Greg Lehman says timing is paramount when it comes to crafting walnut liqueur. “You pick the green nut before it fully matures,” Lehman explains, adding that once fall arrives, the rock-solid shell is difficult to crack. Lehman and his team spend days quartering young walnuts to bathe in spirits, adding vanilla and orange peel accents. “You have those citrus elements coming through — that black walnut smell,” says Lehman. “You almost get that bitter coming in, but we have sugar in there to balance that out.”

Nocino Boulevardier
Recipe courtesy of Watershed Distillery

INGREDIENTS
1 ounce rye whiskey
1 ounce Cocchi Americano or Cappelletti
3/4 ounce Watershed Distillery Nocino

DIRECTIONS
Combine ingredients over ice, stir, and serve in glass with an orange peel.