For decades, the Mimosa has reigned supreme as the undisputed queen of brunch cocktails – that is, until the Amaretto Fizz came along, ready to challenge the crown. Game of Thrones, eat your heart out.
The Italian word amaretto means ‘a little bitter’. This same word is also the name of a sweet almond-flavoured liqueur – one that doesn’t always contain almonds. Slightly confused? Fair enough. Fortunately, the cocktail this liqueur goes into is super straight-forward: a simple flute filled with amaretto, orange juice and Champagne. Meet the very uncomplicated Amaretto Fizz.
As a simple three-ingredient drink, getting to know the key ingredient, amaretto, is a justified venture. When you’re sipping this fizz, just know that you might be struck by flavours of apricot and peach rather than nuts. The distilled base spirit of amaretto is predominantly steeped with stone fruit pips, known for their particular almond-like flavour, albeit slightly more bitter – hence the ‘little bitter’. That’s not to say this liqueur is totally without almonds (many do steep with the nut), but you might be surprised to learn that the popular brand Disaronno is nut-free, relying instead on apricot kernels, herbs and spices.
A liqueur often balanced by the addition of caramelised sugar (or sometimes burnt, depending on the brand), amaretto comes out with a restrained and refined sweetness. It’s the perfect almond-ish match for the tang of orange juice and lively bubbles of Champagne or sparkling wine. The Amaretto Fizz is a bitter-sweet moment, in the best way.
