Best Amaretto Cocktails — 8 Recipes to Make at Home
Amaretto is an Italian almond-flavoured liqueur with a distinctive sweet, slightly bitter character. Despite the name (amaretto means "a little bitter"), it's one of the sweeter liqueurs — the bitterness is subtle, coming from apricot kernels, bitter almonds or both depending on the producer.
Disaronno is the most famous brand, but Lazzaroni and Luxardo produce excellent alternatives. Amaretto's sweetness makes it a natural match for coffee, chocolate, citrus and sour profiles — it adds flavour without competing.
Here are eight amaretto cocktails spanning the simple to the more elaborate.
1.Add amaretto, bourbon, lemon juice and egg white to a shaker.
2.Dry shake for 15 seconds.
3.Add ice and shake again for 10 seconds.
4.Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice or a chilled coupe.
5.Add a few drops of Angostura bitters on the foam.
6.Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Tip: Jeffrey Morgenthaler's modern Amaretto Sour adds a small amount of bourbon — it adds backbone and prevents the drink from being too sweet and one-dimensional. If you skip it, reduce the simple syrup or increase the lemon slightly. The egg white foam is traditional.
2
Godfather
Easy
Glass: Rocks glass
Ingredients
40ml Scotch
20ml amaretto
large ice cube
Method
1.Add Scotch and amaretto to a rocks glass.
2.Add a large ice cube.
3.Stir gently for 10 seconds.
Tip: Simple and indulgent. The almond sweetness of the amaretto and the maltiness of Scotch are natural partners. Use a blended Scotch (Monkey Shoulder, Johnnie Walker Black) rather than a peated single malt. A 2:1 ratio (Scotch to amaretto) is standard — adjust for sweetness preference.
3
Toasted Almond
Easy
Glass: Rocks glass or old-fashioned
Ingredients
30ml amaretto
30ml Kahlúa (coffee liqueur)
60ml double cream
ice
Method
1.Add amaretto and Kahlúa to a rocks glass filled with ice.
2.Float the cream on top by pouring slowly over the back of a spoon.
3.Stir before drinking, or leave the layers for presentation.
Tip: The almond and coffee combination is hard to beat for a dessert cocktail. Use double cream for the float — it has enough fat to sit on top. For a lighter version, use single cream or half-and-half; it won't float as well but integrates more quickly.
4
Amaretto Coffee
Easy
Glass: Heatproof glass or mug
Ingredients
40ml amaretto
200ml freshly brewed coffee
30ml double cream
toasted almonds to garnish (optional)
Method
1.Pour the amaretto into a heatproof glass.
2.Add the hot coffee.
3.Float the cream by pouring slowly over the back of a warm spoon.
4.Garnish with a few toasted flaked almonds.
Tip: The Italian answer to Irish Coffee. Use freshly brewed coffee, not instant. The cream should be lightly whipped to hold the float — too liquid and it sinks, too thick and it sits in a clump. A medium roast coffee works better than a dark roast here.
5
Alabama Slammer
Easy
Glass: Highball
Ingredients
25ml amaretto
25ml Southern Comfort
25ml sloe gin
60ml fresh orange juice
ice
orange slice to garnish
Method
1.Fill a highball with ice.
2.Add amaretto, Southern Comfort and sloe gin.
3.Top with orange juice and stir gently.
4.Garnish with an orange slice.
Tip: A retro party classic from the 1980s. It sounds outrageous but the orange juice ties it together surprisingly well. For a more complex version, use fresh orange juice rather than carton. Southern Comfort is made from whiskey with peach flavour — it bridges the amaretto and sloe gin.
6
French Connection
Easy
Glass: Rocks glass
Ingredients
40ml cognac
20ml amaretto
large ice cube
Method
1.Add cognac and amaretto to a rocks glass.
2.Add a large ice cube and stir briefly.
Tip: Cognac and amaretto is an even more elegant pairing than Scotch and amaretto. Use a VS or VSOP Cognac — the vanilla and dried fruit notes complement the almond beautifully. A warming, indulgent after-dinner drink.
7
Sicilian Kiss
Easy
Glass: Rocks glass
Ingredients
30ml amaretto
30ml Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
30ml fresh orange juice
ice
orange peel to garnish
Method
1.Add amaretto, Frangelico and orange juice to a shaker with ice.
2.Shake for 10 seconds.
3.Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4.Garnish with an orange peel.
Tip: The almond and hazelnut combination sounds rich but the orange juice balances it well. Frangelico is the classic hazelnut liqueur; Disaronno and Frangelico are actually made by the same group, so they're designed to work together.
8
Amaretto Fizz
Easy
Glass: Highball
Ingredients
40ml amaretto
20ml fresh lemon juice
10ml simple syrup
soda water
ice
lemon slice to garnish
Method
1.Add amaretto, lemon juice and simple syrup to a shaker with ice.
2.Shake for 10 seconds.
3.Strain into a highball over fresh ice.
4.Top with soda water.
5.Garnish with a lemon slice.
Tip: The lemon cuts through the sweetness of the amaretto to create something much more refreshing than you'd expect from an almond liqueur. Reduce the simple syrup if your amaretto is particularly sweet. This is a great warm-weather drink.
Buying Amaretto in the UK
Disaronno Originale is the benchmark (around £18–£22 for 70cl) and widely available. Lazzaroni Amaretto is worth seeking out — it has a slightly more complex, less syrupy character. Luxardo Amaretto di Saschira is excellent for cocktails. Avoid very cheap amarettos; they tend to taste artificial and excessively sweet. For cooking and desserts, any amaretto works fine.
UK shop picks
Buy Amaretto for these cocktails
Bottles we recommend for the recipes above — shipped from UK retailers. Affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Most amarettos don't contain almonds — they get their flavour from apricot kernels, which contain benzaldehyde (the same compound that gives almonds their flavour). Disaronno's recipe is from apricot kernels. Some producers do use bitter almonds or synthetic benzaldehyde. Regardless, people with tree nut allergies should check with the manufacturer.
What can I substitute for amaretto in a cocktail?
The closest substitute is Disaronno (if you're using a different amaretto brand). Orgeat syrup (almond syrup, non-alcoholic) works for the almond flavour in a non-alcoholic context but lacks the alcohol and bitterness. For cocktails, there's no perfect substitute — Frangelico (hazelnut) is the nearest alternative in character, though noticeably different.
Is amaretto gluten-free?
Most amarettos are gluten-free, including Disaronno. They're made from neutral spirits with almond/apricot flavouring, containing no wheat, barley or rye. However, manufacturing processes vary — if you have celiac disease or a serious gluten intolerance, check the specific manufacturer's statement rather than assuming.