Still Smart

Here is a simple recipe for a lime flavoured vodka, which I originally intended to use as the basis for a limoncello (or should that be lime-oncello?) - as it happened, we decided to drink it ‘as is’ and it turned out to be excellent. It has a fairly strong, sharp lime taste due to the use of the lime rind, which I would imagine you can round out slightly by adding some of the lime juice as well, or using less rind. Superb mixed with Coke, I will definitely be trying this one again and probably doing several variations to find the best balance.

INGREDIENTS

• 750ml vodka at around 40% ABV
• Grated peel of 5-7 limes

METHOD

Grate the limes carefully, trying to ensure you get the green rind and as little of the white pith underneath as possible - this does flavour the drink, but makes it taste bitter. Simply add the grated lime peel to the vodka, and seal in a clean plastic bottle. Shake vigorously, and leave for at least two weeks, shaking again every few days. The peel will lose its colouration, and the vodka will turn a pleasant light green colour. All you need to do now is filter out the peel, which in this case can be done using a single filtration through a coffee filter and funnel. Bottle and enjoy!