Italian diner Toppi is open all day and welcomes all-comers. The velvet chairs give way to the pasta bar, dining room and a cocktail bar – where you can really start to notice the variety of people and atmosphere. For bar manager Matteo Belkeziz, catering for everyone is a nice challenge to have. “There’s a mixed crowd between corporate, tourists and people just coming and having fun, and you see the difference between the lunch service and the dinner crowd – it changes completely,” Belkeziz says. “People are looking for new ways to be more experimental with their cocktail choices.”
On Belkeziz’s cocktail menu, this means balancing familiar flavours with invention. Both featuring Disaronno, the two recipes he’s sharing here – a classic Amaretto Sour and a Toppi original called Passione Oro – are built on amaretto, a sweet, exotic liqueur which has a distinct taste you can take your time with. Before we mix up Belkeziz’s recipes though, let’s take a closer look at the star ingredient.
What is amaretto?
There’s not a lot we can say with absolute certainty about the origins of amaretto, but there’s plenty of legend around the original Italian liqueur, Disaronno. It likely originated in the Italian town of Saronno (from which Italian liqueur Disaronno takes its name), probably in the 16th century, although even that isn’t 100 per cent clear. Legend claims that the first amaretto was a gift to one of Leonardo da Vinci’s students for painting a church fresco. The story claims the young innkeeper turned muse and painting model made the liqueur from apricot kernels for the painter – who also may or may not have been her lover.
Regardless of its origins, it’s unique flavour and production is undeniable. “Disaronno is still made using the same recipe from 1525, that has been handed down generation after generation,” says Belkeziz. “The unmistakable amber colour and sweetness is the result of the special method and extraction process, which included soaking 17 selected herbs and fruits in apricot kernel oil to create a wonderful aroma and distinctive taste profile.” This, coupled with a creation method that involves apricots, not almonds, results in the delicate, sweet and complex taste that is Disaronno.
Why it’s a bar staple
The Amaretto Sour – a blend of Disaronno, lemon juice and a little egg white to create foam – is king for a reason. “It’s fresh, it’s easy to make and another very important thing is, with an easy recipe, you’re able to get consistency,” says Belkeziz. Besides a classic sour, though, there are plenty of ways to incorporate the liqueur into your cocktail rotation. “The complexity in taste and aroma provides versatility in the cocktails you can use Amaretto to create,” he says. “While it invites new drinkers, it is [also] a spirit that needs to be savoured and appreciated.”
Disaronno pops up in other classic cocktails like the Godfather (mixed with scotch whisky) and Godmother (with vodka) but Belkeziz uses it in Manhattan-style whisky cocktails and to heighten the sweet and fruity character. He’s also using it as a base for his Passione Oro, an original for Toppi that blends amaretto with passionfruit. “We decided to use passionfruit for a few simple reasons,” says Belkeziz. “The one we’re using is acidic, which goes really well with the sweetness of the amaretto Disaronno, and it also gives a lot of flavour to it. It’s beautiful how it enhances the flavour.” Irish whiskey is added for depth and peach tea cordial adds a subtle tannin bitterness. Designed for Toppi’s sunny terrace, it’s an easy-drinker. “The Passione Oro is refreshing,” says Belkeziz. “It’s a beautiful sweet and sour drink and you could sit down and drink a pitcher of it.”
Recipe: Matteo Belkeziz’s classic Amaretto Sour made with Disaronno
Makes 1 serving.
Approx 1 standard drink.
Ingredients:
60ml Disaronno
30ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
Egg whites
Angostura bitters
Dried orange
Method:
Pour all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Dry-shake hard, without ice. Open the shaker and add ice and shake hard again. Pour over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Add Angostura bitters to the foam and dry orange for garnish.
Recipe: Matteo Belkeziz’s Passione Oro
Makes 1 serving.
Approx 1 standard drink.
Ingredients:
25ml Disaronno
30ml Busker Triple Cask Irish whiskey
30ml passionfruit juice
20ml peach tea cordial
10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
Egg whites
Black salt
Method:
Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake hard. Pour in a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with black salt on the rim of the glass.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Disaronno.
