Limoncello makes a great homemade gift, but make sure to get started early—the process takes two weeks!

Preparation

Use a potato peeler or a sharp pairing knife to carefully slice off the outer layer of lemon (zest) and save lemons for later use. You can also use a microplane to shred off the zest. It will produce smaller zest pieces, but will work just the same. Scrape off any pith (white portion) as it will cause your limoncello to become bitter.

Combine vodka and lemon zest in an airtight container and place in a cool, dark place for a week.

Once infused, strain out zest and add simple syrup. Allow to infuse for one more week in a refrigerated environment.