A visit to Italy’s sunny, craggy, and lemon-festooned Amalfi Coast could not be complete without a taste of the tangy, smooth, and oh-so-delicious liqueur they call Limoncello. But ask the origin of the region’s signature drink and you’re liable to get markedly different stories.

The cool, refreshing digestif is often attributed to Vincenza Canale, an innkeeper on Capri who is said to have shared it with her guests every night after dinner (the Canale family still operates Limoncello di Capri, one of the leading limoncello manufacturers in the region). Another story says that Maria Antonia Farace, the proprietress of a boarding house on the island of Azzurra, tended lemons in the garden and began making the sweet liquor. Still other stories link limoncello to the upper-class families of Sorrento who began serving it to guests around the turn of the century, and the list goes on…

In the midst of all these conflicting stories, one thing is certain: the refreshing, crisp taste. There is nothing better on a melting summer evening than a cool taste of lemony goodness, with just the right amount of bite. While the process of making limoncello takes a bit of time, the ingredients are simple and the recipe easy. It is typically served chilled, following dinner or along with dessert and pairs well with a creamy tiramisu or a rich chocolate something.

Though the best limoncello is result of the large Mediterranean lemons, any variety can be used, and limoncello is rather simple to make in the home. Try this recipe:

Limoncello

Ingredients

• 15 large lemons
• 2 ( 2 quart bottles) grain alcohol (or 100-proof vodka)
• 4 C sugar
• 5 C water

Method

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the lemons.
2. Then carefully use a sharp vegetable peeler or fine grater to remove the yellow portion of the rind only, leaving the bitter white pith. (Scrape off any pith that remains on the back of a strip of peel.)
3. Place the lemon peel in a 4-quart and pour the alcohol over the top taking care to ensure that the lemon peel is completely covered.
4. Seal the jar tightly and store it in a cool, dark place to steep, shaking it daily to agitate the lemon peel.
5. After about two weeks, or when the peels lose their color, boil water in a large saucepan adding sugar and stirring until it is dissolved and forms a clear liquid.
6. Cover the syrup and allow it to cool.
7. Use a colander strain the lemon-infused alcohol mixture, then slowly add the syrup, tasting as you go to get the desired amount of sweetness.
8. Transfer the mixture back to the Mason jar and story it again in a cool dark place for another three weeks, shaking it twice a day.
9. After three weeks, the limoncello is ready to be transferred to smaller bottles. Seal each bottle with a rubber stopper and store the liqueur in the freezer, serving it cold in small cordial glasses.