By popular demand, here’s the recipe:
First, you’ll need a 1 gallon glass jar. You can get one pretty easily from a restaurant.
Get about 15 lemons. It’s best to get lemons in season, somewhere between December and February (January is the peak), and choose lemons with a bright yellow color and thick skin without dry spots or discoloring.
Zestthe lemons into the glass jar, and add 1 bottle (750 ml) of vodka, preferably 100 proof. Any decent vodka will do, as it’s a neutral spirit and won’t impart any flavor at all, although a higher-quality vodka will make for a smoother final product. You can also filter the vodka if you like, to ensure a neutral taste.
Place the jar in a cool dark place for a minimum of 30 days. I recommend leaving it for 60-90, and have found no benefit to leaving it for more than 90 days.
Once this first “resting period” is up, pull it off the shelf and add a second bottle (750 ml) of vodka, preferably the same brand.
Make a simple syrup mixture by dissolving 4 cups sugar into 5 cups water over low heat. Once the syrup mixture is clear, let it cool to room temperature and then add it to the jar. The jar should be nearly full at this point.
Let it stand for another 30-90 days in the same cool, dark place.
After the second resting period, strain the whole mixture through a collander or cheesecloth to remove the zest, which can be discarded. Then filter the mixture again through a coffee filter. This will take several hours, so be patient.
When the filtering is complete, bottle it and serve deeply chilled.
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