Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavored Italian liqueur , not a type of base liquor like whiskey, rum, or vodka. It’s usually made by infusing neutral alcohol with apricot kernels or almonds and typically sits around 21–28% alcohol by volume, so it’s in the same strength range as other dessert and nut liqueurs.

Quick Scoop

  • Amaretto is an Italian almond-style liqueur, traditionally from Saronno in Lombardy.
  • It’s made by flavoring neutral spirit with apricot kernels, bitter almonds, or similar “stone” ingredients, which give it that nutty, marzipan-like taste.
  • The alcohol content is usually in the low-to-mid 20% ABV range, so it’s softer than straight spirits but stronger than wine or most aperitif wines.
  • You’ll often see it used in cocktails (like an Amaretto Sour), served on the rocks as a sipper, or added to desserts and coffee as a sweet, nutty accent.

Mini note on “what kind of liquor”

If you’re labeling your home bar, it’s most accurate to file amaretto under “nut/almond liqueurs” rather than under a base like rum or whiskey, because the underlying spirit is usually a neutral alcohol and the character comes from added flavorings and sugar.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.