20 best Amaretto cocktails

The bittersweet almond and vanilla flavour of amaretto mixes brilliantly with dark spirits – particularly whiskey but this versatile liqueur also mixes well with a wide range of white spirits – vodka obviously but also the likes of tequila and gin, the Marsala Martini being a brilliant example.

Almond Old Fashioned (Tequila-based)
With: Reposado tequila, amaretto, agave syrup and orange bitters.
We say: One to please fans of both tequila and the Old Fashioned cocktail genre with amaretto adding the headline hint of almond.

Almond Piña Colada
With: Light white rum, amaretto, pineapple juice, lime juice, and orgeat syrup.
We say: As the name suggests, this rum-laced cocktail has flavours of pineapple and almond.

Amaretto Sour
With: Amaretto, lemon juice, aromatic bitters and egg white.
We say: Sweet 'n' sour - frothy with an almond buzz. .

Amaretto Sour (by Jeffrey Morgenthaler)
With: Amaretto, bourbon, lemon juice and egg white.
We say: Just as the name suggests but with a slug of bourbon providing backbone.

Atholl Brose
With: Honey, Scotch whisky, oat milk, amaretto liqueur, whisky liqueur, and cream.
We say: Forget porridge, start your day with a hearty Atholl Brose.

Bakewell Tart Sour
With: Cognac, amaretto, cherry syrup, lemon juice, and aromatic bitters.
We say: A name that perfectly sums up the cocktail.

Bella Donna Daiquiri
With: Dark rum, amaretto, lemon juice and sugar syrup.
We say: We discovered this at the Bellagio in Las Vegas back in 2003.

Bird of Paradise
With: Reposado tequila, white crème de cacao, amaretto liqueur, and cream.
We say: If you like tequila and creamy drinks, the two don't mix much better than this.

Dolce-Amaro
With: Dry vermouth, red bitter liqueur, and amaretto liqueur.
We say: The very apt name translates as 'bittersweet'.

Godfather
With: Scotch whisky and amaretto liqueur.
We say: Adjust the proportions of each ingredient to suit your taste or the time of day.

Homely Smoke
With: Cognac, amaretto, Islay malt whisky, honey and Angostura bitters.
We say: Rich honey and almondy amaretto mellow peated Islay malt and cognac.

Italian Margarita
With: Tequila, amaretto, triple sec, and lime.
We say: Amaretto adds notes of apricot and almond to a classic Margarita.

Killer Cocktail
With: Amaretto, gin, Italian red bitter liqueur, passion fruit syrup, and lemon juice.
We say: A very fruity bittersweet sour.

Mai Tai (Difford's recipe)
With: Amaretto and eight other ingredients.
We say: Best described as an overly embellished Daiquiri as befits a "Tiki" classic.

Marsala Martini
With: Gin, marsala, dry vermouth and amaretto.
We say: Marsala and amaretto are a heavenly combo, here used to enrich an otherwise dry martini.

Orange Brûlée
With: Amaretto, orange liqueur, cognac and cream.
We say: Creamy topped after-dinner indulgence.

P.S. I Love You
With: Light gold rum, amaretto liqueur, Irish cream liqueur, coffee liqueur and cream.
We say: P.S. You'll love this creamy, slightly sweet dessert cocktail.

Petanque
With: Fino sherry, amaretto, creole bitters and absinthe.
We say: The name may be French but the key ingredients are Spanish and Italian.

Toasted Old Fashioned Godfather
With: Rye whiskey, bourbon, amaretto liqueur, and aromatic bitters.
We say: Rye whiskey spice and aromatic bitters offset bourbon's richness and amaretto's sweetness in this complex, dry and spirit-forward after-dinner cocktail.

Vieille Place
With: Bourbon, cognac, gentian liqueur, dry vermouth, amaretto, sugar, creole bitters and aromatic bitters.
We say: Reminiscent of an old-fashioned but with the option to enjoy as an aperitif.

More amaretto cocktails

We've over a amaretto cocktails on Difford's Guide.