Making homemade amaretto -- the popular almond-flavored liqueur -- only requires a couple of steps and a few ingredients that you're sure to have lying around your pantry and spice cabinet. This historic spirit is found in a number of classic cocktails and modern iterations, making it a great first ingredient to try making from home. Take stock of your pantry's inventory and check out the fast and flavorful way to brew your own batch of homemade Amaretto.
Homemade Amaretto
Amaretto is said to have originated in a small Italian town during the early 16th century when one of Leonardo da Vinci's apprentices was gifted a batch of Amaretto liqueur from a model as a token of her love for him. No matter the veracity of this legendary origin, amaretto's almond-like flavor is just as warm and rich as the love story that birthed it. To make your own bottle of Amaretto liqueur, combine a few household ingredients and seal the mixture for future use. This recipe yields about thirteen individual servings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ounce almond extract
- 1 ounce vanilla extract
- 2 cups vodka
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the water, white sugar, and brown sugar and warm over medium heat. Let the mixture reach a boil and wait until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Once dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for about ten minutes.
- Pour in the almond extract, vanilla extract, and vodka and stir well.
- Pour the mixture into a sealed bottle and let steep for at a least a few days before using.
Organic Homemade Amaretto
For those who enjoy knowing the origins of their ingredients, try whipping up an organic batch of homemade amaretto. This process is a bit different from most Amaretto recipes since it involves infusing raw ingredients and straining the infusion in order to acquire the same flavors as artificial ingredients can achieve. This recipe yields about thirteen servings and needs to be stored in an airtight container.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup organic white sugar
- ½ cup organic brown sugar
- 1 ounce sliced almonds
- 2 vanilla beans, split
- 2 cups organic vodka
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the water and organic sugars and warm over medium heat. Let the mixture reach a bowl and wait until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for about ten minutes.
- Pour the almonds, vanilla beans, mixture, and vodka into a sealable bottle and stir well.
- Let the ingredients infuse for at least a week. Strain the mixture into a different sealable bottle and store in a cool, dark place. Discard the solids.
Low-Carb Amaretto
Unfortunately, it can often be difficult for those following a low-carb lifestyle to be able to find quality low-carb cocktail ingredients for sale, but this simple homemade low-carb amaretto recipe can help you enjoy cocktails which you might not have previously tried. This batch makes about thirteen servings and needs to be stored in an airtight container.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup low-carb sweetener (such as Swerve granulated)
- ½ cup brown sugar substitute (such as Swerve brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
- 1 ounce sugar-free almond extract
- 1 ounce sugar-free vanilla extract
- 2 cups vodka
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the water, sweetener, and brown sugar substitute, and molasses and warm over medium heat. Let the mixture reach a bowl and wait until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for about ten minutes.
- Pour in the almond extract, vanilla extract, and vodka and stir well.
- Pour the mixture into a sealed bottle and store and store in a cool, dark place for about a week before serving.
How to Store and Keep Homemade Amaretto
Homemade amaretto is pretty easy to store. Make sure that you keep your amaretto in a tightly sealed bottle to ensure it stays fresh for the longest amount of time, and store it in a cool, dark place. Generally, amaretto should keep for at least a month; although if it's really well-sealed and perfectly stored, it can last for much longer. If your batch begins to discolor or loses the intensity of its flavors, its time to make a new batch.
Balance Sweet and Spice in Homemade Amaretto
Modern-day amarettos are considered much sweeter than their historic counterpart, meaning that brewing amaretto from home can help you personalize the level of sweetness in your batch. If you desire a bottle of amaretto that's on the stronger side, try using fresh ingredients instead of extracts or essences. Here are a few of the different things you can include to create a richer liqueur; when adding them to the original recipe, make sure to strain your mixture once you're finished steeping it.
- 2 vanilla beans
- ¼ cup chopped almonds
- ½ cup ground almonds
- 1 cardamom pod
- 1 cup dried apricots
- 1 teaspoon allspice
Put a Little Love in It
The labors of love are some of the most rewarding, and while distilling spirits is nearly impossible to do from home, manifesting your love of cocktails into your homemade liqueurs isn't. Therefore, whenever you're feeling the itch to work with your hands but want to actually finish the project you start, try making your own homemade amaretto. At the very least, you'll justify having that evening drink after all of your hard work that went into making it.
