Amaretto: what you need to know, how to drink, brands + 2 recipes at home
Amaretto is a sweet Italian liqueur with almond flavor, originally from Saronne, Italy.
Modern brands prepare the drink from apricot kernels, peach kernels or almonds, which are natural sources of benzaldehyde, which provides the main almond-like taste of the liqueur.
In addition, the drink is flavored with vanilla and some other spices.
What you need to know about amaretto
How many degrees
Strength ranges from 21 to 37.5%.
About the name of the drink
Amaretto comes from the contraction of "amaro", the Italian word for "bitter", referring to the bitter almonds (mandorla amara), so important for the balance of a good amaretto.
Some say the name means "slightly bitter", while others say amaretto is a combination of amaro (bitter) and amore (love).
Amaretto should not be confused with amaro
This is a completely different class of Italian liqueurs, which has a stronger bitter taste derived from herbs.
The history of amaretto
The true origin of amaretto may be lost to history, but the legend of its creation dates back more than 500 years.
In the city of Saronne in northwestern Italy, Leonardo da Vinci's assistant, Bernardino Luina, was commissioned to paint a fresco of the Virgin Mary in a church. He chose a local woman as his model, and she was so proud that she wanted to give Luina a gift.
The girl couldn't give her anything expensive, so she took apricot kernels and infused them with the brand, and that's how the first bottle of amaretto appeared.
Who produces amaretto
Today, the liqueur is made all over the world, from the Netherlands to the United States, and, of course, in its homeland of Italy.
How to replace amaretto in cocktails
Almond syrup, but do not forget to divide by 2 the number of milliliters of amaretto in the cocktail recipe, the syrup is much sweeter than the liqueur.
How to drink amaretto
In its purest form in small sips
To soften the taste of amaretto, or to cool the liquor slightly, you can put an ice cube in a glass with a drink or splash in a literal thimbleful of clean water...
As part of cocktails
A bunch of cocktail recipes with amaretto here.
Serving temperature and utensils
Italians recommend drinking the drink at room temperature, as chilled amaretto significantly loses its flavor and richness of flavor.
As for the glasses themselves, according to the canon, they should have a so-called teardrop shape and a capacity of 30 to 60 milliliters.
What to drink amaretto with
Since this liqueur is exclusively dessert, the appetizer for amaretto should be appropriate.
It can be fruit, creamy soufflé, sweet pastries or ice cream.
Some gourmets suggest eating amaretto with cheeses.
12 popular brands of amaretto
Original amaretto is a traditional almond liqueur from Italy, which quickly gained popularity around the world due to its rare and unique taste.
Amaretto by Disaronno is made from sweet and bitter almonds, vanilla, as well as various aromatic herbs and spices. Amber color liqueur 28%.
Giffard Amaretto
The French liqueur has a crystal clear copper-amber color with brownish reflections.
The taste is sweet with notes of bitter almonds. Caramel aftertaste with a hint of biscuit cakes.
The aroma of the liqueur harmoniously combines notes of marzipan, almonds, vanilla and dried apricots. Strength 28%.
Luxardo Amaretto
Italian liqueur of amber color. It has a refined, sweet, rounded taste with a velvety texture and characteristic almond notes.
The fragrant aroma of the liqueur is filled with tones of almonds and vanilla. The strength is 28%.
Saliza Amaretto Veneziano
Rich, delicious liqueur from the Italian manufacturer Bepi Tosolini.
Amaretto Saliza is produced by maceration of almonds in grape alcohol. Strength 28% alcohol content.
Ciroc Amaretto
Made by mixing five times distilled French grape-based vodka with natural almond essence. The strength is 37.5%.
Bols Amaretto
Dutch liqueur of warm golden brown color.
It has a harmonious taste with notes of nuts and caramel.
Has a wonderful aroma with notes of almonds. Strength: 24%.
Gabriel Boudier Amaretto Almond Liqueur
French amaretto with classic bitter notes of almonds, lemon zest and marzipan.
The liqueur is interesting for its long spicy aftertaste. Strength 28% alcohol content.
Lazzaroni Amaretto liqueur
The amber-colored Italian liqueur has a balanced, original bittersweet taste with hints of biscuit and apricot kernels.
The bouquet of the drink is dominated by the aroma of almonds. The alcohol content is 24%.
Gozio Amaretto
Amaretto brand made from bittersweet almonds. Produced by Distillerie Franciacorta, a 113-year-old company based in Gussago, Italy. The specialty of the drink is the use of the company's patented production method and formula.
The liqueur is 100% natural and without artificial flavors, extracts or additives. 24% alcohol content.
De Kuyper Amaretto Liqueur
The Dutch liqueur has a sensual expressive character. Nut and vanilla notes intertwine in the taste.
In addition to almond and spicy tones, the flavor of the drink also contains light citrus hints. Strength 30%.
Sette Vie Amaretto Classico
Italian amaretto is made from a carefully balanced blend of different types of almonds, which gives the drink a unique and mild flavor.
The family factory was established in 1880 and began selling amaretto locally under its own label in the late nineteenth century. Several generations have perfected the recipe over time to create the best drink possible. The strength is 28%.
Antica Amaretto
Classic Italian sambuca flavored with amaretto. Produced in the valley between the Dolomites and the historic island of Venice.
Strength: 38% alcohol.
A simple recipe for amaretto
IngredientsWater - 1 cup
White sugar - 1 cup
Brown sugar - ½ cup
Vodka - 2 cups
Almond extract - 2 tbsp.
Vanilla extract - 2 tbsp.
The method of preparation
Pour the brown and white sugar into a bowl of water and heat it until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Cool the resulting syrup to room temperature and then pour vodka into it.
Measure and mix vanilla and almond extract in a separate bowl.
Then mix both mixtures and bottle for storage or immediate drinking.
If you want to lighten the drink a bit, use a filter bag for coffee and double filter before bottling.
Homemade amaretto can be stored for a long time and only gets better with time.
Traditional amaretto recipe
IngredientsVodka - 500 ml
Almonds - 50 g
Apricot kernels - 50 g
Water - 150 ml
Sugar - 350 g
Vanilla sugar - 2 tsp. (or vanilla - on the tip of a knife)
Cinnamon - a pinch
Cloves - 2 pcs.
Allspice - 3 peas
Freshly ground coffee - 3 g
Filter bag for coffee - 1-2 pcs.
The method of preparation
Raw almond kernels are poured with boiling water and infused for several minutes so that the skin can be removed.
Peeled almonds are fried on a dry surface until golden brown. During the frying process, you also need to throw cloves and allspice into the pan so that they better reveal the flavor in the tincture.
Prepare caramel from sugar and water separately. Pour the sugar into a frying pan, preferably a Teflon one, add a third of the water, and heat the mixture over low heat until it turns brown and has a caramel flavor. When this happens, the rest of the water is poured into the syrup and vanilla is added.
Put the roasted almonds, cloves, pepper, apricot kernels and cinnamon into the jar and gently pour the hot syrup over them.
After the contents of the jar have cooled, pour vodka into it and add coffee, then shake everything thoroughly.
Using a filter bag for coffee, we pass our liquor into a clean container. Filtration will clarify the drink and remove unwanted coffee particles. Repeated filtration will further clarify the liquor, but is not necessary.
We send the drink to a dark place for a month, not forgetting to shake it periodically.
After the expiration of the aging period, you can additionally filter the liquor through a filter bag or a thick layer of cheesecloth.
Update: 27.05.2019
Category: Liqueurs and Tinctures