I have admittedly not given amaretto much thought in... ever. In the grand pantheon of Italian liqueurs, amaretto has (despite the name, which is the diminutive of “amaro,” or “bitter”) historically leaned heavily in the direction of sticky sweet. As such, it has, over the last 20 years, mostly been filed away as a ’70s relic unworthy of resurrection. Great in a cookie, not so much in a cocktail. 

Bartenders, for their part, have tried. The Amaretto Sour has been retooled several times over at this point, whether through the addition of bourbon for balance (famously proselytized by Jeffrey Morgenthaler) or the more recent upgrade of Campari to add back the bitterness promised in the name. The Godfather, a ’70s drink that combines amaretto and Scotch in equal parts, also had a resurgence circa 2017, in which bartenders sought to rebalance the drink by drastically altering its specs. All of these efforts hinged on countering a product whose savory flavor profile is both compelling and hard to replicate, but is simply too sweet for the modern palate.

Here’s where I get to the point. What if you just made a better amaretto? Launched in 2019, and now finding its way to stateside bars with the help of Al Sotack (formerly of Brooklyn bar Jupiter Disco), Amaretto Adriatico has officially taken the liqueur into the 21st century. Made from Filippo Cea almonds grown in Puglia, Italy, the brand’s “roasted” expression contains roughly one-half the sugar content of a typical amaretto. The kicker, however, is the addition of a not-insignificant “pinch” of sea salt, which contributes to both balancing the liqueur out, and amplifying its savory, gently bitter profile. It can be sipped solo on the rocks and allows the Amaretto Sour to return to its original spec, but for my money it really shines in the Godfather. It’s the perfect, unthinking two-ingredient winter drink, no substitutions or additions required.