Wine & Liqueurliqueur

Amaretto

Origin legend: a widow in Saronno created almond liqueur for the artist Bernardino Luini (a Leonardo da Vinci student) in 1525 as a gift. Historical accuracy is disputed. Disaronno was rebranded from 'Disaronno Originale Amaretto' to simply 'Disaronno' in the 1990s because the brand had outgrown the category name. Jeffrey Morgenthaler's 2012 Amaretto Sour recipe (published on his blog) is credited with rehabilitating the ingredient in craft cocktail culture.

Flavor Profile

Sweet-Caramel primary; phantom almond (marzipan) note. 'A liqueur imprisoned by its own marketing' for decades — too sweet, too dessert, too 1980s — until Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Amaretto Sour proved it just needed a counterweight (cask-proof bourbon + lemon + egg white).

Key Producers

Standard

Disaronno Originale

28% ABV; the most recognized amaretto globally; apricot-kernel based

Premium

Luxardo Amaretto di Saschira

Real almonds; slightly more complex

Specialty

Lazzaroni Amaretto

Made with real Saronno amaretti cookies and almonds; drier

Italy; 'amaretto' = 'a little bitter' in Italian; 28% ABV (Disaronno); traditionally flavored with almonds or apricot kernels; the flavor is almond/marzipan though the source compound (benzaldehyde) comes from apricot pits in most major brands