Best Gentleman's Amaretto Sour

Amaretto is a sweet Italian liqueur that originated in Saronno, Italy. While originally flavored from bitter almonds, various modern commercial brands are prepared from a base of apricot stones, peach stones, or almonds, all of which are natural sources of the benzaldehyde that provides the principal almond-like flavor of the liqueur.

Ingredients

• 3 oz. Amaretto
• 2 oz. Sweet and Sour mix
• Sprite or 7UP
• cherries
• orange wedge
  
  

Instructions

• mix Amaretto and sweet and sour mix in an ice filled shaker
• pour into a glass filled with crushed ice
• top off with soda
• add cherries (1 or 2) 
• garnish with orange wedge
  
  

History

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.

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