I’ve admittedly not given amaretto a lot thought in… ever. Within the grand pantheon of Italian liqueurs, amaretto has (regardless of the title, which is the diminutive of “amaro,” or “bitter”) traditionally leaned closely within the route of sticky candy. As such, it has, during the last 20 years, largely been filed away as a ’70s relic unworthy of resurrection. Nice in a cookie, not a lot in a cocktail.
Bartenders, for his or her half, have tried. The Amaretto Bitter has been retooled a number of instances over at this level, whether or not by means of the addition of bourbon for stability (famously proselytized by Jeffrey Morgenthaler) or the newer improve of Campari so as to add again the bitterness promised within the title. The Godfather, a ’70s drink that mixes amaretto and Scotch in equal elements, additionally had a resurgence circa 2017, through which bartenders sought to rebalance the drink by drastically altering its specs. All of those efforts hinged on countering a product whose savory taste profile is each compelling and exhausting to copy, however is just too candy for the trendy palate.
Right here’s the place I get to the purpose. What when you simply made a greater amaretto? Launched in 2019, and now discovering its option to stateside bars with the assistance of Al Sotack (previously of Brooklyn bar Jupiter Disco), Amaretto Adriatico has formally taken the liqueur into the twenty first century. Produced from Filippo Cea almonds grown in Puglia, Italy, the model’s “roasted” expression incorporates roughly one-half the sugar content material of a typical amaretto. The kicker, nevertheless, is the addition of a not-insignificant “pinch” of sea salt, which contributes to each balancing the liqueur out, and amplifying its savory, gently bitter profile. It may be sipped solo on the rocks and permits the Amaretto Bitter to return to its authentic spec, however for my cash it actually shines in the Godfather. It’s the proper, unthinking two-ingredient winter drink, no substitutions or additions required.
