Amaretto
Encyclopedia
Amaretto is an Italian
sweet almond
-flavoured liqueur
. It is made from a base of apricot
or almond pits, sometimes both.
amaro, meaning "bitter," indicating the distinctive flavour lent by the mandorla amara--the bitter almond or the drupe
kernel. However, the bitterness is not unpalatable, and the flavour is enhanced by sweeteners, and sometimes sweet almonds, in the final products. Therefore, the liqueur's name can be said to describe the taste as "a little bitter".
Conflation of amare and amore ("love") is primarily responsible for the associations with romance. Amaretto should not be confused with amaro
, a different family of Italian liqueurs that, while also sweetened, have a stronger bitter flavour from herbs.
In 1525, a Saronno
church commissioned artist Bernardino Luini
, one of Leonardo da Vinci
's pupils, to paint their sanctuary
with fresco
es. As the church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Luini needed to depict the Madonna
, but was in need of a model. He found his inspiration in a young widowed innkeeper, who became his model and (in most versions) lover. Out of gratitude and affection, the woman wished to give him a gift. Her simple means did not permit much, so she steeped apricot kernels in brandy and presented the resulting concoction to a touched Luini.
) has a characteristic bittersweet almond taste (although it contains no almonds or nuts) and is known for its distinctive appearance. Disaronno has been in production since about 1900. It claims its "originale" amaretto's "secret formula" is unchanged from 1525, and claims the Luini tale as its own particular history. Its production remains in Saronno
, but the product is sold worldwide.
The company describes its amaretto as an infusion of "apricot kernel oil" with "absolute alcohol, burnt sugar, and the pure essence of seventeen selected herbs and fruits". The amber liqueur is presented in a rectangular glass decanter designed by a craftsman
from Murano
.
The product was originally named "Amaretto di Saronno Originale" (Original Amaretto from Saronno). It subsequently changed to "Amaretto Disaronno", transforming the origin of the product into a more distinctive brand name. Finally, it changed once more to "Disaronno Originale"; it has not marketed itself as an "amaretto" since 2001.
According to the Disaronno website, their amaretto contains no almonds, and is nut-free. Therefore, it is safe for people with nut or related allergies.
), produced by Paolo Lazzaroni & Figli S.p.A., also presents itself as the first such liqueur. However, it is based on an infusion of Amaretti di Saronno
(macaroons), a process which imparts a "delicate almond/apricot flavour". Lazzaroni claim the tale of the young couple blessed by the bishop as the origin of their generations-guarded family recipe, dating it to 1718; the amaretto has been in production since 1851.
produce their own brand of amaretto. Among them are Bols
, DeKuyper
, Hiram Walker
, Luxardo, and Phillips
.
(with ice). It is often added to other beverages to create several popular mixed drink
s. It is also a popular choice of liqueur to add to coffee in the morning.
The following cocktails highlight Amaretto liqueur as a primary ingredient.
French Connection
Pour all ingredients directly into Old Fashioned glass
with ice cubes. Stir gently.
Godfather
Pour all ingredients directly into Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
Godmother
Pour all ingredients directly into Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
Godchild
Pour all ingredients directly into Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
Toasted Almond
Pour all ingredients directly into Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
Bocce Ball
Pour the amaretto into an Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes. Then fill with orange juice. Top with club soda.
Cuban Breeze
Pour the amaretto and vodka into an Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes. Then fill with pineapple juice.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
sweet almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
-flavoured liqueur
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
. It is made from a base of apricot
Apricot
The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
or almond pits, sometimes both.
Etymology
The name is a diminutive of the ItalianItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
amaro, meaning "bitter," indicating the distinctive flavour lent by the mandorla amara--the bitter almond or the drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
kernel. However, the bitterness is not unpalatable, and the flavour is enhanced by sweeteners, and sometimes sweet almonds, in the final products. Therefore, the liqueur's name can be said to describe the taste as "a little bitter".
Conflation of amare and amore ("love") is primarily responsible for the associations with romance. Amaretto should not be confused with amaro
Amaro (drink)
Amaro is a variety of Italian herbal liqueur, commonly drunk as an after-dinner digestif. It is usually bitter and sweet, sometimes syrupy, usually with an alcohol content between 16% and 35%...
, a different family of Italian liqueurs that, while also sweetened, have a stronger bitter flavour from herbs.
Legend
Despite the known history on the introduction and acceptance of almonds into Italian cuisine, more recent takes on the meanings and origins have come about, further popularized by the two major brands. Though of sometimes questionable factuality, these tales hold a sentimental place in Saronno culture.In 1525, a Saronno
Saronno
Saronno is a comune of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Varese. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree in 1960.The place is well known for its apricot kernel biscuits and is also a manufacturing town....
church commissioned artist Bernardino Luini
Bernardino Luini
Bernardino Luini was a North Italian painter from Leonardo's circle. Both Luini and Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio were said to have worked with Leonardo directly; he was described to have taken "as much from Leonardo as his native roots enabled him to comprehend". Consequently many of his works were...
, one of Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
's pupils, to paint their sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
with fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es. As the church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Luini needed to depict the Madonna
Madonna (art)
Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...
, but was in need of a model. He found his inspiration in a young widowed innkeeper, who became his model and (in most versions) lover. Out of gratitude and affection, the woman wished to give him a gift. Her simple means did not permit much, so she steeped apricot kernels in brandy and presented the resulting concoction to a touched Luini.
Disaronno Originale
Disaronno Originale (28% abvAlcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
) has a characteristic bittersweet almond taste (although it contains no almonds or nuts) and is known for its distinctive appearance. Disaronno has been in production since about 1900. It claims its "originale" amaretto's "secret formula" is unchanged from 1525, and claims the Luini tale as its own particular history. Its production remains in Saronno
Saronno
Saronno is a comune of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Varese. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree in 1960.The place is well known for its apricot kernel biscuits and is also a manufacturing town....
, but the product is sold worldwide.
The company describes its amaretto as an infusion of "apricot kernel oil" with "absolute alcohol, burnt sugar, and the pure essence of seventeen selected herbs and fruits". The amber liqueur is presented in a rectangular glass decanter designed by a craftsman
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
from Murano
Murano
Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. It lies about 1.5 km north of Venice and measures about across with a population of just over 5,000 . It is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking...
.
The product was originally named "Amaretto di Saronno Originale" (Original Amaretto from Saronno). It subsequently changed to "Amaretto Disaronno", transforming the origin of the product into a more distinctive brand name. Finally, it changed once more to "Disaronno Originale"; it has not marketed itself as an "amaretto" since 2001.
According to the Disaronno website, their amaretto contains no almonds, and is nut-free. Therefore, it is safe for people with nut or related allergies.
Lazzaroni Amaretto
Lazzaroni Amaretto (24% abvAlcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
), produced by Paolo Lazzaroni & Figli S.p.A., also presents itself as the first such liqueur. However, it is based on an infusion of Amaretti di Saronno
Amaretti di Saronno
Amaretti di Saronno refer to an amaretto macaroon that is traditional to Saronno, a comune of Lombardy, Italy. It is one of many types of traditional amaretto biscuits....
(macaroons), a process which imparts a "delicate almond/apricot flavour". Lazzaroni claim the tale of the young couple blessed by the bishop as the origin of their generations-guarded family recipe, dating it to 1718; the amaretto has been in production since 1851.
Other brands
Many distillersDistilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
produce their own brand of amaretto. Among them are Bols
Lucas Bols
Lucas Bols is a privately held Dutch company in the business of production, distribution, sales and marketing of alcoholic beverages. It is the oldest Dutch company still active and the oldest distillery brand in the world. Its brand portfolio consists of Bols, Galliano, Vaccari, Pisang Ambon,...
, DeKuyper
DeKuyper
DeKuyper Royal Distillers is a privately held Dutch company in the business of manufacturing and marketing distilled spirits and liqueurs.The company was begun in 1695 by Petrus De Kuyper as a manufacturer of barrels and casks used in the transportation of spirits and beer...
, Hiram Walker
Hiram Walker
Hiram Walker was an American grocer and distiller, and the eponym of the famous distillery in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Walker was born in East Douglas, Massachusetts, and moved to Detroit in the mid-1830s...
, Luxardo, and Phillips
Phillips Distilling Company
Phillips Distilling Company is a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based distillery and house brand of liquors known for its omnipresence in the bars, taverns, and private shelves of the Great Plains. Phillips produces a variety of liquors such as Gin, Rum, Canadian whisky, Brandy and many flavors of Schnapps...
.
Cooking
- Amaretto is added to desserts, including ice cream, which enhances the flavour of the dessert with almonds and complements chocolate. TiramisuTiramisuTiramisu, , , literally "pick me up", is an Italian cake and dessert.It is made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks and mascarpone, and flavored with liquor and cocoa...
, a popular Italian cake, is often flavoured with either real amaretto or alcohol-free amaretto aroma. - Savoury recipes which call for it usually focus on meat, such as chicken.
- A few shots of amaretto can be added to pancake batter for a richer flavour.
- Amaretto is often added to almondine sauce for fish and vegetables
Beverages
Amaretto may be served neat (by itself) or on the rocksIce cube
Ice cubes are small, roughly cube-shaped pieces of ice, conventionally used to cool beverages. Ice cubes are often preferred over crushed ice because they melt more slowly; they are standard in mixed drinks that call for ice, in which case the drink is said to be "on the rocks."Ice cubes are...
(with ice). It is often added to other beverages to create several popular mixed drink
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
s. It is also a popular choice of liqueur to add to coffee in the morning.
The following cocktails highlight Amaretto liqueur as a primary ingredient.
French Connection
French Connection (cocktail)
A French connection is a cocktail made with equal parts Cognac and Amaretto liqueur.-Recipe:Ingredients:*35 ml Cognac*35 ml Amaretto liqueurMixing Instructions:Pour all ingredients directly into a snifter with ice cubes. Stir gently....
- 1 part (35 ml) Amaretto liqueur
- 1 part (35 ml) CognacCognac (drink)Cognac , named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name, in the French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime....
Pour all ingredients directly into Old Fashioned glass
Old fashioned glass
The Old Fashioned glass, lowball glass, or rocks glass is a short tumbler used for serving an alcoholic beverage, such as whisky, with ice cubes...
with ice cubes. Stir gently.
Godfather
- 1 part (35 ml) Amaretto liqueur
- 1 part (35 ml) ScotchScotch whiskyScotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
Pour all ingredients directly into Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
Godmother
- 1 part (35 ml) Amaretto liqueur
- 1 part (35 ml) VodkaVodkaVodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
Pour all ingredients directly into Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
Godchild
- 1 part (35 ml) Amaretto liqueur
- 1 part (35 ml) CreamCreamCream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
Pour all ingredients directly into Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
Toasted Almond
- 1 part (35 ml) Amaretto liqueur
- 1 part (35 ml) KahlúaKahlúaKahlúa is a Mexican coffee-flavored rum-based liqueur. It is dense and sweet, with the distinct taste of coffee, from which it is made. Kahlúa also contains sugar, corn syrup and vanilla bean.-History:...
- 1 part (35 ml) Cream
Pour all ingredients directly into Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
Bocce Ball
- 1 part (35 ml) Amaretto liqueur
- Orange juiceOrange juiceOrange juice is a popular beverage made from oranges. It is made by extraction from the fresh fruit, by desiccation and subsequent reconstitution of dried juice, or by concentration of the juice and the subsequent addition of water to the concentrate...
- Club sodaCarbonated waterCarbonated water is water into which carbon dioxide gas under pressure has been dissolved, a process that causes the water to become effervescent....
Pour the amaretto into an Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes. Then fill with orange juice. Top with club soda.
Cuban Breeze
- 1 part (35 ml) Amaretto liqueur
- 1 part (35 ml) Vodka
- Pineapple juice
Pour the amaretto and vodka into an Old Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes. Then fill with pineapple juice.