Amaretto cocktails

As I've mentioned before my trip last year to the US was a cocktail revelation to me. L.A. Introduced me to the tangy wonders of an apple martini and a very boozy night at a friend of friends brand new bar in Seattle introduced me to amaretto - or more specifically to a cocktail called a bocce ball.
In all honesty my memories of the evening are somewhat hazy - we were given free range at the bar and they had a very impressive cocktail list. I managed to work my way down it to the bocce ball (no it wasn't alphabetical) and was pleasantly surprised. A bocce ball was mix of orange juice and amaretto. I'm pretty sure there was another ingredient but I can't remember what it was - I remember though it was short drink.



I have always assumed that I wouldn't like amaretto because I don't like almond essence or commercial, artificially flavoured marzipan. There is something about the overpowering, cologne scent that has never appealed to me. However after a few drinks that scent wasn't as obvious and I was able to actually taste and enjoy the amaretto. I enjoyed it so much I caught the Greyhound bus the next day with a wicked hangover.

I haven't come across too many cocktails in Australia with amaretto - a good friend of mine gave me a book of cocktail recipes for my birthday which listed an amaretto sour recipe. It's as close to the bocce ball I had in the US as I've been able to find. I've ordered amaretto sours in bars and been given something very different so I'm not sure how authentic it is as a 'sour' but it's delicious

Amaretto Sour

1 part amaretto
1 part lemon juice
1 part orange juice

Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour juice and amaretto into shaker and shale till cold. Pour into a cocktail glass and serve.

Adapted from 'Shaken - 250 very sexy cocktails' by Murdoch books

Cocktail
Amaretto