August 3rd, 2026 — June 23rd marks a special time of year in Italy, coinciding with the summer solstice. The night of Saint John—also known as the midsummer night, or the night of the witches—the day before Saint John’s Day on June 24th, is a source of inspiration for many, including Mark Doty (DG 2021) who writes in his poem “Deep Lane [June 23rd, evening of the first fireflies]“.
Green walnuts (Juglans regia) traditionally harvested while still unripe and covered in the dew produced over the course of the night of Saint John into Saint John’s Day are infused with alcohol and spices to create nocino. An ancient liqueur, it is renowned for its remarkable digestive, astringent, and antioxidant properties derived from the husks of green walnuts.
Even the stars seem to bless nocino: also during this time, the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere, and according to legend, walnuts harvested at this special moment are imbued with intense solar energy, bringing strength, vitality, and harmony with nature.
Saint John’s Day dew has been considered for centuries a magical element, endowed with purifying and healing properties. It is said that, as it seeps into the walnuts, it imparts extraordinary powers to the liqueur: transforming it into an elixir of long life, capable of invigorating both body and spirit, and even endowed with aphrodisiac properties. It’s also the reason for L’acqua di San Giovanni (Saint John’s Water), an ancient Italian folk ritual wherein one must forage for herbs and flowers, leave them outdoors overnight to absorb the dew, and then wash with on the morning of the 24th to heal and protect for the year to come.
