Amaretto

28 vol

Amaretto (Italian for "a little bitter") is a sweet, almond-flavoured, Italian liqueur associated with Saronno, Italy. Various commercial brands are made from a base of apricot pits, almonds, or both. When served as a beverage, amaretto can be drunk by itself, used as an ingredient to create several popular mixed drinks, or added to coffee. Amaretto is also commonly used in culinary applications. The name amaretto originated as a diminutive of the Italian word amaro, meaning "bitter", which references the distinctive flavour lent by the mandorla amara (the bitter almond) or by the drupe kernel. However, the bitterness of amaretto tends to be mild, and sweeteners—and sometimes sweet almonds—enhance the flavour in the final products. Thus one can interpret the liqueur's name as a description of the taste as "a little bitter". Cyanide is processed out of the almond preparation prior to its use. Conflation of amaro ("bitter") and amore ("love") has led to associations with romance. One should not confuse amaretto with amaro, a different family of Italian liqueurs that, while also sweetened, have a stronger bitter flavour derived from herbs.