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Lemon liqueur is aliqueur made fromlemons,liquor, andsugar. It is light to brightlemon yellow in color; intensely lemony in flavor; clear, cloudy, or opaque; and sweet or sweet and sour.Lemon zest is used, water may be added, and the liqueur is not sour. Milk or cream may be added to make a lemoncream liqueur. Lemon juice is not used to alter the taste and affect the stability of the lemon liqueur.
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 thelemon oil (anessential oil). The extraction is then diluted withsimple syrup.
Different varieties of lemon are used to produce different flavors. The variety of lemon used is usually dictated byregion. 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 (seeItalian liqueur).
In Italy, especially inCampania, lemon liqueur is consumed as achaser (ammazzacaffè) to coffee.
Media related toLemon liqueurs at Wikimedia Commons
