A year ago, TSB and I ordered a crate of green walnuts to make nocino and vin de noix.
A couple weeks ago, we finally strained the stuff and rebottled. While the vin de noix wasn’t thrilling, the nocino is a treat! You can do a little shot as a digestif, but we liked it better as a mixer, swapping out a quarter of the rye and a quarter of the vermouth in a traditional Manhattan recipe. We noted a slight coconut aftertaste, that doesn’t exist in any of the constituent parts alone, which made for a fun surprise.
Nocino Manhattan
- 1.5 ounces Russel’s Reserve rye
- .75 ounce nocino
- .75 ounce Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes angostura bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.