Disaronno Originale (28%

abv Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...

) is a type of

amaretto Amaretto (Italian for "a little bitter") is a sweet Italian liqueur that originated in Saronno. Depending on the brand, it may be made from apricot kernels, bitter almonds, peach stones, or almonds, all of which are natural sources of the benz ...

—an amber-colored liqueur with a characteristic almond taste, although it does not actually contain almonds. It is produced in

Saronno Saronno (; lmo, Saronn ) is a ''comune'' of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Varese. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree in 1960. With an estimated population of 39,351 inhabitants, it is the most densely populated ...

, in the Lombardy region, and is sold worldwide. According to the company, the liqueur is an infusion of

apricot kernel An apricot kernel is the apricot seed located within the fruit endocarp, which forms a hard shell around the seed called the pyrena (stone or pit). The kernel contains amygdalin, a poisonous compound, in concentrations that vary between culti ...

oil with "absolute alcohol, burnt sugar, and the pure essence of seventeen selected herbs and fruits". The liqueur is sold in an oblong glass decanter designed by a craftsman from Murano. The product was called Amaretto di Saronno (Amaretto from

) until 2001, when it was rebranded as "Disaronno Originale" for marketing reasons. The company has promoted a legend about the origin of the drink: : In 1525, a Saronno church commissioned artist

Bernardino Luini Bernardino Luini (c. 1480/82 – June 1532) was a north Italian painter from Leonardo's circle during the High Renaissance. Both Luini and Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio were said to have worked with Leonardo directly; he was described as having ...

, one of Leonardo da Vinci's pupils, to paint its

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

with frescoes. As the church was dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

, Luini needed to depict the Madonna, but was in need of a model. He found his inspiration in a young widowed innkeeper. As a gift for him, the woman steeped apricot kernels in brandy, producing the first amaretto liqueur. Disaronno can be served neat as a cordial, on the rocks, or as part of a cocktail mixed with other alcoholic beverages,

cola Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imi ...

ginger ale Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavoured with ginger. It is consumed on its own or used as a mixer, often with spirit-based drinks. There are two main types of ginger ale. The golden style is credited to the Irish doctor Thomas Joseph ...

, or fruit juice. It may also be added to

hot chocolate Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate ...

and is an ingredient in the Italian variant of an

Irish coffee Irish coffee ( ga, caife Gaelach) is a caffeinated alcoholic drink consisting of Irish whiskey, hot coffee and sugar, which has been stirred and topped with cream (sometimes cream liqueur). The coffee is drunk through the cream. Origin Differe ...

. The amaretto liqueur can also be used in the Italian dessert

Tiramisu Tiramisu ( it, tiramisù , from , "pick me up" or "cheer me up") is a coffee-flavoured Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers (savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured w ...

References

External links

Official Website
Italian liqueurs Almonds Amaretto liqueurs {{Distilled-beverage-stub