Giadas Limoncello Mint Spritzers Recipes

LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.
• Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.

GIADA'S LIMONCELLO MINT SPRITZERS

Steps:

• Coarsely crush the ice cubes, then fill 4 tall skinny drink glasses halfway full with the ice.
• Add 1/4 cup mint leaves to each glass and, using a muddle stick or the handle of a wooden spoon, crush the mint leaves together with the ice (this is called "muddling").
• Add 1/2 cup limoncello to each glass, and stir.
• Add 1/4 cup of club soda to the top of each drink, and serve.
• Note: on the show, Giada made her own limoncello from limes rather than from lemon, vodka, and simple syrup, with a week or marinating; if you can find a lime-based limoncello in the store, wonderful (we've only made it ourselves at home) - but otherwise you can use conventional limoncello.
• Also, you could quarter a lime and put each quarter on the edge of the glasses, so that guests could add a squeeze of lime juice into their spritzer.

LIME-ONCELLO SPRITZERS WITH MINT

Steps:

• To make limoncello: Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the limes in long strips (reserve the limes for another use). Place the lime peels in a 1-quart jar. Pour the vodka over the peels and screw on the lid. Steep the lime peels in the vodka for 1 week at room temperature.
• Stir the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely, then stir in the vodka mixture. Strain the liquids into bottles, pressing on the peels to extract as much liquid as possible. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.
• To make spritzers: Fill 4 tall glasses halfway with ice. Add the mint leaves. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, coarsely crush the mint leaves into the ice. Pour some limoncello over, and stir to blend. Add a splash of club soda and serve.