Il Mallo Nocino di Modena is a traditional Italian walnut liqueur from Maranello in Emilia-Romagna. Founded in 1984, Il Mallo began as a specialist Nocino producer, drawing on recipes and methods rooted in Modena’s rural traditions. Even the producer’s name points to its focus: “mallo” means husk, the part of the green walnut essential to this distinctive regional liqueur.

Selected Italian green walnuts are sourced from growers in Emilia-Romagna and Campania. Their husks undergo an extended maceration in neutral grain spirit—at least ten months—before the walnuts are drained and pressed. Il Mallo uses the full pressed fraction, capturing as much of the walnut infusion as possible. Separately infused botanicals, including cinnamon, clove, and coriander, are then incorporated with sugar and water. The liqueur is rested in stainless steel, lightly filtered, and bottled at 42% ABV.

This deliberate process gives the walnuts and spices ample time to develop, while the recipe’s comparatively restrained sweetness—approximately 20% less sugar than many other nocino bottlings—keeps the emphasis on the infusion itself. Infusions account for 55% of the finished liqueur, underscoring Il Mallo’s ingredient-led approach.

Official tasting notes highlight clove, cinnamon, and cardamom, a warmly spiced profile that complements the character of green walnut. With its substantial strength, long maceration, and measured use of sugar, Il Mallo offers a focused expression of Nocino di Modena and a compelling introduction to the liqueur that has defined this family producer from the beginning.