While we at M’tucci’s enthusiastically share our love for Amaro, we have not forgotten one of the great adult beverage products of Southern Italy, limoncello. Italy’s mild climate means you will find citrus trees as far north as Tuscany and along the coast in Liguria (Cinque Terre). However, Campania and Southern Italy are lemon country.

As you pass through Sorrento and make your way along the jagged and magnificent Amalfi Coast, the air is perfumed by lemons, which grow on the terraced hillsides above the Tyrrhenian Sea. Lemons appear in many dishes of the south such as Pan-Fried Anchovies (with garlic, red pepper, parsley and lemon) and Insalata di Limone (Lemon and Mint Salad). The lemons grown here have a mild flavor and are often used in place of vinegar when making a simple salad dressing, such as vinaigrette.

Hillside below Ravello on the Amalfi Coast.

After dinner (or lunch) in Amalfi, or virtually anywhere in Campania, a meal is finished with limoncello. Dining in a family-owned restaurant, it is likely that they made the limoncello they offer, probably with lemons from their own trees. Served very cold or with a few ice cubes, the flavor is enhanced by the view of the sea. It’s overwhelmingly lemon in a glass: a little sweet, a little tart, and a little boozy.

At M’tucci’s we don’t have a view of the sea, but we have limoncello by the glass, and sometimes in sorbetto or gelato. Fresh lemon juice is used in our famous Lemon Ricotta Cookies, too. If you have had our weekend pan-seared seafood specials, then you have had our Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc Sauce.

It’s pretty easy to do as the Italians do (even thought you don’t have a lemon tree) and make your own. I’ve tried it once and loved the results. Recently, I came across a recipe in “Food of the Italian South” by Katie Parla. You basically use grain alcohol or vodka (let’s face it, vodka is just grain alcohol diluted with water) and the peels of the lemons. It’s unlikely you’ll find the popular Southern Italian variety of lemons here (femminello di Santa Teresa or sfusato amalfitano), so splurge a bit and buy organic Meyer lemons, which you can sometimes find at Sprouts or Whole Foods. There are a lot of recipes online, but you basically steep the lemon peels in the alcohol for 30 days, then strain and add a simple syrup, tasting until you reach your desired balance of citrus and sweetness. Then you’ll need to let it rest for another week. A five-week process, or you can simply order a glass at any M’tucci’s tonight!