Limoncello, The End

I got to leave work on time, but backed into a (moving) car on my way out. Then it started raining. My mood and the weather convinced me I didn’t want to walk to the gym tonight, so instead I decided to decant and bottle the limoncello.

According to the recipe, the limoncello wasn’t officially due to be sprung until two days from now. An off-hand comment from a wise person last night led me to think that a couple of days aren’t going to matter at this point with this product. Besides, with Guy and Megan visiting on Friday I have other things I’d rather be doing Thursday evening.

Behold! The first bottle! Prior to filling it this bottle, the contents of the three-gallon carboy were put through a fine strainer to filter out the lemon zest. I’d done some math this past weekend and headed to The Beverage People in Santa Rosa to pick up at least twelve 375ml bottles (though I knew more would be needed, I’d also correctly figured that bottles would be sold by the case) and whatever the salesperson recommended for corking the things. Thankfully that recommendation was for cheap corks and cheaper spiffy shrinkwrap covers.

The final total was twelve 375ml bottles, one 500ml bottle and one 750ml. That’s 5.75 liters of limoncello, for those who’re keeping track of these things. There was also another partial very small (formerly juice) bottle, but that went straight into the freezer without sealing. Unfortunately I’d accidentally put two shrinkwrap covers on one of the 375ml bottles, leaving me one shy when I reached the 750ml so that one also is currently unsealed.

I couldn’t very well handle almost six liters of beverage and not taste any. This stuff is sweet but doesn’t have the kick that you would expect either from the zest of 42 lemons or from the addition of four bottles of 100-proof vodka. It definitely is very lemony though, but surprisingly mellow. It’ll be interesting to see how the flavor and consistency changes after a lengthy stay in the back of the freezer.

Now that this project is done I need to consider my options for a dormant three-gallon carboy. The very helpful salesman at The Beverage People convinced me to purchase “So you’d like to…” books for brewing both beer and mead, but I haven’t had the chance to look at either yet. Perhaps I’ll take them on the long bus ride to San Francisco on Monday when I head to the San Francisco Fancy Food Show. More on that next week, I’m sure.