Despite their flavour, surprisingly, amaretto liqueurs such as Disaronno Originale are not made with almonds, or indeed nuts! They derive their nutty almond flavour only from apricot kernels. However, other brands of amaretto, such as the delicious Adriatico Amaretto, are almond-flavoured because they are made with roasted almonds.

The name amaretto comes from the diminutive of 'amaro', the Italian word for bitter, and references the bitter almond (mandorla amara), so essential to the balance of a good amaretto. Some say the name means 'a little bitter' while others say amaretto is a conflation of amaro (bitter) and amore (Italian for love), perhaps a reference to the fairy-tale story of the creation of Disaronno, which claims to be the original amaretto.

Infusions and distillations of various other botanicals, most importantly vanilla, contribute to the flavour of amaretto, as does burnt sugar caramel, which also gives the liqueur its dark chestnut hue.

Amaretto is a versatile cocktail ingredient, and we have over 150 amaretto cocktail recipes here on Difford's Guide.

"Cream" and "Bianco" amaretto liqueurs

Amaretto cream liqueurs are made with dairy cream. However, "bianco" amaretto liqueurs, such as Adriatico Bianco, are made with almond milk, so despite their white creamy appearance, they don't contain dairy. (Although please be sure to double-check the label if you have an allergy or intolerance.)