrup at their homes and will pour the finished product into decorative bottles for serving – they could keep it in the jar but it’s not nearly as pretty as a bottle like the one pictured below, and it’s a lot harder to pour.)
4. You could provide pretty, decorative bottles and a tag so each person can name their creation such as “Carly’s Sicilian Limoncello Elixir,” or “Dave’s Booze, Don’t Touch.”
5. A bottle of Limoncello you’ve already made or purchased, pre-made. Why? Because making Limoncello is an exercise in patience – it takes days and even weeks to make, allowing time for the oils from the lemon peel to infuse the vodka and for the liquid to mellow! Your patience will be rewarded, though, with smooth, elegant, fresh-tasting Limoncello with which to end many meals to come. Having Limoncello on hand to serve satisfies everyone’s need for instant gratification and motivates them to be patient.
6. An invitation to gather together again, after everyone’s Limoncello is done to have a “tasting party” to see who made the best.

Guest responsibilities:

1. Keep the lemon peel/vodka mixture at their place, letting it age beautifully.
2. Make the simple syrup and finish the Limoncello recipe.
3. Serving bottles (if you didn’t already provide them). Make sure the bottle has an airtight stopper. Store it upright in the fridge.
4. Show undying appreciation for your gracious host who showed you how fun and easy it was to make your own Sicilian Limoncello.

Gather some friends to make your own bottles of Limoncello, like this beautiful bottle in Sicily. Photo by Sharon Kurtz.

Impress guests with a little history about Limoncello from a recent RealFoodTraveler.com article by Sharon Kurtz about lemons of Sicily.

The Pride of Sicily, Limoncello, is one of the most famous digestives, traditionally served chilled in slender cordial glasses after dinner or with the dessert course. One sips Limoncello slowly, not all at one time as a shot. Sweet and soothing, potent and relaxing, limoncello is a strong, neon yellow after-dinner liqueur made from lemon zest soaked in neutral spirits and mixed with simple syrup. It tastes like a boozy, lemon gumdrop. True Sicilian limoncello is made with Femminello St. Teresa lemons with zest that is particularly high in lemon oils.

Limoncello’s origins are shrouded in mystery. The truth is vague and the theories are many. Sorrento, Amalfi, and Capri alike claim its ancestry. Some recall the peasants and fishermen’s custom of drinking a little lemon liqueur in the morning to ward off the cold. Others speak of diligent monks’ intent on preserving the pleasures of life between prayers during the Middle Ages. No one can be sure where, or when, limoncello was invented. We may never know the truth, except for the fact that the traditional liqueur is often made at home from family recipes passed down through the generations.

Now, onto the party planning!

Tips for Throwing a Successful Sicilian Limoncello Party

1. Set the stage with a Sicilian soundtrack on Spotify.com. Merely searching “Sicily” brings up a varied selection.
2. Spread out a plastic or waxy table cloth or butcher paper to protect your table or counter.
3. Put out a large bowl for everyone to put their 9-10 lemons in. Think of what colors look good with yellow, like white or blue.
4. Provide a cutting board and sharp knife to each person.
5. Set out nibbles to sustain people during the Limoncello-making activities – marinated, pitted (please) olives, Marcona almonds, and cubes of cheese.
6. Once the lemon peels and vodka are safely sealed up in large jars, right about the time guests are asking “Why can’t we just drink it now?” serve a lovely dinner of pasta with shrimp sauteed in olive oil and slivered garlic, with a squeeze of fresh lemon (from one of those lemons you unpeeled), and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Add some crusty bread and a simple salad and you have a delicious reward for all of your guests’ hard work. For dessert, Italian gelato, of course, followed by a small glass of chilled Limoncello (see the reason why, above)!

A light pasta, such as shrimp scampi with garlic and olive oil, shows another wonderful use for lemons used to make Limoncello.

Recipe for How to Make Limoncello

Information provided by travel writer Sharon Kurtz:

Wherever it began, the making of it is fairly simple; it just requires fantastic, fresh lemons with thick, hearty skins that thrive in Sicily’s sun-soaked climate. At a recent visit to an agritourismo and farm near Modica the owner explained how to turn lemons into limoncello. The traditional recipe, she said, is to “take the lemon rinds and infuse them with 95-percent alcohol. Leave the infusion for eight days, strain the zest, boil (lots of) sugar in water to make a simple syrup, and stir in the alcoholic mixture; bottle it and let it stand for several days or weeks before serving.”

Here’s the recipe I used at a Limoncello-making party that turned out great!

Per-batch Ingredients:

9-10 medium-sized lemons (ideally organic)
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka – inexpensive brands work fine
Simple syrup (recipe below)

Equipment:

Vegetable peeler
Cutting board
Sharp knife
1-2 Clean bottles with stoppers per batch

Method:

1. Wash the lemons to remove any chemical residue or dirt.
2. Peel the lemons being very careful to try to avoid getting the white pith which is bitter. You may need to use a paring knife to cut it away after you’ve peeled it. Save the lemons for some other use such as making lemonade for the kiddos.
3. Put the lemon peels in a large pitcher and pour the vodka over them. Give them a stir, even though they’ll just settle down to the bottom again.
4. Cover the pitcher tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for about eight days (per the recommendation above) to two or three weeks (it grows smoother with time). Give it a stir once a day.

5. At the end of its marinating time, however long you had that be, make the simple syrup by mixing equal parts white sugar with equal parts water: 3 cups of each, in a saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, let the sugar dissolve. Set the pan aside, off the heat, and allow it to cool completely (you don’t want to cook the lemons when you add the simple syrup).

6. Once cooled, pour the simple syrup into the vodka/lemon mixture. If you don’t want your limoncello to be too sweet, use about a half a cup less. You can always add more simple syrup but you don’t want to add more vodka to cut the sweetness because it won’t be lemon-infused vodka!

7. This is the really important part – strain the liquid into your bottles (or, temporarily, another pitcher) and discard the lemon peels which will have lost some of their color by now. (Or maybe you can come up with some other, interesting use for boozed up lemon peels! If so, let us know!) Don’t keep the lemon peels in there or the limoncello will start to turn bitter.

8. Pour the limoncello into the bottles you’ll want to serve them from, seal them tightly and refrigerate thoroughly before serving. You can serve limoncello over ice, or not. But it’s especially nice to serve it in pretty cordial glasses.

Please note, links to some of the products and equipment you’ll need for the party, are provided through Amazon.com. RealFoodTraveler.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn a small amount of  advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com while providing convenience for the reader. This in no way effects the prices of any products you may purchase in conjunction with this link.

Hungry for more? Read all about Sicilian lemons, and chocolate!

Keep this party plan handy, on Pinterest.