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Walnut Spirit

Vin de noix
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Prep Time 2 hours
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 7 Litters
Course: beverage
Cuisine: French
Calories: 125

Ingredients
 

Walnut Mixture
  • 6.5 L/qt Dry white wine as chardonnay
  • 1 L/qt Eau de vie or rhum blanc agricole 52% min alcohol
  • 500 g Walnut leaves cut into strips
  • 400 g Green walnuts crushed
  • 15 g Red cinchona bark
  • 6 ea. Cloves
  • 10 g Cinnamon
  • 1 g Nutmeg
  • 10 g Saved vanilla pods or 2 fresh beans chopped
  • 10 g Lemon zest
  • 5 ea. Star anis crushed
To Add After Maturation
  • 900 g White sugar

Equipment

  • 1 8-9 liter carboy/demijohn
  • 14 50 cl glass bottles and corks
  • 1 Stockpot
  • 2 Large buckets
  • 1 Whisk
  • 2 bowls
  • 1 Funnel
  • 1 chinois
  • 1 Cheesecloth
  • 1 Scissors
  • 1 Hammer
  • 1 Disposable gloves

Method
 

  1. *rum at 55% can be substituted for eau de vie.
Walnut Mixture
  1. Walnuts and leaves can be picked for free along the edges of countryside roads and forest on St. John's Day, June 24 through end of July.
  2. Fill the sink with lukewarm water, and soak walnut leaves and walnut fruits separately. Drain well and spread leaves and fruits onto a table lined with a bath towel.
  3. Cut walnut leaves into pieces and reserve in a large bucket.
    walnut spirit prep
  4. Since green walnuts contain tannins and other compounds that can stain hands (and surfaces) a dark brown, wearing gloves are recommended.
    green walnuts
  5. Crush walnuts inside a sturdy plastic bag (like a sous-vide bag) helps prevent staining surfaces and contains juices.
  6. Large quantity of crushed green walnuts.
    crushed green walnuts
  7. Stuff carboy with the spices first, followed by the crushed walnuts, leaves cut into pieces and then the alcohols (no sugar yet). Seal carboy with a cork. Gently shake it, and place in a cool and dark place.
    walnut spirit making process
Much Larger Batch (2025 Cuvée)
  1. Spices...
  2. For my 2025 large cuvée, I am using a 110L blue plastic drum. Throw all the dry ingredients inside the drum.
  3. Pour in the dry white wine and eau de vie. Seal and let rest for 6 months.
Maturation
  1. Allow walnut mixture to mature for an extended period of time, typically around 6 months or even longer. This process, known as aging or resting, is crucial for enhancing the flavors and aromas of the mixture. The magic happens as the flavors in the walnut mixture meld together over time, creating a harmonious balance that cannot be rushed.
    walnut spirit carboy
After Six Months
  1. In a large pot or bucket, pass liquid through a chinois lined with a cheesecloth. Add sugar to the liquid and stir with a whisk every so often until sugar is dissolved. Let stand for an hour or more allowing sugar to dissolve. To clean the carboy, use a garden hose and a curved iron rod to remove solids.
    filtering walnut spirit
Bottling & Storing
  1. Fill up bottles and seal with corks. Label bottles if desired. Allow to rest a month at least before drinking. Bottled vin de noix should be stored upright, and age in a dark and cool place for years.
    filling up walnut spirit bottles
Competitors
  1. In the Occitanie region, walnut spirit can be found in many places. Here, at the Saint-Antonin Noble-Val farmers' market.
    vin de noix producteur