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National Amaretto Day

Drink · April 19

A day for amaretto, the sweet Italian liqueur with an almond-like flavor, sipped on its own, mixed into drinks or stirred into desserts.

National Amaretto Day falls on Monday, April 19, 2027. That is 174 days away.

Amaretto is a sweet liqueur from Italy with a flavor most people describe as almond. The surprise is that many versions get that taste from apricot kernels rather than almonds, though some do use almonds. The name comes from the Italian word for bitter, with a little affection added, which fits a drink that is mostly sweet with a faint bitter edge.

Poured into a glass, it is amber and smells a bit like marzipan and toasted nuts. Some bottles lean toward vanilla or caramel. It is thicker than a spirit like vodka and lower in alcohol, so it reads more like dessert than a stiff drink.

People usually take it one of a few ways. Some sip it neat or over ice after dinner. Others mix it into an amaretto sour, where lemon cuts the sweetness, or pour a splash into coffee. It also turns up in the kitchen, soaked into cake layers, brushed over fruit or folded into whipped cream. Amaretti cookies share the name and the flavor, and they are often served alongside.

A bottle keeps well once opened, so a small one can last through a lot of tiramisu experiments. For a version without alcohol, almond extract gives baked goods a similar note, though a few drops go a long way.

Ways to celebrate

• Try amaretto over ice after dinner, slowly.
• Mix an amaretto sour with fresh lemon juice.
• Bake a cake and brush the layers with a little amaretto.
• Look for amaretti cookies at an Italian bakery or grocery.
• Add a drop of almond extract to coffee for an alcohol-free version.

Dates

All national days on April 19

Also on April 19

• Patriots' Day
• National Garlic Day
• National Chicken Parmesan Day
• National Rice Ball Day
• National Hanging Out Day
• Oklahoma City Bombing Commemoration Day

Categories: Drink days