Barrel-Aged Limoncello

So, you’ve never had the pleasure of enjoying limoncello? Limoncello is a traditional Italian liqueur made from lemons. The flavor is tart, citrusy, and sweet, you’re in for a real treat!

Limoncello essence flavoring is for a neutral spirit or moonshine alcohol. This essence has a smooth flavor and is a blend of lemon zest and simple syrup which is like what you would find on the shelf at the liquor store.

In addition, this flavoring is a favorite for many devoted liqueur drinkers. You can easily add this essence alcohol flavoring to your own distilled spirit or moonshine. This flavoring can also flavor in cheap vodka.

Ingredients

• ​30oz of Top Shelf Vodka
• 10 Zested Lemons
• 5ml of glycerine essence for every liter, less is more
• One 20ml bottle of limoncello essence

Tools & Equipment Needed

• 1 funnel
• 1 Brita water filter
• 1 disposable coffee filter
• 1 flat bottom plastic coffee filter
• 1 glass pitcher
• Zester or Microplane

Barrel-Aged Limoncello Directions

1. Choose your lemons. Seeing how we will be using 100% of the outer peel we recommend using organic lemons because they haven’t been sprayed with pesticides.
2. Wash your lemons! You’ll need to scrub them under warm water with a brush or plastic scrubber, remove the stickers or as much of the wax as possible and then dry with a paper towel.
3. This step requires you to use a micro plane zester quickly, use the zester to remove a thin layer of zest from the whole lemon, do it over a bowl or plate that will be able to catch your zest. If you get a little of the white pith don’t worry and leave it in for extra flavor it will make it better! 
4. Filter your alcohol using a Brita water filter or anything similar will do. Repeat this process for a minimum of four times.
5. Combine the zest along with 20 ml of essence and 5 ml of glycerine to the filtered liquor into a  clean glass jar and screw the lid on tight. If the lid isn’t tight enough, put a piece of plastic wrap on the top before screwing on the lid.
6. Keep your batch in the kitchen for the first week to ten days and thoroughly shake  at least four times over the course of this period. Then keep your batch in a cool dark area for another 2 weeks.
7. You should never skip this process. The first filtering stage should be done with a flat-bottom permanent coffee filter. I put it right in the funnel and the funnel in the pitcher.. Using a ladle take the mixture out of the mason jar and through the filter and remove all the zest and other large debris. Now take disposable coffee filters and do a double filter. Put the disposable filter inside the permanent filter and pour your limoncello through once again.  Now pass your mixture through the permanent filter one last time.
8. Taste and test. Less is always more so you can add a couple of more drops of glycerine until you get to your right sweetness.
9. Now it’s time for the magic to start! Once you have your desired flavor profile in your limoncello it is now ready to be poured into your cured Urban Barrel. Use a funnel and pour slowly right up to the bunghole, you don’t want any air pockets. Once your mixture is in the barrel, then you can seal the bung hole and date and tag your barrel. Allow 4 weeks of aging.
10. Choose how you’d like to bottle your batch. Are you going to date and label into 2 to 4 oz individual bottles and hand them out as gifts or simply bottle and date until next time?

You’ve just made some of the best limoncello ever, enjoy and drink responsibly!