HI! I had the same problem at the 4th Ave. S store. I asked for everclear and the guy looked at me askance and said “The 151?” I innocently replied “No, the 190” and immediately felt like a criminal . . . he said I had to have a license for it and “do you have a license?” Ummm, no. So I’ll just slink out of the story with a big bottle of Jack for my trouble.

And all I wanted was to try a bit of kumquat-cello!

So we started a batch with the ancient real stuff Dana brought back from Michigan ($9.42) only evaporation will bring it to sub 190 levels.

Hell just go to Idaho and buy a case!Thats we we used to do when my grandma would make a big thing of OJ and make everclear screwdrivers!

Authentic limoncello is only made in Italy-a domestic limoncello is NOT limoncello-it should be called a lemon liquer or infusion…

Okay, I’ll bite. I believe my Italian friends that talk about the growing conditions for porcini mushrooms and Alba truffles that are unique to Italy. And nobody argues about the Italian system for wine appellations (Denominazione di Origine Controllata). But nearly pure grain alcohol is by definition characterless, sugar is just crystals of a single molecule, so that leaves the lemon peels. Is there something special about the variety or horticulture for Italian lemons?

Hey, Rob, I wish I had YOUR grandmother when I grew up! :-)

agreed. Maria needs to chill. unless those lemons are exceptional.

So traditional Italian limoncello is made with Sorrento lemons, so perhaps Maria has a point. I heard someplace(s) in California are growing Sorrento lemons. I think we owe it to ourselves to hunt down a case and do a side-by-side. Then we’d either owe an apology to Maria, or be back to asking about growing conditions . . .