Remember amaretto? Well, it’s back and more delectable than ever.
Remember when Amaretto Sours were all the rage? It was around the same time we were all obsessed with fro-yo and whatever the hell a dirty chai was (not good). Instead of dying out like fro-yo madness (just get ice cream), or the Stanley Cup (give it a few months), the Amaretto Sour has stuck around, thriving on the fringes of the cocktail scene. But why?
The Amaretto Sour is basically just a Whiskey Sour, but with amaretto (duh) and it’s lower in alcohol, much sweeter and nuttier than its predecessor. This is due to the apricot, almonds or peach stones that amaretto liqueur is made from (depending on the brand). It might not be the most refined or complex of the cocktails, but boy, is it damn delicious. It's one of those earlier 2010s trends that we think SHOULD come back (please, no dark-contrast moody photos or T-shirts with slogans on them, we left Tumblr in the 2010s for a reason).
So, if you love a cheeky Amaretto Sour – whether that’s because of the amaretto itself, or the fluffiness of a well-made Sour – we’ve gone and lined up a few more options that you will froth.
Mimosa? I hardly knew her. Introducing this tidy number – the Amaretto Fizz. Full of all the stuff everyone already loves about Mimosas – the orange juice, the Champagne (or similar bubbles), the brunchtime vibe – but with a cheeky splash of amaretto in it. Yes, that’s right, level up your brunchtime bev with 60mLs of that signature nutty liqueur. It’s fun, it’s got bubbles and, most importantly, it’s got that distinct amaretto taste to it. Don’t overthink it; serve it up alongside that house-purchase-prohibiting avocado toast we keep hearing about.
Pretty much everything goes with mango – it's the king of fruit (not including those vegetable-fruits like tomato). But it works particularly well with amaretto, especially when it's all blended up with ice, lime, diced mango, maraschino cherry and white rum. What a good time. Those wonderful nutty flavours drive right through that tropical sweetness of the mango without overpowering it, while that fresh lime does its job cutting through the sugar. Best of all? It’s super tropical, super easy to make and everyone likes a blender cocktail.
Of course we’re putting amaretto in our sundaes. Aren’t you? This one, devised in collaboration with cake mother Alice Bennett (AKA Miss Trixie), shakes up mascarpone, cream, Irish cream liqueur (soz lactose intolerants) amaretto and vanilla vodka to make, as you can imagine, one hell of a creamy cocktail. Because we’re doing a dry shake and then a wet shake, we’ll be getting a good amount of air into our drink to give it a nice fluffy head, similar to that of a Whiskey Sour. So, if you love a bit of foam, this is certainly one for the arsenal.
Here’s a drink for those of you who really dig the taste of amaretto. The French Connection is essentially just Cognac and amaretto over ice. Made and named after the popular 1971 film of the same name, this cocktail is very closely related to the next cocktail on this list, the Godfather (also named after a movie). Because it's just two ingredients, those flavours can be quite intense (no matter how much you love amaretto) so give it a real good stir with some ice to get the right amount of dilution in there and chill it down. Next, we recommend a viewing of The French Connection while sipping, but this is not mandatory (or is it?).
We’re going to make you an offer you can’t refuse. Jokes, you totally can, but if you like amaretto maybe give it a go. This drink, like the one prior, has just two ingredients. However, unlike the French Connection, the Godfather is exactly that – a bit of a boss. It combines Scotch whisky and amaretto, stirred with ice over a big, important-looking chunk of ice. People say it wasn’t named after the movie, but here at Dan’s, we choose to believe it was. Why? Well, have you seen The Godfather? What a great movie. And what a great cocktail.
