Disaronno 'Originale' Amaretto

Disaronno ‘Originale’ is an liqueur with a characteristic almond taste made in Italy. Amaretto (Italian for ‘a little bitter’) is a sweet, almond-flavoured, Italian liqueur associated with Saronno, Italy. In 1525, a Saronno church commissioned artist Bernardino Luini, one of Leonardo da Vinci’s pupils, to paint its sanctuary with frescoes. As the church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Luini needed to depict the Madonna, but was in need of a model. He found his inspiration in a young widowed innkeeper, who became his model and (in most versions) lover. Out of gratitude and affection, the woman wished to give him a gift. Her simple means did not permit much, so she steeped apricot kernels in brandy and presented the resulting concoction to a touched Luini. Giovanni Reina rediscovered the innkeeper’s old recipe a century later and the Reina family developed its amaretto over the centuries until it made Disaronno Originale commercially available at the start of the 20th century. Perfect on its own or over ice, Disaronno is also great to mix with. Try it with your favourite fruit juice (such as orange or cranberry), with cola or in a stylish cocktail.