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Lemon liqueur is a
liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...
made from
lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...
s,
liquor Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or hard ...
, and
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
. 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 Zest is a food ingredient that is prepared by scraping or cutting from the rind of unwaxed citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, citron, and lime. Zest is used to add flavor to foods. In terms of fruit anatomy, the zest is obtained from the fl ...
is used, water may be added, and the liqueur is not sour. Milk or cream may be added to make a lemon
cream liqueur A cream liqueur is a liqueur that includes dairy cream and a generally flavourful liquor among its ingredients. Notable cream liqueurs include: * Somrus, a mixture of rum and chai spices, alphonso mangoes or chicory coffee *Amarula, which use ...
. Lemon juice is not used to alter the taste and affect the stability of the lemon liqueur.


Production

To produce the Lemon liqueur requires 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 The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culina ...
(an
essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...
). The extraction is then diluted with
simple syrup Inverted sugar syrup, also called invert syrup, invert sugar, simple syrup, sugar syrup, sugar water, bar syrup, syrup USP, or sucrose inversion, is a syrup mixture of the monosaccharides glucose and fructose, that is made by hydrolytic sacch ...
.


Variations

Different varieties of lemon are used to produce different flavors. The variety of lemon used is usually dictated by
region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
. 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. Many commercial brands of lemon liqueur are produced in Italy, in several styles (see
Italian liqueur Italian cuisine (, ) is a Mediterranean cuisine#CITEREFDavid1988, David 1988, Introduction, pp.101–103 consisting of the ingredients, recipes and List of cooking techniques, cooking techniques developed across the Italian Peninsula and late ...
).


Customs

In Italy, especially in
Campania Campania (, also , , , ) is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islands and the i ...
, lemon liqueur is consumed as a chaser (''
ammazzacaffè Ammazzacaffè (; Italian for "coffee killer") is a small glass of liqueur usually consumed after coffee to dull its taste or the caffeine effect. It is a common Italian custom, especially after a generous festive meal. Ammazzacaffè is the popula ...
'') to coffee.


See also

*
Kitron Kitron is a citron 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. Kitron comes in three varieties. The g ...
, a Greek liqueur from
citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed throu ...
* Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur * Lemon Drop, a
cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...
*
List of lemon dishes and beverages This is a list of lemon dishes and drinks, in which lemon is used as a primary ingredient. Lemon is a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughou ...


References


The Herb Society of America's Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs - Katherine K. Schlosser - Google Books

Adventure Guide Naples, Sorrento, The Amalfi Coast - Marina Carter - Google Books


External links

* {{Commons category-inline, Lemon liqueurs Citrus liqueurs Italian liqueurs Lemon drinks