Lemon liqueur
Encyclopedia
Lemon liqueur is a liqueur
made from lemon
s, liquor, and sugar
. It is light to bright lemon yellow
in color; intensely lemony in flavor; clear, cloudy, or opaque; and sweet or sweet and sour. Lemon zest is used, with or (usually) without lemon juice
. If juice is omitted, water may be added, and the liqueur is not sour. Milk or cream may be added to make a lemon cream liqueur
.
). The extraction is then diluted with simple syrup. Homemade lemon liqueur often has a stronger, more pronounced lemon flavor than brands sold in stores.
. Various alcohols can be used to give distinct flavors. A higher proof alcohol maximizes extraction of the lemon flavor, whereas darker alcohols add complexity of flavor. Higher quality sugars used in the infusion process can create a sweeter liqueur.
Many commercial brands of lemon liqueur are produced in Italy, in several styles (see Italian liqueur).
, lemon liqueur is consumed as a chaser (ammazzacaffè
) to coffee.
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
made from lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
s, liquor, and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. It is light to bright lemon yellow
Lemon (color)
Lemon or lemon yellow is a color somewhat resembling yellow and named after the fruit. The color lemon is a representation of the color of the outer skin of a lemon.The first recorded use of lemon as a color name in English was in 1598....
in color; intensely lemony in flavor; clear, cloudy, or opaque; and sweet or sweet and sour. Lemon zest is used, with or (usually) without lemon juice
Lemon juice
The lemon fruit, from a citrus plant, provides a useful liquid when squeezed. Lemon juice, either in natural strength or concentrated, is sold as a bottled product, usually with the addition of preservatives and a small amount of lemon oil.-Uses:...
. If juice is omitted, water may be added, and the liqueur is not sour. Milk or cream may be added to make a lemon cream liqueur
Cream liqueur
A cream liqueur is a liqueur that includes dairy cream among its ingredients. Examples include Baileys Irish Cream and Saint Brendan's, which use Irish whiskey; Heather Cream from Scotland using Scotch whisky; Creme de la Creme Maple Cream from Canada using maple syrup and cream; Cruzan Rum Cream...
.
Production
Lemon liqueur is easy and inexpensive to produce, requiring only sugar, water, lemon zest, liquor, and time to mature. Lemon zest is soaked in high proof neutral spirits to extract from it the lemon oil (an essential oilEssential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...
). The extraction is then diluted with simple syrup. Homemade lemon liqueur often has a stronger, more pronounced lemon flavor than brands sold in stores.
Variations
Different varieties of lemon are used to produce different flavors. The variety of lemon used is usually dictated by regionRegion
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
. Various alcohols can be used to give distinct flavors. A higher proof alcohol maximizes extraction of the lemon flavor, whereas darker alcohols add complexity of flavor. Higher quality sugars used in the infusion process can create a sweeter liqueur.
Many commercial brands of lemon liqueur are produced in Italy, in several styles (see Italian liqueur).
Customs
In Italy, especially in CampaniaCampania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, lemon liqueur is consumed as a chaser (ammazzacaffè
Ammazzacaffè
Ammazzacaffè is a small glass of liqueur usually consumed after coffee to dull its taste. It is a common Italian custom, especially after a generous tasty festive meal....
) to coffee.
See also
- KitronKitronKitron is a lemon liqueur produced on the Greek island of Naxos. It is made from the fruit and leaves of the citron tree, which is similar to the lemon tree but stronger and slightly different in taste....
, a Greek liqueur from citronCitronNot to be confused with Cintron.The citron is a fragrant citrus fruit, botanically classified as Citrus medica by both the Swingle and Tanaka systems... - Lemoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur.