Last week I mentioned a cocktail recipe from the Death & Co book that showed me how well tequila and amaretto can work together, so I figured this week I ought to share it! I give you the Almond Brother. I think amaretto is a seriously underestimated cocktail ingredient. Sure, it’s crazy sweet, but it can add such great flavor to a cocktail in small quantities. This one ramps up the almond flavor with some sweet, nutty orgeat as well.
Apricot really compliments amaretto, and this isn’t the first time I’ve used them together. Unfortunately I still don’t have a bottle of apricot liqueur – I had plans to finally buy some on my last trip to the liquor store, but they didn’t have any. Soon! But until then, my usual substitute of apricot preserves seems to work quite well.
This cocktail smells heavenly, like almonds and citrus with hints of vanilla. Kind of like a citrus pound cake. But the nutty angel’s food flavor of the amaretto and orgeat is tempered by the tequila and lime for a perfect balance of sweet and sour. It’s one of those cocktails where the ingredients really sing.
History: This recipe was created at Death & Co in new york by Jason Littrell in 2011. Though the Death & Co book doesn’t specify, it’s pretty clear that the name is a reference to the Allman Brothers band.
Almond Brother
2 oz. tequila reposado
1/4 oz. amaretto
1 tsp. apricot liqueur (or 1/2 tsp. apricot preserves)
3/4 oz. lime juice
1/4 oz. orgeat
1/4 oz. maple syrup (I used Noble Chamomile & Vanilla)
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a coupe. No garnish.
Recipe from Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails.
good
Awesome drink, just recently discovered your blog. Any suggestions for a quality Orgeat purchase? I feel like my homemade version simply doesn't have the intensity.
Hope you keep the recipes coming.
Alex
Thanks so much! I haven't tried a lot of bottled Orgeat – I used Fee's in this recipe which was good enough for me but doesn't get a lot of love from the purists. I hear good things about B.G. Reynolds and Small Hand Foods. Also, El Guapo and Giffard both make one and I love their other products so I'd guess those would be solid buys. Cheers!
Hey Katie,
many thanks for the reply! I guess I should have stated that I’m from Germany. So options are kind of limited. I now tried the Meneau Orgeat (recommended by Joerg Meyer from Le Lion in Hamburg) but still disappointed. So I had to make my own. Can’t recommend engough the recipe from the twelve bottle bar book. Distinguished spirits made a great youtube video concerning this one. I doubled the amount of almonds and added some amaretto and overproof rum for preservation and saline solution to taste. If you love Falernum, you gotta try the Tony Rocky Horror – a Sam Ross concoction. Good stuff. Cheers!