Disaronno: What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet;

Enticing holiday commercials showed partiers asking for Disaronno.  “What,” this novice asks, “is Disaronno.? 

Just as the confusion over Tanqueray and the discovery that it was merely gin existed, there was a realization that Disaronno is merely amaretto.  ...And I love the artificial, non-alcoholic amaretto used to flavor coffee.  Amaretto is an Italian sweet almond-flavoured liqueur. It is made from a base of apricot or almond pits, or sometimes both.

Disaronno Originale has a characteristic bittersweet almond taste (although it contains no almonds or nuts).  Disaronno claims its "originale" amaretto's "secret formula" is unchanged from the year 1525.  The company describes its amaretto as an infusion of "apricot kernel oil" with "absolute alcohol, burnt sugar, and the pure essence of seventeen selected herbs and fruits". The amber liqueur is presented in a rectangular glass decanter designed by a craftsman from Murano.

Etymology
The amaretto name is a diminutive of the Italian amaro, meaning "bitter", indicating the distinctive flavour lent by the mandorla amara--the bitter almond or the drupe kernel. However, the bitterness is not unpalatable, and the flavour is enhanced by sweeteners, and sometimes sweet almonds, in the final products. Therefore, the liqueur's name can be said to describe the taste as "a little bitter".  Conflation of amare and amore ("love") is primarily responsible for the associations with romance.  Amaretto should not be confused with amaro, a different family of Italian liqueurs that, while also sweetened, have a stronger bitter flavour coming from herbs.

Usage
Amaretto serves a variety of culinary uses.

Beverages
Amaretto may be served neat (by itself) or on the rocks (with ice). It is often added to other beverages to create several popular mixed drinks. It is also a popular choice of liqueur to add to coffee in the morning.

Cooking
•    Amaretto is added to desserts, including ice cream, which enhances the flavour of the dessert with almonds and complements chocolate.
•    Savoury recipes which call for it usually focus on meat, such as chicken.
•    A few shots of Amaretto can be added to pancake batter for a richer flavour.
•    often a major flavor component almondine sauce used on fish and vegetables

Move on over Irish coffee, what a lovely morning coffee Disaronno creates.  Maybe I will make pancakes next week.

Source: Wikipedia