OCT 25, 2017
THE ULTIMATE COCKTAIL AND CULINARY TOUR AROUND ITALY- IL MERCATINO
We are still on cloud nine after Monday nights Il Mercatino event, what a night it was!
Our guests got an authentic foodie experience through the iconic cities of Italy, consisting of a 4-course cocktail tasting with some delicious classic food pairings. Starting in Roma where fresh peach Bellinis where going down a treat paired with an elegant ‘cacio e pepe con guanciale,’ a classic homemade pasta dish with pancetta! Then over to Palermo where our mixologists mixed up some exciting flavours with classic Italian liquors and Tanqueray gin; this was paired beautifully with a traditional ‘arancina’ a tasty risotto croquette with an herbivorous marinara sauce.
Our talented mixologists, Luca and Elisa were the stars of the show. Originating from Milano and Sicily respectively they have the Italian blood flowing through their veins, we couldn’t think of better people to host this incredible evening. Thoughtout the event, they explained what inspired them to choose each drink for each unique city, really immersing our guests into their very own perspectives of their home towns.
As the evening came to a close and our espresso, cognac digestif’s where passed around, we presented a delicious Limoncello for everyone to take home and enjoy.
Limoncello is a perfect night cap or after dinner drink and surprisingly super easy to make at home. These little details are what make a great ending to any dinner party, so if you’re planning a little get together surprise your guests with a little something they can take with them. Who doesn’t want a little gift to take home, especially something as tasty as Limoncello!
Create your own Limoncello at home:
Before you start throwing lemons into some highly alcoholic liquid, here are a few pointers you might need before you start.
It’s all about the lemons! If you don’t have quality lemons, it can go belly up pretty quickly.
Limoncello needs a nice dark space to rest to soak up all of that yummy lemon-ious!
Be patient, perfect Limoncello takes time!
Try it yourself, you will need:
6 lemons (Sorrento Lemons are used in Italy. Meyers are a nice American substitute.)
1 750 ml bottle vodka
1 1/2 cup sugar
Start of by washing all of the lemons with warm water.
Use a vegetable peeler to peel each lemon (try to avoid getting much pith, the white underbelly of the peel).
Place the peels in a jar large enough to hold both the peels and the entire bottle of vodka.
Cover the jar and place in a cool dark spot for 3 weeks allowing the vodka to become infused with the lemon flavour.
After two weeks of curing your Limoncello, create a simple syrup.
Combine 3 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a medium saucepan on the stove top. Heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved. Set aside simple syrup until cool.
Strain lemon peels from the vodka and discard the peels.
When the simple syrup has cooled, add it the vodka
Cover again and let cure for at least another 5 days, try and agitate the bottle once a day to release the sugar.
If you are planning on giving away your precious Limoncello, place into cute mason jars for your guests to take home. You can always take that extra step and personalize them with a lovingly made label. It’s all about the details, right?!
We recommend keeping the Limoncello in the freezer so that it’s nice and cold whenever you are ready to serve it up!
Sip and enjoy!