The 4 Best Nocino Liqueurs to Buy Right Now

Steeping in the kitchen at New York City’s beloved Italian American restaurant Don Angie are glass urns filled with fruits, herbs, spices, and mysterious liquids, their hues ranging from fluorescent yellow to dark chocolate brown. For co-owners Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli, making digestifs like nocino, a centuries-old Italian walnut liqueur, is part mise en place for their cocktail program and part ritual.

“I was drawn in by this thing only being available in a very brief window,” says Rito, referring to unripe green walnuts, the liqueur’s core ingredient, which can only be harvested between late May and early July, depending on climate. (Rito and Tacinelli source their green walnuts from Grower Direct Nut Company, a fourth-generation family-owned farm in California’s Central Valley.) 

The two of them treasure their tradition of making nocino, which they’ve done every year since opening Don Angie in 2017. Setting aside time to step outside of the kitchen in the sweltering heat of summer, the duo carefully adds the green walnuts to overproof vodka together with an aromatic medley of cinnamon sticks, lemon zest, and espresso beans.

Once it’s ready to drink, right around the holidays, the liqueur’s flavor fits right in as part of the festive meals of the season. “It has a baking spice character to it naturally, and it almost reminds me of maple syrup on pancakes, with a caramel-vanilla aroma,” says Tacinelli. 

Making nocino at home is a time-intensive process, but more and more nocinos — Italian and not — are becoming available in the U.S. Seek out one of the bottles recommended here, and drink a sip or two straight after dinner, or over a single rock, or in Tacinelli and Rito’s Nocino Sour. And don’t be surprised if it becomes a staple in your home bar all year round.

Forthave Spirits Black ($32)

Bittersweet with a smoky, soothing finish, the nocino by Forthave in Brooklyn is made in limited quantities. If you can get your hands on a bottle, drizzle it over a bowl of vanilla ice cream, or upgrade an affogato.

Faccia Brutto Nocino ($35)

Made with walnuts sourced from the Pacific Northwest, this allspice-forward bottle from Faccia Brutto, the playful Italian aperitif line from chef Patrick Miller, is ideal for sipping neat.

Il Mallo Nocino Liqueur ($50)

This classic nocino from Modena is a great way to kick off a love affair with nocino. It has notes of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom; think of Il Mallo as the purist’s expression of the digestif.

Nux Alpina Nocino Walnut Liqueur ($50)

Tacinelli and Rito say this bold Austrian nocino is closest in profile to their housemade version. “If someone is hesitant about it, I would put it on the rocks to get a little dilution,” Tacinelli says.