Green-walnut liqueur (nocino)

Name: Green-walnut liqueur (nocino)
Yield: ± 1 litre
Ingredients: 15–20 green walnuts (± 400 g); 700 ml vodka, gin or grain spirit (± 40%); 250 g sugar; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 cloves; 1 strip of lemon peel

Updated on 9 October 2026

Makes: ± 1 litre
Time: 30 min + 6 weeks steeping + maturing
From: Walnut

Ingredients

15–20 green walnuts (± 400 g)
700 ml vodka, gin or grain spirit (± 40%)
250 g sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 strip of lemon peel

Method

Put on gloves. Rinse the walnuts and cut them into quarters.
Put them in a large glass jar with the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and lemon peel.
Pour over the alcohol until everything is covered, and close.
Leave to steep for 6 weeks somewhere light and warm, shaking now and then. The liquid turns green at first, then black-brown.
Strain through a cloth and then a coffee filter, and pour into clean bottles.
Leave to mature until at least Christmas, preferably longer.

Storing: Keeps for years in a cool, dark place; the flavour mellows with time.