Tucked in the backbar of forgotten liqueurs, amaretto usually holds a place near blue Curacao, Midori and an obelisk-shaped Galliano bottle, only making its way to the forefront in an occasional amaretto sour. But much like Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl bell-bottom jeans, that staple of 1970s bar culture is finding its way into the spotlight thanks to a new generation of bartenders rediscovering amaretto’s versatility on a menu of modern cocktails.
Translating to “little bitter” in Italian, amaretto dates to the 16th century. Amaretto gets its rich depth from apricot pits, almonds and botanicals. The liqueur is nutty with a hint of bitterness that balances out its inherent sweetness. The amaretto sour debuted in the 1970s and dominated bar menus until falling out of favor when more balanced drinks with fresher ingredients rose in popularity.
Bartenders are embracing classic liqueurs with modern-day comebacks, making cocktails less syrupy and more refined. It’s not just about nostalgia, but reinvention. Often pairing amaretto with bright, bitter or smoky elements, barkeeps let the nuttiness and amaretto’s warmth shine with balance and complexity, showing that resurgence just takes the right perspective.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
At East Atlanta’s OK Yaki, Anton Dang created a riff that not only complements Japanese flavors on the menu but feels like an amaretto revelation. The Goma’retto Sour shakes together amaretto, cider, eau de vie (fruit brandy), sesame and fresh citrus. On top, a salted coconut yuzu foam adds to both the flavor and the aromatic experience with a sprinkle of sesame seeds (”goma” in Japanese).
Stepping into Politan Row’s JoJo’s Beloved Cocktail Lounge is transportive to the disco era, but the throwback cocktails have modern complexity. My Offer is Nothing is a riff on the classic godfather, which itself is a variation on an old-fashioned with amaretto in place of a sugar cube, and scotch standing in for bourbon. With a backdrop of neon lights, blended scotch, amaretto and Dragoncello (tarragon liqueur) are stirred together with mole bitters and lemon oil, rounding out savory notes. You may be fully immersed in a ‘70s vibe, but your feet remain fully planted in a contemporary cocktail world.
Cheshire Bridge’s Nino’s Cucina Italiana probably served its fair share of amaretto sours in the drink’s heyday. The restaurant’s recent renovation and expansion includes a larger, light-filled bar, and the menu features amaretto prominently. You can try it in an amaretto sour for sure, but it also appears in an Italian Mule and a Tiramisu Martini. The Italian Margarity replaces triple sec or Cointreau with amaretto for nutty richness along with reposado tequila and lemon and lime juices.
Sommeliers are thoughtfully educating about the liqueur too. On a recent visit to Buckhead’s Aria, my final suggested pairing was amaretto on ice.
“Seriously, when is the last time you had amaretto?” sommelier Jordan Parker asked when he arrived at my table with a modern-looking bottle I had never seen. “I love to pour amaretto on the rocks for guests at the end of a meal instead of a traditional dessert.”
He poured into cut glassware over a few cubes as he explained Piolo & Max Amaretto and told me about its distillers working in Trieste, Italy, a port city between the Adriatic Coast and the Slovenian border. A small team of five creates each bottle, labeling by hand. They add a splash of grappa to the centuries-old style of liqueur.
“These guys never use artificial ingredients and never make more than 100 liters at a time,” he added, “so quantities are limited but the hands-on approach really shows.” They use fresh peeled almonds in the recipe. Many producers of amaretto today use substitutes such as apricot kernels or peach pits to achieve an almond-like flavor.
“The nose explodes with almond, and a touch of brown sugar and caramel,” Parker said. The addition of grappa tempers sweetness with a lingering honeyed nuttiness.
Of course, the key contributor in amaretto’s resurgence is its consumers. Those seeking authentic experiences are offered innovative cocktails, nuanced flavors focusing on high-quality ingredients and even carefully crafted vessels. Amaretto is back.
WHERE TO TRY AN AMARETTO DRINK
Aria. 490 E. Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta. 404-233-7673, aria-atl.com.
JoJo’s Beloved Cocktail Lounge. 1197 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-236-9455, jojosbeloved.com.
Nino’s Cucina Italiana. 1931 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta. 404-874-6505, ninosatlanta.com.
OK Yaki. 714 Moreland Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-999-9254, okyakiatl.com.
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