[2] A liqueur glass with the amber liqueur (photo via Angela Bax | Pinterest via Flickr.

[3] Domenico Reina’s store in Saronno.

[4] Bottles of Disaronno from 1900.

You may find it hard to believe that one of the top liqueurs in the world (see the list below) was not imported into the U.S. until the 1960s.

The almond-flavored cordial quickly became a hit in the U.S., in cocktails and food preparation. By the 1980s, it was second in sales only to Kahlùa. (Today, the top liqueurs are Baileys Irish Cream and Malibu Caribbean Rum.)

(What’s the difference between a cordial, a liqueur and an eau de vie? Here’s the answer.

In Italian, amaro means bitter. Amaretto means a little bitter.

Why is this sweet, almond liqueur called bitter?

Surprisingly, no almonds are used to make most brands of amaretto. Rather, the marzipan-like flavor is achieved through apricot kernel oil, burnt sugar and a variety of spices.

Various commercial brands—but not the top two which “own” the market—are made from a base of apricot pits or peach pits (the source of the oil), almonds, or a combination.

Most likely, when it was first made, amaretto wasn’t as sweet as it is today. Older recipes use the bitter almond (mandorla amara) local to Saronno, Italy, which give the liqueur its name.

In Italy, almonds are grown in two basic varieties, sweet and bitter (mandorla).
 
 
WHO INVENTED AMARETTO?

Before the names DiSaronno or Lazzaroni ever appeared on a bottle, the amaretto legend was born.

In the Renaissance and earlier, many families would distill their own liqueurs and digestifs.

According to their history, here’s the scoop:

In 1525, the artist Bernardino Luini, a former pupil of Leonardo da Vinci, was commissioned by the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie in the city of Saronno, in northern Italy near the Swiss border, in the region of Lombardy.

He painted a fresco of the the Adoration of the Magi (photo #5) in the sanctuary, which included the Madonna of the Miracles (photo #6). The fresco can still be seen today).

As the model for the Madonna, Luini hired a young widow, an innkeeper. As a gift, she gave him a flask full of an amber liqueur she made by steeping apricot kernels in brandy.

Her name is lost to history, but her likeness and her amaretto recipe live on.

Perhaps she was a member of the Reina family; for somehow, in 1600, Giovanni Reina (who had worked for the Lazzaroni amaretto cookie business) discovered the innkeeper’s old recipe. He made the liqueur, and the “secret” recipe passed from one generation to the next.

20th Century Amaretto Di Saronno

At the beginning of the 20th century, Domenico Reina decided to open a store in Saronno to sell food items, including the family liqueur, which he sold as Amaretto di Saronno Originale (Original Amaretto from Saronno, photo #4). The store was called Domenico Reina Coloniali (Domenico Reina’s Grocery—photo #3).

By 1940, liqueur production had grown into a large artisanal business. In 1947 was incorporated as ILLVA SARONNO. ILLVA is an acronym for Industria, Lombarda, Liquori, Vini & Affini (Industry, Lombarda, Spirits, Wines & Allied Products).

The product was called Amaretto di Saronno (Amaretto from Saronno), before returning to the latter part of the original name, Disaronno Originale, in 2001. It is still produced in Saronno, and sold worldwide (source).

It should be noted that Paolo Lazzaroni & Figli S.p.A., makers of Amaretti di Saronno cookies, claims that the Lazzaroni family created amaretto, in 1851.

That may be so, but their recipes are quite different. Disaronno’s is made from apricot kernel oil with “absolute alcohol, burnt sugar, and the pure essence of seventeen selected herbs and fruits” (i.e., no almonds or other nuts).

Lazzaroni’s amaretto contains their Amaretti di Saronno almond cookies, infused in alcohol (source).

Most people—including American producers and importers—use these terms interchangeably. But there are differences:
 
 
BRANDY, CORDIAL, EAU DE VIE, LIQUEUR & SCHNAPS:
THE DIFFERENCE

[6] A detail of the Madonna.

The distillation of alcohol may have taken place as early as 200 C.E., possibly by alchemists trying to make gold (alembic still history).
The Russian term zhiznennia voda, which was distilled down (that’s a pun) into “vodka,” also means water of life (the literal translation of vodka is “little water”).

The Gaelic uisce beatha, pronounced ISH-ka BYA-ha, too, means “water of life.” The pronunciation evolved into the more familiar term, whiskey.
 
 
APÉRITIF & DIGESTIF

How about an apéritif (French) or an aperitivo (Italian)?

These don’t refer to the contents of a drink; but rather, to the timing. They are a range of alcoholic beverages that are drunk to stimulate the appetite.

Traditional choices for an apéritif are champagne; gin; anise-flavored liqueurs (arak, pastis, raki and others); dry white wine (a light style); sherry (amontillado, fino or dry sherry; and vermouth (a fortified white wine).

At the opposite end, a digestif is an after-dinner drink to help with digestion. These include amaros, fortified wines, brandies and herbal liqueurs.
 
 
To conclude, here’s the difference between liquor and liqueur.
 
 
THE TOP 10 LIQUEURS

According to The Spirit Business, the top-selling liqueur brands in the world are:

1. Baileys Irish Cream (whiskey flavored)
2. Malibu (rum and coconut flavored)
3. De Kuyper (assorted flavors)
4. Lubelska (vodka-based liqueur)
5. Southern Comfort (whiskey flavored)
6. Kahlúa (coffee flavored)
7. Amarula (amarula fruit flavored*)
8. Disaronno Amaretto (almond flavored)
9. Zoladkowa Gorzka (vodka-based liqueur, black cherry flavor)
10. Cointreau (orange flavored)
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*The African fruit from which this is made has been described as tasting like chocolate-covered strawberries. It is a favorite of elephants.

[2] Homemade amaretto. Here’s the recipe. If you don’t have liqueur glasses, use snifters (photo #__) or rocks glasses (photo © Mantitlement).

[3] Amaretto preserves (photo © Tell Tale Preserve Co. | Facebook).

[4] Pour amaretto into your coffee, or serve it as a chaser (photo © Door Country Coffee).

[5] Shrimp in an amaretto marinade. Here’s the recipe (photo © Kansas City Steak Company).

[6] Amaretto cheesecake. Here’s the recipe. Certainly, serve it with a snifter of amaretto (photo © Bake Or Break).

[7] “Tipsy” iced coffee with amaretto. Here’s the recipe (photos #7, #8, andd #10 © Taste Of Home).

[8] Amaretto layer cake. Here’s the recipe.

April 19th is National Amaretto Day, in honor of an almond-flavored liqueur initially made with local bitter almonds in the area of Saronno, Italy since before 1525.

Amaretto is Italian for “a little bitter,” which it may have been back then. Today, it is sweet—and often made from apricot pits, which taste like almond and are a whole lot less expensive.

But what to do with that bottle of amaretto?

Gone are the days when a glass of liqueur would be a sweet ending to dinner. Has anyone had an after-dinner liqueur at home since, say, the 1970s?

Don’t let the bottle of amaretto gather dust on a closet shelf. Today’s tip is: Take that bottle down and put it to good use!

Below:

> Favorite ways to drink amaretto.

> 40 ways to use amaretto in foods and beverages.

> A recipe for amaretto brownies.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of amaretto liqueur.

> The year’s 7 liqueur holidays.

> The year’s 8+ almond holidays.

> The year’s 50+ cocktail and spirits holidays.
 
 
POPULAR WAYS TO DRINK AMARETTO
 
1. Revive the custom of the after dinner drink.

Drink your dessert instead of eating something sweet.

You don’t need to buy delicate, stemmed liqueur glasses: Rocks glasses, even shot glasses, will do just fine.

We use miniature brandy snifters.
 

[9] Enjoy amaretto in your brandy snifters (photo BothEarn Crystal | Amazon).
 
 
2. Bring out the bottle with after-dinner coffee…

…or brunch coffee…or coffee at any respectable time of day.

We have long followed our Nana’s custom of bringing a silver tray with four liqueur bottles (amaretto, anisette, Courvoisier or other Cognac, crème de cacao) and small cream pitchers to the table with coffee.

Why the little pitchers? Nana was far too elegant to pour liqueur from a bottle into a coffee cup. It was poured from the bottle into the pitcher, and then into the cup.

Why didn’t she serve the amaretto as a chaser in her crystal liqueur glasses? Alas, it’s too late to ask.

But anyone who enjoys a shot of flavored syrup in their cup of coffee will appreciate the even greater depth of favor from a sweet liqueur—mixed in or served separately.
 
 
3. Make cocktails.

You can even throw a cocktail party with a menu of amaretto cocktails: Almond Joy, Amaretto Alexander, Amaretto and Coke, Amaretto Sour, Italian Sunset and others.

Here are “the 10 best amaretto cocktail recipes.”

Everything old is new again.

And for dessert: a DiSaronno Milkshake, which is just as it sounds: amaretto and vanilla ice cream, tossed into the blender. By the way, the original milkshake was made with whiskey.
 
 
MORE WAYS TO USE AMARETTO

We have almost 40 different ways to use amaretto.

While the biggest opportunity comes in adding a tablespoon or two to sweet foods, there are also savory uses.
 
 
Amaretto In Desserts

 
 
Amaretto In Beverages

 
What if you simply have too much amaretto?

Give it away. Our Dad, who didn’t drink alcohol, had four bottles in his closet—and didn’t understand the concept of re-gifting.

Tie a bow around the neck; and if you feel you need to buy something, add some liqueur glasses.
 
 
Not enough amaretto?

Make your own with this recipe.
 

[10] Rosie’s Famous Amaretto Brownies from King Arthur Baking. Here’s the recipe (photo © King Arthur Baking).
 
 
RECIPE: AMARETTO BROWNIES WITH AMARETTO FROSTING

Thanks to Rosie Bucherati of King Arthur Flour for this yummy recipe.

Ingredients For About 4 Dozen Small Squares

For The Brownies

 
For The Amaretto Frosting

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

3. ADD the flour, salt and espresso powder, beating gently until thoroughly combined. Spread the batter into the pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

4. MAKE the frosting. Combine the butter and chocolate in bowl, stirring until smooth. Add the sifted confectioner’s sugar alternately with the milk, beating on medium speed. Stir in the amaretto and espresso powder.
5. SPREAD the icing on the cooled brownies. Garnish with almonds. Cover and refrigerate the brownies for at least 1 hour before serving; this will help the icing set, and make cutting a lot less messy.

6. CUT the brownies in small squares to serve. Cover any leftovers, and store at cool room temperature. If it’s warm in your house, you can wrap them airtight and store in the fridge for a day or so; or freeze for longer storage.
 

[11] Whisk a spoonful of amaretto into apricot jam.
 

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Spirit animals await you, in chai, lemon and vanilla. Photos courtesy Good Zebra.

Good Zebra calls their animal crackers “spirit animal crackers.” That’s because their four varieties represent different spirit animals.

You can take the quiz to find your spirit animal—a totem representing you in the animal kingdom.

A totem is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol of a tribe, clan, family or individual.

Native American tradition provides that each individual is connected with nine different animals that will accompany each person through life, acting as guides.

Cultures around the world consider their spirit animal to be an otherworldly guide, who appears during difficult times to offer love, healing and/or support.

It generally takes the form of an animal with which a person (or a clan) shares a certain set of characteristics, and thus a kinship.

The animal acts as a guide and protector for humans. In death, the humans’ spirits are absorbed into the animal. (Here’s more from The Atlantic.)

You don’t have to pursue your spirit animal in order to enjoy Good Zebra animal crackers, however.

We call Good Zebra gourmet animal crackers, because the sophisticated flavors taste so good—in chai, lemon and vanilla.

There are 11 different animal shapes*, inspired by original tattoo art, “each with a soul-touching message to enlighten, uplift and empower,” according to the producers.

Each 2-ounce resealable bag contains approximately 20 animal crackers, delivering 12 grams of protein.

The crackers are all natural, nothing processed or refined (they’re sweetened with honey and coconut sugar). Made with 70% organic ingredients, they’re certified kosher by OU.

You can buy 12 packages for $28 or four packages for $17.

Get yours at Good-Zebra.com.

If you’d prefer to bake your own animal crackers, here’s a recipe.

________________

*We identified a butterfly, deer, fox, grizzly bear, kestrel, owl, peacock, turtle, unicorn, wolf, and of course, zebra. There is a Native American zodiac with additional animal symbols.