Noccino (Ticino Walnut Liqueur)

Everybody who makes Noccino in Ticino, the Italian-speaking Swiss canton, swears by their recipe being the best and the only one. I am pretty sure this is not the only one, but it is undoubtedly the very best --  and I’m not even Ticinesi.

What you need now

• 1l grappa (at least 40% alc.)
• 24 green walnuts quartered (with the juice)
• 2-3 cloves
• 1/2 vanilla stick
• 1 tsp lemon zest (only use organic fruit!)
• 1 tsp orange zest (optional)
• 1 handfull of fresh raspberries

What you need in August

250 g sugar

100-300 ml water

 

What you do now

1. Put all ingredients into a sealed jar and shake well.
2. Leave the jar in a sunny place for a biblical 40 days or 2 months.
3. Shake daily.

What you do in August

1. Strain the mixture and do not taste it. It is horribly medicinal at this stage.
2. Boil the sugar and water up into a syrup and add to the murkily green liquid.
3. Store in a cool place for at least 6 weeks, better till Christmas, as with age this metamorphoses from a vilely cough-syrupy concoction into sheer smoothness.

Warning: Drink with caution and in moderation; it slips down sooo easily, but it is pretty lethal.