When my brother and I decided to recreate our family's century-old recipe for nocino, an Italian nut liqueur, we ran into a pleasant problem: what to do with about four gallons of a fragrant amaro with a rich, potent flavor profile.
Our homes love Negronis and each of us began searching for the ideal way to incorporate it into our favorite cocktail. Many formulas later, my house has opted for this version, which replaces at least part of the sweet vermouth with nocino.
We found that the nocino spices and nuts overwhelmed the drink when we replaced the vermouth one for one in a classic Negroni, which contains equal parts gin, vermouth and Campari. Halving the amount of nocino gave the cocktail just the right amount of flavor without overpowering the other ingredients. Adding half a part of vermouth gives it a good balance, although you may feel otherwise.
If you don't want to wait until the Feast of Saint John the Baptist to start making your own nocino, you can buy it already prepared in specialized stores and large liquor stores. My brother and I are already planning next year's green walnut harvest to replenish our home stocks.
