Where to buy high % ethanol liquor in Ontario for Limoncello?

[zippy]

I came across a great-sounding recipe for Limoncello on the food network.ca website the other day. It requires a liter of 95% ethanol, which you dilute down with a liter of water after you've let the alcohol extract all of the lemony goodness from the rinds of four lemons for a week and a half.

I checked the LCBO website (I'm in Ontario) to see if they sell 95% alcohol. They do. It is from Kittling Ridge winery, and retails for $25 for a half liter (somebody is making a lot of money off of this product....). When I went to buy it, the guy in the store refused, saying it wasn't for sale to the general public, blah blah blah... I sent a note to the LCBO's website as well, and they too confirmed that you needed a special permit to buy overproof alcohol.

I was wondering whether anyone might have any ideas (and corresponding recipe) about what I could use instead of 95% ethanol for making limoncello? (the limoncello they sell at the LCBO is truly awful stuff.... good for cleaning your dirty paintbrushes, but that's about it...) A friend mentioned that the LCBO used to sell a 76% vodka, but I couldn't find anything about such a product on the LCBO's website.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

Zippy

[Jucius Maximus]

You could get everclear from the US?
Reportedly the grain-fermented alcohol (such as Everclear) is most effective for this purpose.

But honestly I bought limoncello once in Italy (and it was VERY good), and now I buy the Rossi D'Asagio brand at the LCBO and it is almost as good.

[CanadianMike]

You could get everclear from the US?
Reportedly the grain-fermented alcohol (such as Everclear) is most effective for this purpose.
+1.....this is probably your only real option (assuming it can be imported here without issue).

the LCBO sells overproof rum but i doubt it'd be as suitable for this...its alcohol % is only around 60%, and IIRC it has a pretty distinct/strong flavour to it.

[Pete_Coach]

+1.....this is probably your only real option (assuming it can be imported here without issue).

the LCBO sells overproof rum but i doubt it'd be as suitable for this...its alcohol % is only around 60%, and IIRC it has a pretty distinct/strong flavour to it.
The guy want pure alcohol, not booze LOL :lol:
Anyway, OP, if you want consumption grade, you can look up Alcool at the LCBO, it will give you 95% alcohol product for $24\.95 for 500 ml. It is as pure as you get and approved for consumption by humans.
As an aside, for $21 you can get 750 ml of Rossi D'Asiago Limoncello but you miss the pleasure of making it yourself.
BTW, I was in Italy (Sorrento) a few weeks ago and had Creme D' Limoncello. Wow, that was good. I have not seen it in the LCBO yet.

[Pete Jones]

The guy want pure alcohol, not booze LOL :lol:
Anyway, OP, if you want consumption grade, you can look up Alcool at the LCBO, it will give you 95% alcohol product for $24\.95 for 500 ml. It is as pure as you get and approved for consumption by humans.
As an aside, for $21 you can get 750 ml of Rossi D'Asiago Limoncello but you miss the pleasure of making it yourself.
BTW, I was in Italy (Sorrento) a few weeks ago and had Creme D' Limoncello. Wow, that was good. I have not seen it in the LCBO yet.

Ok. If you look up alcool at the LCBO, you get 2 hits:

1. LCBO #288142 - Alcohol 95 from Kittling Ridge - $24.20/500ml
This is the stuff the OP was writing about.

2. LCBO #488841 - Dekyper alcool (40%) - $34.15/1.1l

The Dekyper alcool is only 40% -- it's just not the same.

So this begs the question, how does one get this permit to to be able to buy the high-test stuff? Seems easier to get certified to own a gun.

--Pete

[zippy]

You could get everclear from the US?
Reportedly the grain-fermented alcohol (such as Everclear) is most effective for this purpose.

But honestly I bought limoncello once in Italy (and it was VERY good), and now I buy the Rossi D'Asagio brand at the LCBO and it is almost as good.

A few years ago I tried the Rossi brand at the LCBO. It is alright, but I dislike that they use glucose/fructose for sweetening rather than sugar, and IMO it gives the drink a bitter aftertaste.

If I can't find some hiproof alcohol, I may just try 40% vodka, and see how that turns out.

Zippy

[zippy]

Ok. If you look up alcool at the LCBO, you get 2 hits:

1. LCBO #288142 - Alcohol 95 from Kittling Ridge - $24.20/500ml
This is the stuff the OP was writing about.

2. LCBO #488841 - Dekyper alcool (40%) - $34.15/1.1l

The Dekyper alcool is only 40% -- it's just not the same.

So this begs the question, how does one get this permit to to be able to buy the high-test stuff? Seems easier to get certified to own a gun.

--Pete

So this is what I got from the LCBO in response to my request for info on how to get a permit to buy overproof hooch: (It does seem like it would be easier to get a gun license....)


-insert copied text-
Dear Mr. ******,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the purchase of overproof alcohol.


The LCBO sells a neutral spirit that is 95% alcohol by volume (#
288142). This product is not available for general sale. Its
availability is restricted solely to those who require ethyl alcohol of
that strength for research, experimental, scientific, chemical,
therapeutic or manufacturing purposes.

In accordance with LCBO policy, those wishing to purchase overproof
alcohol must first obtain a Letter of Authority from our Director of
Quality Assurance. A Letter of Authority permits individuals,
institutions and companies to purchase overproof alcohol for one of the
purposes listed above. The Letter of Authority is presented to the LCBO
store or alcohol manufacturer where the overproof alcohol is being
sought. The store or manufacturer retains the letter on file until the
date of its expiry, one year after issuance. The Letter can be renewed
annually.

To pursue an authorization letter, you may forward your request
outlining your purpose for the alcohol by mail, fax or email to:

Stephen Cater,
Acting Director, Quality Assurance
55 Lake Shore Blvd. E.
Toronto, ON M5E 1A4
Attn: Dept. # 965

fax: 416-864-6841

email: quality.assurance@lcbo.com

To follow up on your request you may call 416-864-6724.

Once you have your Letter of Authority, you can locate the product for
purchase using our product search engine:
http://www.lcbo.com/products/productsearch.shtml

If you enter the a product's LCBO item number (288142) in the "LCBO Item
Number" box and click on the green "Search for Products" button, product
details will be displayed. Then, if you click on the wine's name it
will provide further details. It also provides a tool to locate stores
offering the product. In the drop-down box to the right of the product
details, you can select all cities or specific ones. If you click on the
Find Stores button the search engine will generate a list of stores with
the product on hand, showing quantity. You can sort the list by
city-order by clicking on the word "City" at the top of the column. We
recommend that you contact a store before visiting to confirm
up-to-the-moment inventory.

If you have any questions about the operation of the search engine or
would like our assistance in locating this product please contact us at
infoline@lcbo.com or at 416-365-5900 or 1-800-668-5226. We recommend
that you contact a store prior to visiting to confirm up-to-the-moment
inventory.

As you have indicated, the 95% alcohol presented on our web site does
not provide any indication of the restrictions on its sale. We will
bring this matter to the attention of our web site adminstrators.

We hope this information will be of assistance to you.

Thank you for contacting the LCBO.

[jayt90]

I came across a great-sounding recipe for Limoncello on the food network.ca website the other day. It requires a liter of 95% ethanol, which you dilute down with a liter of water after you've let the alcohol extract all of the lemony goodness from the rinds of four lemons for a week and a half.

I checked the LCBO website (I'm in Ontario) to see if they sell 95% alcohol. They do. It is from Kittling Ridge winery, and retails for $25 for a half liter (somebody is making a lot of money off of this product....). When I went to buy it, the guy in the store refused, saying it wasn't for sale to the general public, blah blah blah... I sent a note to the LCBO's website as well, and they too confirmed that you needed a special permit to buy overproof alcohol.

I was wondering whether anyone might have any ideas (and corresponding recipe) about what I could use instead of 95% ethanol for making limoncello? (the limoncello they sell at the LCBO is truly awful stuff.... good for cleaning your dirty paintbrushes, but that's about it...) A friend mentioned that the LCBO used to sell a 76% vodka, but I couldn't find anything about such a product on the LCBO's website.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

Zippy
Overproof rum from Wray is the only product I've seen, but I don't shop at Summerhill or Queen's Quay. It was $35 for 750 ml 130 proof, not a great bargain.

[zippy]

The guy want pure alcohol, not booze LOL :lol:
Anyway, OP, if you want consumption grade, you can look up Alcool at the LCBO, it will give you 95% alcohol product for $24\.95 for 500 ml. It is as pure as you get and approved for consumption by humans.
As an aside, for $21 you can get 750 ml of Rossi D'Asiago Limoncello but you miss the pleasure of making it yourself.
BTW, I was in Italy (Sorrento) a few weeks ago and had Creme D' Limoncello. Wow, that was good. I have not seen it in the LCBO yet.

Yes - crema di limoncello is awesome! I've had it in Italy, but never seen it here. My aunt (in Italy) makes crema limoncello at home, and has a very good recipe. If I end up making a decent limoncello (if I can ever find a decent base alcohol), then my next experiment would be the cream version.

If only Ontario wasn't such a puritanical province when it comes to liquor.... sigh.....

[psyko514]

Weird. As far as I know, you can walk into any SAQ and pick up a bottle of the 95% stuff right off the shelf without any special letters or permissions.

[CanadianMike]

The guy want pure alcohol, not booze LOL :lol:
thats why i said it probably wouldnt be suitable for his purposes ;)
Anyway, OP, if you want consumption grade, you can look up Alcool at the LCBO, it will give you 95% alcohol product for $24\.95 for 500 ml. It is as pure as you get and approved for consumption by humans.
alcool is only 40% alc...and one generally cant purchase the ~95% alc product they do carry.
If only Ontario wasn't such a puritanical province when it comes to liquor.... sigh.....
+1

[Pete_Coach]

If only Ontario wasn't such a puritanical province when it comes to liquor.... sigh.....
I am not sure it is puritanical, I think it is pure marketing. The LCBO is the largest buyer of wines and spirits in the world and they buy what sells. (or they sells what they buys :lol:)
Anyway, if there is not much market, they just won't bring it in. I tried to bring some Aperol from Italy in one time, I just wanted a case, and went through the LCBO process, it would have cost me over $100 a bottle for a product that is $10. It was not worth it.
As for your Limoncello recipe, why would you want an alcohol that is 95%? It would make it very strong and not pleasurable to drink at all. The principal is not to get high alcohol content but to get flavour.
I am assuming that you are actually looking for a 95% pure product as as opposed to 95 proof? The purity as a guarantee that you can drink it? Purity is just that, how pure any amountr is. Proof is a percentage of alcohol by volume, it works out meaning a 100 proof rum has 50% alcohol in it.
So, get some cheap vodka and add some lemon peel and let it is it for a while, add sugar later, to your taste.

[gmark2000]

I went to Kittling Ridge in Grimsby this year to enquire about this Alcool and they said they didn't sell it. Maybe their clerks don't know anything about it since it's not sold retail.

That being said. Just buy Limoncello premade or make it from vodka. You don't need overproof.

[YLSF]

It isn't that hard to get that letter from the LCBO. I wanted to try to make my own absinthe a few years back so I requested a letter from the LCBO and I got it pretty quickly. In the end, I never actually used the letter and I think I tired using vodka instead (didn't turn out that well). The process to get the letter was fairly straight forward though. I think I told them I was using it for a tincture (which it was)

[angekfire]

If I can't find some hiproof alcohol, I may just try 40% vodka, and see how that turns out.

Prince Igor Extreme is 45% vodka, if it makes a difference to you.

[Keelie]

Just recently I have read two recipes for this, my husband loves it so I was considering trying it out.... both recipes call for vodka.

[tamper]

I am not sure it is puritanical, I think it is pure marketing. The LCBO is the largest buyer of wines and spirits in the world and they buy what sells. (or they sells what they buys :lol:)
Anyway, if there is not much market, they just won't bring it in. I tried to bring some Aperol from Italy in one time, I just wanted a case, and went through the LCBO process, it would have cost me over $100 a bottle for a product that is $10. It was not worth it.
As for your Limoncello recipe, why would you want an alcohol that is 95%? It would make it very strong and not pleasurable to drink at all. The principal is not to get high alcohol content but to get flavour.
I am assuming that you are actually looking for a 95% pure product as as opposed to 95 proof? The purity as a guarantee that you can drink it? Purity is just that, how pure any amountr is. Proof is a percentage of alcohol by volume, it works out meaning a 100 proof rum has 50% alcohol in it.
So, get some cheap vodka and add some lemon peel and let it is it for a while, add sugar later, to your taste.

But the recipe says you water it down after so its equivalent to a drinkable liquor. The extraction of the all lemon essential oils actually requires a very high ethanol content. I used to do something similar in the lab. Halving the alcohol content will affect the level of extraction, you won't get some of the less soluble oils that have lots of taste. And DONT USE LAB GRADE ETHANOL!!! it has benzene, pyridine and other nasties in it.

Ontario has some of the strictest liquor laws in North America (save mormon Utah). At one of the LCBO stores near my place you can still see the window where you used to bring your doctor's prescription to buy booze. Kind of disguised and covered by displays but it's there. They really should renovate that store.

[Pete_Coach]

But the recipe says you water it down after so its equivalent to a drinkable liquor. The extraction of the all lemon essential oils actually requires a very high ethanol content. I used to do something similar in the lab. Halving the alcohol content will affect the level of extraction, you won't get some of the less soluble oils that have lots of taste. And DONT USE LAB GRADE ETHANOL!!! it has benzene, pyridine and other nasties in it.

Ontario has some of the strictest liquor laws in North America (save mormon Utah). At one of the LCBO stores near my place you can still see the window where you used to bring your doctor's prescription to buy booze. Kind of disguised and covered by displays but it's there. They really should renovate that store.
OK, you win the Kewpie doll. :cheesygri

[Tacoma]

...
BTW, I was in Italy (Sorrento) a few weeks ago and had Creme D' Limoncello. Wow, that was good. I have not seen it in the LCBO yet.

Yes - crema di limoncello is awesome! I've had it in Italy, but never seen it here...


LCBO did sell cream limoncello ~4 years ago (at Vintages Summerhill store). The thin blue bottle is still sitting in my bar fridge. Not sure it it's still any good. I guess few bought it back then because it was priced to clear and discontinued altogether. Haven't seen it since. I don't expect the LCBO will be restocking any time soon due to low demand.

[zippy]

It isn't that hard to get that letter from the LCBO. I wanted to try to make my own absinthe a few years back so I requested a letter from the LCBO and I got it pretty quickly. In the end, I never actually used the letter and I think I tired using vodka instead (didn't turn out that well). The process to get the letter was fairly straight forward though. I think I told them I was using it for a tincture (which it was)

Thanks for sharing. I just sent off an email to the LCBO requesting a permit to buy two bottles of the Kittling Ridge product. I suppose that the worst that they could do is simply say no!

I remember back in my lab days I'd be able to go and grab 4-liter bottles of super high purity ethanol (HPLC grade, for the scientists in the crowd...) for running my analyses, and never gave it a second thought. Little did I know how difficult it would be to get such a product as a "civilian"!!

I'll post an update when I hear back from the LCBO. Wish me luck!

Zippy

[xIcewind]

Thanks for sharing. I just sent off an email to the LCBO requesting a permit to buy two bottles of the Kittling Ridge product. I suppose that the worst that they could do is simply say no!

I remember back in my lab days I'd be able to go and grab 4-liter bottles of super high purity ethanol (HPLC grade, for the scientists in the crowd...) for running my analyses, and never gave it a second thought. Little did I know how difficult it would be to get such a product as a "civilian"!!

I'll post an update when I hear back from the LCBO. Wish me luck!

Zippy

HPLC grade means nothing. It's denatured with benzene, methanol, and a whole other slew of compounds that make it undrinkable. If you get the absolute ethanol, that's drinkable, but it'll come with a hefty security measure (one person with keys, heavy regulation and logging, audits, etc)

Ethanol is dirt cheap to produce, compared to the price paid at any liquor control board. The price they issue is to reduce demand.

[Sauerkraut]

I don't have any substance to add to this thread. I simply saw the title, started reading the posts and it brought back teenage memories from the '70s:

mixing Alcool and grape juice, called it "Purple Jesus". Ah life experiences, if I only knew back then...

[zippy]

Well, here's the scoop.... The LCBO denied me my permit... They didn't even have the courtesy to respond to my request - I had to call their QA office to check the status, at which time, they told me that I would not be getting a permit, since they don't give these permits to regular citizens or hobbyists...

I asked if there were any other "high test" products which I could buy, so they told me to call their infoline. I called them, and believe it or not, I spoke with somebody who was actually PLEASANT TO DEAL WITH!

Long story short, I am going to pick up a bottle of Spirytus Polish Vodka, 76% alcohol by volume, this evening. LCBO Item # 601526 in case any one else is interested. Presently on sale for $38.95 for a 750 ml bottle.

I will be starting my limoncello recipe this weekend. I have organic lemons from the local market. I just need to go and buy a suitable glass container, and I will be off to the races.

I'll post an update in a couple weeks letting everyone know how my recipe turned out.

Cheers to a good weekend.

Zippy

[Chipp]

Zippy, thanks for the update. I also have sent an email to Stephen Cater, asking for a permit to make some herbal tinctures. He denied me promptly, but I sent a follow up with asking for some clarification. I will probably get denied again. To the user "YLSF" who before said that they received the letter for the intent on creating tincture, could you elaborate on exactly what you said? Thank you!