What is Amaretto?
Amaretto is a sweet almond-flavoured Italian liqueur… though it doesn’t always contain almonds. Let us explain…
The history of Amaretto
Amaretto comes from the word, ‘amaro’ which means bitter, and adding ‘etto’ makes it little, so amaretto is ‘little bitter’… but that doesn’t represent the flavour at all (confusing, we know.) Almonds can be sweet or bitter in Italy, so in all likelihood, the drink wasn’t as sweet then as it is today.
The history is unknown and entangled in mythology, romance and two disagreeing families so strap in. From the 1500s onwards, Italians distilling their own drinks was not uncommon. However, Disaronno’s story goes like this. In 1525, a church in Saronno (the home of the liqueur) commissioned a student of Leonardo da Vinci to paint for them. The woman he used as a model was a widowed innkeeper and as a gift of gratitude, she steeped apricot kernels with brandy and presented them to artist Bernardino Luini…thus, amaretto was born.
Perhaps related to the artist or to the innkeeper, years later Giovanni Reina took on the recipe and the liqueur became entrenched into Italian culture. By the 20th century, the Reina’s were selling their ‘secret’ recipe in the Saronno market as ‘Amaretto di Saronno Originale’, a creation we will revisit later on.
For the purpose of balance, the makers of Amaretti di Saronno cookies claim that their family (the Lazzaroni’s) invented the liqueur in 1851, so we don’t know who to believe!
What is Amaretto made from?
Oddly, though very tightly associated with the liqueur because of the flavour, almonds are sometimes not used at all in Amaretto production. The specific inclusions in each amaretto differ, but generally, you will find apricot pits used and other botanicals like vanilla and dark sugar. Disaronno, for example, uses the essence of 17 herbs and fruits!
What does Amaretto taste like?
Amaretto is a deliciously sweet liqueur, with a subtle nutty flavour, usually almond-like, at the fore. Lower quality amaretto will often be lower in alcohol and sweeter, sometimes in a cloying way. Premium blends on the other hand will be less sugary and you should be able to detect some herbs and spices, slight bitterness, vanilla and cherry. A lot of people even find it reminds them of marzipan and Battenberg cake!
How do you drink Amaretto?
Amaretto over ice is gorgeous if you’ve got a sweet tooth, as it goes down smoothly as a dessert drink. It is also common to drink it with the usual mixers that spirits are paired with, like cola. It’s very versatile and goes with almost anything.
Amaretto is easy to drink because it matches most things pretty well, from fruits to coffee to cinnamon to ginger. This, along with the sophisticated sweetness is why any bar will have a bottle, and why mixologists love it. It packs a flavoursome punch, even when very little is used, so it’s included in many cocktails.
So, if you think it sounds a little too sweet on its own, then try it as one of these delicious cocktails.
Which cocktails can you make with Amaretto?
Amaretto Sour
A classic sweet ‘n’ sour combo wrapped up in a gorgeous frothy texture, the Amaretto Sour is a fantastic place to start with the liqueur. Almond nuttiness and bright citrus combine in this succulent concoction.
Ingredients
60ml amaretto
30ml fresh lemon juice
1 dash aromatic bitters (Angostura)
15ml egg white
Optional garnish: Maraschino cherry
Method
Shake everything without ice to break down the egg white, then repeat with ice and fine strain over ice! You can add more bitters at the end if you prefer that too! Make it how you like!
Amaretto Sidecar
Classically, cognac would be used in the sidecar, but amaretto takes its place here for a sweeter and nuttier twist. It’s also slightly less strong!
Ingredients
60ml amaretto
20ml orange liqueur (Triple Sec)
20ml fresh lemon juice
Optional garnish: orange slice
Method
Super simple. Shake with ice and strain! Voila!
Amaretto Coffee
Because of the dessert-style nuttiness, amaretto also goes really well with coffee. Essentially, this is an Irish Coffee with amaretto instead and we love it.
Ingredients
Nearly a cup of freshly brewed coffee
30ml amaretto
Optional: Whipped cream and cinnamon dusting
Method
Stir amaretto into your coffee – that’s it. You can end it there, or add cream and cinnamon dusting on top to turn it into an even bigger treat.
Which Amaretto should I try?
Disaronno
If you’re going to try Amaretto, then why not go with arguably the world’s most popular brand? The marzipan reference is strong with this one, despite it not containing any almonds whatsoever. Still produced in Saronno, it’s super smooth with notes of vanilla and cherry and overall, it really is the benchmark.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 28%
Find here: UK £20.94 // US $29.99
Gozio
Gozio is one of the few amaretto bottles to include real almonds, and specifically high-quality bitter ones to bring a sophisticated toasted nuttiness to the blend that also includes peach and apricot fruit essences.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 24%
Find here: UK £22.94 // US $29.99
Adriatico Amaretto
A newer generation amaretto, Adriatico is giving the heritage brands a run for their money. The award-winning bottle uses 100% natural roasted almonds infused with distinct Adriatic sea salt, cocoa, cinnamon and coffee. The finished product isn’t sickly sweet like some and has a morish quality that’s to die for.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 28%
Find here: £31.24
That’s everything you need to get started with the delicious liqueur that is amaretto, but we’ve got guides on other drinks for when you’re finished too! Check out the fascinating drinks of Pisco, Vermouth and Absinthe.