National Amaretto Day

Glasses are raised and toasts are made to the almond-flavored Italian liqueur amaretto today, on National Amaretto Day. Amaretto is used to make many cocktails, the most widespread being the Amaretto Sour. Other cocktails are the Almond Joy Martini, Amaretto Cranberry Kiss, Godfather, Toasted Almond, and Almond Atholl Brose. Simple drinks like amaretto and coffee, amaretto and Coke, and amaretto and cranberry juice may also be poured, and amaretto may also be drunk on the rocks. Amaretto is also used to make the Flaming Doctor Pepper and Lunchbox shots. It can be used in baking desserts like almond cookies, amaretti biscuits, brownies, chocolate truffles, and tiramisu, and can be added to ice cream and whipped cream.

Amaretto is sweet and nutty, but also a little bitter. In fact, the word amaretto means "a little bitter" in Italian, coming from the word amara, meaning bitter. The ingredients of amaretto vary. It is usually made with bitter almonds or apricot pits (kernels), which taste similar to almonds. Apricot kernel oil or peach pits are sometimes used instead. A combination of spices makes each amaretto unique, and burnt or caramelized sugar adds sweetness. Some brands infuse vanilla. The ingredients are usually steeped from a week to a few months before the amaretto is ready.

One origin story of amaretto claims it dates to the Renaissance, to 1525 in Saronno, Italy. A widowed innkeeper allegedly posed as Madonna for painter Bernardino Luini, who had been commissioned to paint frescoes in a church sanctuary and then gave him brandy infused with almonds or apricot kernels. Giovanni Reina is said to have come across the recipe and began distilling it. It remained secret and was passed down the generations.

Similar recipes were refined over the years and eventually began being sold commercially by families like the Disaronnos and Lazzaronis. Lazzaroni was the first to sell it, beginning in 1851. Lazzaroni is still popular, although Disaronno makes the most recognized amaretto today. In the early twentieth century, Domenico Reina opened Domenico Reina Coloniali in Saronno and began selling the original secret family recipe as Amaretto di Saronno, which is now called Disaronno Originale. Their now iconic square bottle design hit the shelves in 1942, and the amaretto was exported around the world by the 1960s. Other prominent brands are Adriatico, Giffard, Wenneker, Bols, Luxardo, and DeKuyper. These and all other Amaretto brands are enjoyed today on National Amaretto Day!

How to Observe National Amaretto Day

Pick up a bottle of Disaronno Originale or amaretto made by Lazzaroni, Adriatico, Giffard, Wenneker, Bols, Luxardo, DeKuyper, or another company. Drink it on the rocks or use it to make a cocktail or shot:

• Almond Atholl Brose
• Almond Joy Martini
• amaretto and coffee
• amaretto and Coke
• amaretto and cranberry juice
• Amaretto Cranberry Kiss
• Amaretto Sour
• Flaming Doctor Pepper
• Godfather
• Lunchbox
• Toasted Almond

If you don't drink, why not bake with amaretto? There are plenty of recipes you could try:

• almond cookies
• amaretti biscuits
• brownies
• chocolate truffles
• tiramisu

No matter how you are celebrating, make sure to share photos on social media along with the hashtag #NationalAmarettoDay!

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