Disaronno
The world's best-known amaretto, from Saronno, Italy. Here you'll learn what it tastes like, why it contains no almonds, how to make a Disaronno Sour, and which glass to drink it from.
Amaretto from Saronno, with a recipe dating back to 1525
Disaronno is an Italian amaretto, a sweet liqueur with a bitter almond flavor. The name tells you where it comes from: di Saronno, from Saronno. According to legend, an innkeeper there came up with the recipe in 1525 as a gift for the painter Bernardino Luini. The Reina family has made the liqueur since 1900, still in the same city near Milan.
What many people don't know is that it contains no almonds. Its almond flavor comes from apricot kernel oil, with burnt sugar and seventeen herbs and fruits. Disaronno has an alcohol content of 28%. You can recognize it by its square bottle with a gold cap, designed by a glass artist from Murano.
In brief
What types of Disaronno are there?
Disaronno Originale
The original in the square bottle. Sweet, with plenty of marzipan and apricot, and a slightly bitter finish.
Disaronno Velvet
Disaronno with cream. White, smooth as velvet, and lower in alcohol. Tastes like an almond and vanilla dessert.
Disaronno 1 liter
The large bottle for your home bar. If you often make a Sour or Godfather, this will save you money.
Disaronno 35 cl
The same Originale in a smaller bottle. Great if you want to get to know it first.
Disaronno miniature
A mini version of the famous bottle. Enough for one Sour or two small glasses neat.
Originale for cocktails and over ice. Velvet if you like it creamy.
Sweet, smooth, and full of almond
Marzipan & apricot
Sweet almond and marzipan, with apricot, vanilla, and a little burnt sugar behind them.
Full-bodied and syrupy
Sweet and rounded, like liquid marzipan. Its low alcohol content makes it smooth and easy to drink.
Slightly bitter
The bitter almond comes back at the end, keeping the sweetness in check. Not too short, not too long.
Flavor profile of Disaronno Originale. Velvet is creamier, smoother, and less sweet and bitter.
Three ways to drink Disaronno
Disaronno is sweet, so drink it cold. With ice, shaken with lemon, or in coffee. Each way has its own glass.
On the rocks
Pour 50 ml Disaronno over a large ice cube in a tumbler. That's how they drink it in Italy, simply chilled after a meal.
Glass: tumbler →Disaronno Sour
Shake 50 ml Disaronno with 25 ml lemon juice and, if you like, an egg white, vigorously with ice. The lemon suddenly makes that sweet amaretto taste fresh.
Go to recipe →Disaronno in coffee
Make Disaronno coffee by adding a splash to an espresso or cappuccino. Or pour Velvet over ice-cold coffee. Almond and coffee just belong together.
Coffee cocktails →The best cocktails with Disaronno
Disaronno Sour
Disaronno, lemon juice and egg white, shaken hard. Sweet, sour and velvety smooth all at once.
Amaretto Sour
The general version of the Sour, often with a splash of bourbon for extra body.
Godfather
Whisky and Disaronno over ice, in a 2-to-1 ratio. Two ingredients, one classic.
Italian cocktails
All Italian cocktails on one page, from Spritz to Sgroppino.The right glass for Disaronno
For an amaretto glass, we recommend a heavy tumbler for on the rocks and the Godfather. For the Sour, choose a coupe or a tumbler. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything else you wanted to know about Disaronno
Can't find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →What is the alcohol content of Disaronno?
Does Disaronno contain almonds?
What is the difference between amaretto and Disaronno?
How do you drink Disaronno?
How do you make a Disaronno Sour?
How long does an opened bottle of Disaronno keep?
Buy Disaronno
Want the bottle delivered to your door? Order Disaronno online from Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 6 varieties, 2 of which are on sale.
Prices as of November 3, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
