Limoncello

The recipe below comes from my friend Sergio, the inimitable waiter from La Rivetta, a fabulous restaurant in Venice where the gondolieries eat.  Their veal meatballs are sublime, and the limoncello the very best I’ve ever had. 

1. Peel the rind (no pith; yellow part only) off 5 lemons and 1 orange.  Add two bottles of 95 proof pure alcohol.  Marinade for a week.
2. Boil 1 lb. sugar with twice as much water as the alcohol (4 bottles’ worth) until sugar melts and the mixture is syrupy.  Bring to room temperature (this is important).
3. Combine the marinade with the syrup.  Leave in the freezer.  It keeps indefinitely but is difficult not to finish once you get started J