Digattacello - Digates' and Gattas' Homemade Limoncello

23 lemons

1 bottle (1.75 liters) Everclear 190 proof grain alcohol

1½ cups good vodka

5⅓ cups distilled water

7⅓ cups sugar

2 gallon glass jar

Digattacello is made in two phases: the alcohol infusing phase and the bottling phase. The process takes 30 days.

Alcohol infusing: Peel the outer rind of the lemons with a vegetable peeler. Be careful not to peel too deep as the pith, white layer of the rind, will introduce bitterness to the final product. Place lemon peels in a 2-gallon glass jar. Add Everclear and vodka to lemon peels. Seal tightly. Store glass jar in a dark room for 30 days.

Bottling: Bring the distilled water to a boil on the stove in a large pot. Be sure the pot is large enough to hold the water and the sugar. Slowly incorporate sugar into the boiling water to create a simple syrup, stirring often until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow simple syrup cool to room temperature.

While the simple syrup cools, poor the infused alcohol and lemon peels through a colander into a large container being careful not to spill any of the liquid. Discard lemon peels.

Next, strain the infused alcohol through a fine straining tool such as a coffee filter or cheesecloth and into another large container.

Wash the 2 gallon glass jar.

Combine filtered infused alcohol and room temperature simply syrup in the clean glass jar; stir to thoroughly combine. Transfer the final product into 250 mL glass bottles to share with family and friends.

Makes about 1⅔ gallons.