We can’t get enough of amaretto. Here’s everything you need to know about this sweet and nutty liqueur.
Next time you’re sitting in the sun, sipping on an Amaretto Sour, think about this: Disaronno is more than 500 years old. While our cousins in the Middle Ages probably weren’t sipping Sours, it’s still pretty cool to think we’ve been enjoying amaretto since the 1500s, and that’s all thanks to Disaronno. It was first made in Italy in 1525, and the only changes to the Disaronno formula since then have been the use of better-quality ingredients. You don’t mess with perfection, right?
To celebrate their five-century milestone, Disaronno is launching a series of special-edition bottles, each one with the same original recipe but featuring unique designs. So, we think that makes it a great time to take a closer look at this Italian liqueur, from its ingredients and flavours to the best ways to serve it and what to pair with it.
Disaronno is an amaretto, which is a type of liqueur. You might hear amaretto referred to as an almond liqueur, and in some cases that’s true because amaretto can be made with almonds. For Disaronno, that distinct nutty, almond-like flavour isn’t actually almond at all – it’s apricot kernels. That trademark flavour comes from the oils extracted from the kernels, or seeds, inside the apricot.
Most amaretti (that’s the plural of amaretto, btw) also include other flavourings beyond apricot or almond. In Disaronno’s case, the recipe is a well-kept secret, but we do know it’s suitable for vegans and free from dairy, gluten and nuts. Other ingredients included in the mix are bitter almonds, cocoa beans and vanilla bourbon, among others, which all help to create this deliciously complex liqueur. Whatever else goes in, though, that classic nutty, almond-like flavour is front and centre.
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What does Disaronno taste like?
If you’ve ever had Disaronno before – even as the hero in an Amaretto Sour cocktail – you’ll know that distinctive taste. Its main flavour is a sweet, almond-like nuttiness that is similar to treats like marzipan, but you can also expect fruity, spicy, sweet and toasted notes. There’s a slight bitterness behind that sweet almond flavour, which is where amaretto gets its name – ‘amaro’ meaning ‘bitter’ in Italian (as in those bitter liqueurs of the same name) and ‘amaretto’ translating as ‘a little bitter’, which refers to the flavour of those oils from the apricot kernels.
That combo of sweet nuttiness and delicate bitterness is the calling card of Disaronno, but there’s plenty more going on around it. As with so many traditional liqueurs, the exact ingredients are a closely-guarded secret (KFC’s got nothing on liqueur makers), but there are definitely some subtle herbal and botanical flavours that give Disaronno its complexity. Adding to its sweeter side is caramelised sugar, which delivers that classic colour, and vanilla to round everything out.
Proudly Italian, Disaronno means ‘from Saronno’, which is its hometown in Lombardy in the north. Dating back to the heady, creative days of The Renaissance – we’re talking Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Raphael et al – Disaronno has a rich history, and it’s since become firmly entrenched in the classic Italian lifestyle, la dolce vita (AKA the sweet life).
Now, with the launch of Disaronno’s special-edition designs, this distinctive bottle – you can’t miss that unique square shape – is set to feature five different labels that each showcase a key focus for the label – 500 years of style, beauty, passion, elegance and, of course, dolce vita.
Disaronno Amaretto Sour
Disaronno goes hand-in-hand with the Amaretto Sour, one of the most popular cocktails of recent times. Sour cocktails follow the same basic formula of spirit/liqueur, sugar and citrus, sometimes with an optional egg white or aquafaba foam. There are many other classics in this cocktail category, but the Amaretto Sour might just about be our favourite.
At its most basic, a Disaronno Amaretto Sour is a simple mix of Disaronno, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white, shaken until silky and smooth. Disaronno brings an authentic nutty flavour that you just don’t get with other traditional spirits, while the lemon juice helps balance that extra hint of sweetness. All up, it’s a sweet, citrusy and nutty classic Sour that has deservedly become a modern hit.
Disaronno Spritz
If brunch isn’t brunch without a round of Mimosas for the table, then let us introduce you to your new partner in crime, the Disaronno Spritz (which you may know as the Amaretto Fizz). Take a Mimosa – that’s sparkling wine and orange juice – and add amaretto. That’s it. You get the same sparkling, citrusy, easy-going Mimosa base, but spiked with an extra hit of sweetness and the depth that bittersweet apricot kernel brings.
For something a little lighter and fresher, feel free to sub the sparkling wine for soda water and turn it into a Disaronno Fizz. And, yes, we did say this is a great brunch drink, but we reckon both drinks also make a fine sipper in the late-afternoon sun with some salty snacks. Guess you’ll have to test that out for yourself.
The Godfather
Two-ingredient cocktails are the evidence, if we needed it, that simple things can often be the best. The Godfather is a prime example, with its seemingly simple mix of Scotch whisky and amaretto. The cocktail first appeared in the 1970s around the same time as The Godfather film, with the inclusion of the Italian liqueur tying in nicely to the Italian theme at the heart of the story.
The Godfather is a super simple combination of the two ingredients, with the blend being much more than the sum of its parts. Amaretto helps to tame the strength of the Scotch, while the subtle almond flavours and burnt sugar sweetness work perfectly to draw out the characters of the whisky, too.
Dolcevita
To celebrate 500 years of Disaronno, one of Italy’s top venues – Drink Kong in Rome, ranked #40 in the World’s 50 Best Bars – has created the Dolcevita cocktail. Mixologist Patrick Pistolesi and his team have created something different here, with deep, bitter notes, bright and fresh elements and that unmistakable flavour of Disaronno.
The recipe combines Disaronno, amaro (they use Rabarbaro Zucca), Irish whiskey, lemon juice, pineapple juice and agave syrup. All you have to do here is shake and strain – a coupe glass is ideal – and you have yourself a very tasty way of marking Disaronno’s milestone with friends.
If it wasn’t clear already, let’s come right out and say it: Disaronno is versatile. Whether as a nightcap, brunch companion or afternoon cocktail, there’s barely a time or place where amaretto won’t work. All that said, we do have a few suggestions:
Celebration meals: The marzipan-like flavour of Disaronno just works so well with a fresh lunch spread, especially when it ends with rich and sweet desserts, so big birthday lunches or dinners are ideal.
Morning get-togethers: It might be Christmas morning, a special brunch or just a Saturday morning giving thanks for making it through another week – whatever your excuse, grab a Disaronno Fizz or Disaronno Amaretto Sour, some baked eggs, and celebrate.
- Cocktail parties: If you ever host a cocktail party, one of the best ways to do it is to choose one or two spirits and liqueurs, and base your cocktails on that – otherwise, there’s often too much to buy. With its versatility, we reckon Disaronno is a must, especially with the Fizz being such an easy, affordable and low-alc choice to serve.
