3 Disaronno Cocktail Recipes To Try This Spring / Summer

I still remember my first sip of Disaronno over a decade ago. Sitting courtside at my brother’s tennis match in Switzerland, I asked a waiter to surprise me with his favourite drink in hopes it would make the game more bearable to watch. When he returned with our tray of bevvies I was mildly disappointed; I was expecting an extravagant cocktail, but instead was given a rocks glass filled with ice and a brown liqueur. I was juuust about to send it back, but noticed the waiter was eagerly hovering to see my reaction to his recommendation. So I took a sip. And I’m glad I did! As the flavours of vanilla, almond and caramelized sugar filled my mouth, I asked him what the drink was called. He was Italian and proudly announced: Disaronno! That day, my friends, was the day I fell in love with the glorious amaretto liqueur…

Produced in Saronno, Italy, Disaronno is the original amaretto and has been made using the same recipe for the past 500 years!! It’s all natural, velvety smooth and has no artificial flavours. I love it so much that I always have a bottle stashed in my liquor cabinet.

I usually drink Disaranno straight (over copious amounts of ice), but this spring/summer I want to “shake things up” (bwahahaha) and start making cocktails with it. Fortunately, home mixologist Monica Carbonell, Founder and Beverage Director at Liquid Culture, has shared three of her faves with me below. I always modify recipes to suit my palate so I’ve also included my own notes too…

3 Disaronno Cocktail Recipes To Try This Summer

1. Boozy Peach Amaretto Float

Ingredients

• 2 Scoops Peach Sorbet/Gelato (I got mine freshly made at Cheese Boutique)
• 3/4 oz Disaronno
• 3/4 oz Wit Beer (I used Belgian Moon)
• A Sprig of Lemon Thyme

Instructions

Scoop your favourite peach sorbet or gelato into a delicate, glass ice cream bowl. Top with Disaronno and wit beer and finish with a sprig of fresh lemon thyme. Serve with a tall spoon.

My Two Cents: Monica treats this one more as a dessert, but I wanted to make it a boozy cocktail so I used 2 oz of Disaronno, 6 oz of Wit beer and added two extra scoops of the peach sorbet. I didn’t stir my concoction in the image above, but trust me, when you do it’s heaven in a glass. Such great flavour profiles!!

2. Disaronno Spring Fling

Ingredients

• 1 oz Disaronno
• 1 oz Gin (I used Dillon’s)
• 1 oz Pineapple Juice
• ½ oz Lemon Juice
• ¼ oz Grand Marnier
• 2 Fresh Strawberries (muddled)
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 1 oz Club Soda

Instructions

In a shaker, muddle strawberries and add all the ingredients (except Club Soda). Fill shaker with ice, shake and strain over fresh ice in a Collins Glass. Top with Club Soda. Garnish with a fresh strawberry and red and white stripped paper straw.

My Two Cents: I threw in four muddled strawberries, used real pineapple juice (not the blends/fake stuff) and added 3 oz of Club Soda to make this cocktail a bit lighter/more refreshing.

3. Disaronno Mint Julep

Ingredients

• 1 oz Disaronno
• 1 oz Canadian Rye (I used J.P. Wiser’s)
• 3 sprigs of Mint Leaves
• Crushed Ice

Instructions

In a Julep Tin (or your favourite thick-glassed cup), remove mint leaves from 2 sprigs and lightly press before placing in the bottom of the glass. Add Disaronno, Canadian Rye and top with crushed ice. Stir before serving. Garnish with last sprig of Mint. Crushed ice is VERY important because a major component of the recipe is actually water.

My Two Cents: I tried this drink a few different ways and actually liked it most when served in a rocks glass. I filled mine with crushed ice first and then poured in 2 oz of Disaronno and 2 oz of rye. Lightly pressing the mint before placing it in the glass is a brilliant tip from Monica because it helps release the oils!

Ok, so I’ve made all three of these cocktail recipes and know they will impress you and your guests this spring/summer. If you need an excuse to kick off patio season, International Disaronno Day (April 19th) is a good one. I’ll be celebrating with one of these refreshing cocktails and hope you give them a try too! If you do, make sure to tag #DisaronnoDay and @disaronno_official on social!

A huge thanks to Disaronno for sponsoring this post so I could share these recipes with you. As always, reviews and opinions are entirely my own. Please drink responsibly friends!