Help me put bottles of Benedictine liqueur, amaretto, and sambuca to good use

August 10, 2010 5:07 PM

Help me put bottles of Benedictine liqueur, amaretto, and sambuca to good use.

In my newly stocked bar there are bottles of Benedictine, amaretto, and (white) sambuca that I'd like to consume in as many different interesting and tasty ways as possible.

I'm looking for specific cocktail recipes, or general guidance on what types of drink complement these flavours.

posted by Paragon to Food & Drink (13 answers total)

The Webtender is pretty great for that sort of stuff. Keep the Sambuca in your freezer, take shots on hot days. You can also carefully layer it with pretty much any liquor in a shot glass – amaretto, Irish cream, Kahlua, Jaegermeister if you're still in college, as well as just plain orange juice – and enjoy. The usual garnish is coffee beans, if I recall correctly.
posted by halogen at 5:14 PM on August 10, 2010

(And by that I meant just layer it with one of them at a time.)
posted by halogen at 5:15 PM on August 10, 2010

Drop three coffee beans in sambuca. let sit.

Heavenly.
posted by The Whelk at 5:19 PM on August 10, 2010

Best answer: You'll have a lot of coffee-drinks, that's for sure. Here's my tip, have some fun with layering. The amaretto can be layered into Chocolate Amaretto Soufflé (2nd drink): You could also try it as a hot shot (that's just what it should look like), layering amaretto, coffee and lightly whipped cream on top in a shotglass. It's a Swedish drink invented for a coffee competition in 87, originally it was done with Anisette, then gallianno. I've ordered Sambucca hot shot's, that works too.
posted by dabitch at 5:20 PM on August 10, 2010

I'm a pretty big fan of amaretto pineapple daiquiris (in the frozen daiquiri shop sense of the word, not the rum and lime juice one) so even though I've never had it, I bet amaretto and pineapple juice would be good. In fact, I think I'll try that myself. Thanks for the inspiration!
posted by CheeseLouise at 6:16 PM on August 10, 2010

Save a little of the sambuca and make Sambuca Shrimp.
posted by Drasher at 6:24 PM on August 10, 2010

Benedictine belongs in a Singapore Sling! Kinda complicated, but delicious! Make some before the summer ends.
posted by kidbritish at 8:23 PM on August 10, 2010

The Amaretto Sour is basic but great. Amaretto, lemon juice, simple syrup and a bit of egg white for frothiness. Shake well. Some people like to add 7-Up on top, I don't.
posted by reeddavid at 8:31 PM on August 10, 2010

Best answer: Make a Godfather: 2 oz scotch (my go-to here is Famous Grouse), 1 oz amaretto in a rocks glass, with ice. (Use Drambuie instead of amaretto and it's a Rusty Nail.)

Benedictine is good as a general sweet component. My recipe for a Cocktail a la Louisiane (I don't know where I got it) is 3/4 oz rye, 3/4 oz sweet vermouth, 3/4 oz Benedictine, 3 dashes absinthe, 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters.

In general cocktaildb is good for this sort of thing.
posted by dfan at 8:44 PM on August 10, 2010

Don't forget that you can use liqueurs in cooking, particularly in desserts. Try making a tiramisu variation with some amaretto substitited (partially or wholly) for the espresso, or a tipsy cake made with Benedictine.
posted by Joe in Australia at 11:03 PM on August 10, 2010

Best answer: Benedictine: it's not strictly what you asked, but flambéd bananas are both interesting and tasty. Cut bananas lengthwise in two. Heat butter in a pan, add bananas, a little brown sugar and benedictine. Allow to catch flame and go slightly golden. Serve with some of the liqueur and whipped cream. Keep heart surgeon and fire extinguisher close by.

Amaretto: amaze your friends with home brew alcoholic Dr Pepper. In a tall glass pour half lager, half cola. Add a shot of amaretto. I'm not kidding.
posted by MuffinMan at 1:41 AM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

Both Amaretto and Benedictine are good to lend extra fortification to mulled wine.

Amaretto hot chocolate with a little nutmeg and cinnamon is one of my favourite things ever, and a great crowd-pleaser on cold evenings.
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:59 AM on August 11, 2010

I'm rather fond of the occasional Brandy & Benedictine.
posted by Aversion Therapy at 7:15 AM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]