Lady Grey Limoncello

Limoncello is an Italian liqueur produced by extracting the oils of lemon zest in alcohol and adding simple syrup. It has been used in cooking and served chilled as a dessert or after-dinner digestive aid in Italy, where it has been reputedly made for centuries by the people of the Sorrentine Peninsula, south of Naples. I stumbled on recipes for this beverage a few years ago, when I was trying to find a way to use pounds of citrus that would have otherwise gone to waste. My initial experiments with extracting flavorful oils from lemon, orange, and lime peels met with limited success as additives to mixed drinks, but they were too harsh to be used otherwise. My first true limoncellos, where I added simple syrup and sometimes extracted herbs with the lemon zest, impressed me with their complex aromas, beautiful presentation, and nuanced production. So when a friend of mine visited Italy with her family, I asked her to bring me back a sample of the truly Italian stuff for comparison.
 
In the regions of Italy that produce limoncello, each family has their own recipes, which they constantly tweak towards their personal ideas of sweet lemony perfection. They take pride in cultivating and processing lemons, and choose fruit for limoncello processing based on rigorous standards. The flavor of limoncello can also differ based on what kind of grain alcohol is used as a base, how much pith remains with the zest after the skins are processed, how long the zest is set in the alcohol, how much simple syrup is used, and even at what temperatures the alcohol and syrup are combined. You can find a simple recipe and description of limoncello here:

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/limoncello.htm

My friend brought me back a small glass bottle (50ml) of limoncello made in Agropoli by Antiche Fattorie Cilentane, which has a web presence here:

http://www.fattoriecilentane.com/eng_index.htm

Their limoncello was incredibly smooth, with a very fine, whitish-yellow color. The sugars seemed to hang like stars in the liquid. Its aroma tickled my nose, and smelled sweetly of divine citrus florals. When I tasted it, the flavor rocketed immediately to my sinuses and head, and the alcohol spread slowly from my syrupy throat down to my stomach and out from there. They listed the alcohol content as 30% on the label, and I only felt a little buzzed after 25 ml, with most of the effect bubbling through my head at a high, sugary velocity.

Antiche Fattorie Cilentane label from the bottle I drank

Since I sampled this true Italian limoncello, I have created several herbal blends of my own. My limoncello tends to be a higher alcohol content than is traditional in Italy, and of course I shove all kinds of other plant matter into the extracting alcohol to get various flavors and effects. Some of my limoncellos, like my Lavender Limoncello and Double Lemon Limoncello, are simple and refreshing tributes to the Italian beverage. But some, like my Medicine Maker Limoncello, are more powerful and complex tinctures designed for specific effects, and are similar in potency to my other magic potions. I made a batch of Lady Grey Limoncello this season, which serves as an example of this more potent variety.

Batch 1 of my Lady Grey Limoncello, made in August-October 2011, served as an important personal milestone for several reasons. It was my first attempt at extracting caffeine, something in which I was interested but was also unsure about. Additionally, I experimented with a kind of sigil that allowed me to create a bright image while still using the beautiful color of limoncello to great effect. I wanted to combine the sweet clarity of limoncello with the citrus florals of Lady Grey Tea blends, which have long been my favorites. Batch 1 was a great success, very pleasant and simulating, with a clear buzz that lasted for hours. My notes stated that “the flavor of [this limoncello] speaks of mind: the tea extract mixes well with the sugar and lemon to give a sustainable, comfortable rush.”

Notes from Batch 1

Batch 2 contains alcohol, sugar, and water, along with:

Lemon Zest (78g)- In making limoncello, it is important to choose lemons that have not been sprayed with pesticides or other surface additives, since the beverage requires the outermost portion of the skins. I shop around for organic lemons, and if I'm lucky and there is more than one variety of these, I choose based on smell and skin quality. The lemons for this batch came from Ellwood Thompson's grocery here in Richmond, VA.

Black Tea (20g)- I took Carytown Tea's advice and used their Keemun black tea, which has a somewhat fruity and piney aroma. Keemun is grown in China and has been the base tea for English Breakfast blends for quite some time.

Orange Zest (17g)- Again, I needed organic oranges because I'm extracting from the skins. Again, these came from Ellwood Thompson's. Lady Grey tea blends usually contain dried citrus peels from oranges and lemons, though the popular Twinings variety uses the more bitter and flavorful Seville oranges.

Lavender (6g)- I used dried flowerbuds purchased from Carytown Teas. Lavender soothes and relaxes my mind. Even the smell reduces my anxiety immediately. Many people make a tea with it to treat headaches and sleeping disorders such as insomnia. It can be used to treat insect bites and burns, though those with sensitive skin may have an adverse reaction to the concentrated extract. Lavender is an optional additive to Lady Grey tea blends.

Lemongrass (6g)- I purchased some dried and chopped leaves from Carytown Teas for this blend.  Lemongrass is popularly used in cooking and drank as an herbal tea.   It is high in antioxidants and is said to be an excellent detoxifier.   Some people use it to treat anxiety or insomnia as well.  Lemongrass is not typically added to Lady Grey blends, but I could not resist its citrus aroma and character.

Bergamot Oil (6 drops)- An essence of Bergamot oranges (grown traditionally in Italy) is used to flavor Earl Grey and Lady Grey tea blends. The essential oil is also used in perfume and massage blends. I found that it certainly added to the Lady Grey character of my limoncello, though the oil did not mix well with the rest of the liquid. It remained as tiny separate drops, and had more effect through the nose than through the mouth.

On May 24^th, I zested the lemons and oranges. When making limoncello, most people try and avoid the pith, the white part of the peel, and try and harvest only the colored, oil-rich part on the outside, known as the zest. Many people I know use a sharp knife to separate the zest from the pith, but I use a carpenter's rasp to scrape off the zest until I meet with the pith. I find that I get more out of each citrus fruit this way, and it is already finely chopped, which aids in the extraction process. I found that citrus has a tendency to remove the oil protecting the rasp.  I don't want just any oil in my beverage, so I washed the machine or tool oil off of the rasp when I first bought it and replaced it with food-grade and taste-neutral safflower oil, which I reapply after each zesting to keep my rasp from rusting. I also find that the zest tends to cling to the rasp blades, and I use a toothbrush to brush the harvested zest into a container for mixing.

Zesting the Lemons

Then, I added the lavender and lemongrass to the orange and lemon zest, poured 500ml of 151 proof grain alcohol over the whole mess and placed the sealed container in a cabinet to soak. I used a higher proof alcohol for this limoncello because I wanted the resultant liquid to be a reasonable alcohol percentage, even after the addition of simple syrup. The resultant limoncello in this case ends up being 45% alcohol by volume. I have my father to thank for this particular insight: he makes a very strong, clear limoncello on occasion that is quite pleasant in the afternoon or evening.

With no skins, my citrus was sure to rot quickly, so I promptly made delicious lemonade that same day!

On June 8^th, I reopened the jar, which was by that point bestowed with a rich reddish-brown hue, and filtered the contents using my french press and a coffee filter. In this way I yielded 400ml of cleanly extracted goodness. I made a quantity of simple syrup by combining equal parts water and sugar in a pot and heating (not boiling) the liquid until the sugar was completely dissolved. Generally, I add simple syrup to my limoncellos in a 2:1 ratio: for every 2 parts alcohol-and-extracted-zest I add 1 part simple syrup. I suspect this ratio adds much less simple syrup than is traditional in Italian limoncello, but I like mine to have more of a kick, and when there are herbals, I like for their effects to be felt strongly as well. But with Lady Grey Limoncello, I use a 3:2 ratio of alcohol-and-extract to simple syrup because the tea extract is very bitter. Thus, I added around 266ml of warm simple syrup to 400ml of room temperature alcohol-and-extract. Finally, I added bergamot oil, drop by drop, until I felt that the aroma and flavor was right, and placed the combined fluid in the refrigerator to chill.

Filtered Limoncello with Simple Syrup Added

Limoncello blends over time, and is generally left to sit for several weeks after simple syrup is added. I find that keeping the brew chilled helps my limoncellos to get to a smoother mixture. And then, when I want to taste some, it is already cold, which is how I like to present my limoncello for tasting anyway. On June 14^th, I placed a label and sigil on the already chilled bottle, knowing that the taste of the brew would continue to mature as I slowly drank or shared the contents of the bottle, keeping it chilled as much as possible. For this style of sigil, I use white out to create shapes on the glass that I can then color with markers. Each color corresponds to an ingredient, but the color of the brew itself lends a special character to the magic of limoncello, so I generally try and feature the color of the liquid as part of the ritual magic on each bottle.

Sigil and Bottle for Batch 2

I took this bottle to the inaugural Free From Festival in New Jersey this past June, shared it at my home in Richmond, VA, and carried it to Transformus in July. I used it sometimes to keep me awake during the long festival nights, and sometimes as a pleasant afternoon beverage for sipping. Most found the flavor impressive in its complexity, and its effects overwhelmingly positive and uplifting. Now, in August, but a finger remains at the bottom of the bottle.

As I pour myself a chilled 30ml dose, I notice how the bottle has become sticky from the brew's sugary residue, and possibly also the bergamot oil. The oil collects in globules near the surface of my liquid, and creates a greenish ring around where the limoncello contacts my serving container. The smell is sweet and citrus-y, and jumps quickly into the sinuses and brain, inducing some pleasant stimulation up there. With the first sip held in my mouth, I can feel the alcohol and tea as distinct sensations, a crowd of gently prodding phenomena on my tongue, gums, and jaw. The liquid feels a bit filmy, and the burn as it goes down comes as a bit of a surprise. After the fluid hits my stomach, I can smell more of the aroma in my nose and sinuses. It is indeed a complicated mixture of citrus, progressing into nuanced lavender and lemongrass notes. The tea flavor lingers in my mouth, seeming to coat my tongue and cheeks with cooling wriggliness. I can already feel the caffeine and sugar working their way into my bloodstream, making me smile and feel a bit lighter, plucked by the top of my brain and lifted bubbling into the aether. Licking my lips, I get strong, sweet notes of lemon and subtly, of orange, not the least of which must be the potent bergamot. Looking into the sigil, I am impressed with its ability to resemble both a face staring, wide-eyed into new light, and its ability to represent a rising sun tempered by pools of darker liquid, dripping into an energetic, citrus core. When I burp, the citrus and sugar rise again to my head, and a buzzing spreads from the topmost point of my skull down around my cranium. I am ready to dance, discuss, run, to engage intelligently and a bit frenetically with the world around me. Minutes after finishing my drink, stimulants are pumping through my system. I find it difficult to stay still, and my vision is finely interwoven with little particles of energetic brightness. This one is certainly here to stay!