Amaretto cocktails combine sweet amaretto liqueur with another alcoholic drink or non-alcoholic drink depending on how buzzed you want to get. It’s a sweet liqueur that adds a hint of sweetness and spice to any drink that you mix it with.
The alcohol content isn’t the highest, especially if you mix it with something non-alcoholic, so it’s a great after-dinner drink to wrap up your night; an end cap if you will.
That said, amaretto cocktails can vary greatly in what they taste like or look like. So, it’s important to get a grasp of how this drink is commonly enjoyed, served, and even where you should drink it.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about amaretto cocktails.
Amaretto Cocktails: What You Should Know
Amaretto is an Italian liqueur that’s made from brandy, burnt sugars, almonds, or other types of nuts. However, if you have a nut allergy, some brands make amaretto without the nuts, so you won’t get sick you’ll just miss out on the nutty parts of the flavor profile. It’s a sweet drink that has notes of almonds and the sweetness of sugar, but it has a bitter kick as it goes down.
Amaretto is a dessert liqueur that’s popular in restaurants and event venues like wedding halls or corporate black-tie events. It’s become a staple of dessert drinking because it goes well with coffee, which can give you a boost of energy after a night of drinking and eating.
For these reasons, amaretto is usually perceived as a classy drink. You can drink this anywhere without fear of judgment, and you might impress a coworker or two if you order a unique amaretto cocktail they haven’t heard of yet.
What Is Amaretto’s Flavor Profile?
Amaretto is a sweet liqueur. When you drink it, you’ll immediately be hit with sweetness, so much so that it’s smooth to drink as a shot without needing to make that cringe-shot face. Aside from being sweet, some types of amaretto also have a nutty flavor. It can also be a little bitter if you’re not used to drinks like it, in fact, the name means “little bitter” in Italian. Therefore, Amaretto cocktails are often categorized as sweet cocktails, even with the extra bitterness.
What Is the Alcohol Content of Amaretto?
The alcohol content of amaretto varies based on the type you get and the brand that makes it. Typically, the ABV of amaretto is between 21 and 27 percent. Depending on how you order it this may also change because an amaretto cocktail will have a lower ABV than amaretto alone.
What Goes Well With Amaretto Cocktails
Amaretto is a sweet liqueur, so sweet things go great with it. We love to pair amaretto with things like cake, tarts, and even some types of pastries. When it comes to these pairings, we recommend having an amaretto cocktail after dinner and not before dinner. For example, you wouldn’t want to wash a juicy steak down with amaretto.
When you want to make an amaretto cocktail, you can get creative, but there are some things it pairs better with than others. It pairs well with fruity cocktails to bring out the sweetness, but you can also drink it with coffee and other bitter drinks.
Amaretto also mixes well with other types of alcohol. You can mix it with brandy, whiskey, dark rum, and even clear liquors like vodka and some types of rum. You’ll probably want to have this done with something else acting as the base of the drink, like a type of coffee or something of that nature.
The Best Amaretto Cocktails
Amaretto is a delicious dessert liquor but only when you mix it with the right things. We cover some of the best amaretto cocktail recipes below.
1. Amaretto Sour
The Amaretto Sour is an instant classic; it’s one of the best cocktails you can have if you want something for dessert after a meal filled with salty and savory foods. While you’ll get hints of nutty almonds and sweetness from the amaretto, you’ll also get a citrus flavor because of the sour ingredients like lemon.
To make an Amaretto Sour, all you need is amaretto, sweet and sour mix, and lemon juice. Aside from the lemon juice, you can add other ingredients and even some garnishes if you want to tip the flavor scale more toward sweet or sour. For the garnish, some examples of fruit you can use include a cherry or orange slice.
Follow the steps below to make an Amaretto Sour.
- Grab your shaker and combine amaretto, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Add ice to the shaker and start shaking vigorously for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
- Strain the drink over a glass with ice.
- Add cherry or an orange slice as your garnish and dive right in.
To get the right balance, start with about two ounces of amaretto, an ounce of lemon juice, and a half ounce of simple syrup.
2. Amaretto Apple Cider
Who doesn’t love a little apple cider around the holidays? If you’re looking for an amaretto cocktail with a fall spin, this is the drink for you. It combines the sweet and nutty flavor of the amaretto with apple cider to give you a unique flavor that your taste buds will love. You can add a cinnamon stick and apple slices as a garnish.
To make an amaretto apple cider, follow the steps below.
- Fill a wine glass or your preferred glass with ice.
- Pour the amaretto into the glass.
- Add the apple cider.
- Stir the drink with a cinnamon stick and leave it in.
- Add an apple slice if you want to bring out more of the apple flavor.
The best combination for this drink is about two ounces of amaretto and four ounces of apple cider. A good rule of thumb is to double the amount of apple cider to balance the flavor.
3). Amaretto Orange Bliss
Another famous amaretto drink, the Orange Bliss is among the best amaretto cocktails. It pairs the sweet and nutty flavor of amaretto with the citrus flavor of oranges.
For this recipe, have your shaker handy and follow the steps below:
- Combine your orange juice, triple sec, and amaretto in a shaker with some ice.
- Shake the drink well, for about 15 to 30 seconds.
- Strain the drink into a glass of your choice over some ice cubes.
- Add an orange slice as a garnish to bring out more citrus flavors.
For this drink, you’ll want to use two ounces of amaretto and three ounces of your favorite orange juice (skip the pulp). From there, use about one ounce of triple sec and take it easy on the ice.
4). Espresso Martini with Amaretto
Need a pick-me-up after a big dinner? Or do you need to get the party started with some energy? It’s time for an espresso martini with some amaretto. Gather an ounce of amaretto and combine it with about one ounce of espresso and one ounce of vodka. You’ll need a shaker for this one and some coffee beans or nuts as a garnish.
Follow the steps below to make this delicious drink.
- Gather your ingredients and load them into your shaker; combine the espresso, vodka, and amaretto.
- Shake your shaker for about 15 to 30 seconds and don’t be gentle with it, really lay into it. Also, don’t forget to add some ice to chill the drink.
- Strain the drink into a glass, preferably a martini glass if you have one. That said, a wine glass or champagne glass will suffice.
- Add coffee beans as a garnish to bring out more flavor.
If you want to keep the night alive after dinner, there’s no better way to do so than with an espresso martini with some amaretto.
5. Amaretto Hot Chocolate
How could we have a list of amaretto cocktails without bringing out a hot drink? This is where the amaretto hot chocolate comes into play and it’s one of our favorite warm drinks for the holidays.
Gather about an ounce and a half of amaretto and combine it with eight ounces of hot chocolate. The only other ingredients you’ll need are whipped cream, marshmallows, and chocolate shavings.
Follow the steps below to get this drink started.
- Make a cup of hot chocolate the way you usually do it.
- Pour in your amaretto.
- Add your toppings like whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and marshmallows.
An amaretto hot chocolate is delectable and one of the best ways to get a kick from a beverage that tastes like a tasty dessert.
How to Serve an Amaretto Cocktail
Serving an amaretto cocktail is easier than most people think, so don’t overthink it. You can serve this drink in a martini glass, wine glass, or even a coffee mug if you’re just adding it to your coffee; it’s very flexible when it comes to mixing and presentation.
Aside from the glass, what you include also varies based on the cocktail. For example, if you include it in your coffee, you might want to leave it at room temperature or slightly colder. However, in creamier drinks, you’ll want to shake it with ice but avoid pouring the ice cubes into the glass.
Amaretto cocktails can be served at any temperature but many people believe that they should be cold; this makes them more refreshing and pairs better with the sweet flavors.
Enjoy the Sweet Flavor and Potent Kick of an Amaretto Cocktail Today!
Amaretto is one of the sweetest liqueurs you can find, which makes it a great choice to have with your dessert or just after dinner in general.
If you love something with a hint of sweetness but with the lick of a vodka shot, you can’t go wrong with an amaretto cocktail. It’s easy to mix with anything that’s creamy, and you can even put it in your coffee as a pick-me-up after a carb-loaded dinner has you feeling drowsy.
Overall, it’s one of our favorite dessert drinks you can have, and there’s no place where you’ll be judged for enjoying this sweet drink – unless you’re ordering one before 5 pm.
