Everybody wants to be the favorite.  Maybe you want to be the favorite guy at the office always getting the promotions.  Maybe you want to be that hot chick you know’s favorite booty call.  Maybe you want to be the bartender’s favorite patron always getting the free drinks.  These are all noble desires, and Disaronno is no different claiming to be “The World’s Favorite Italian Liquor”.  While we cannot validate that, we can determine if it is Boozebasher’s favorite Italian liqueur, and it has some stiff competition considering how much we like Galliano.

   The origins of Disaronno Amaretto reach all of the way back to 1525 during the Italian Renaissance when Bernardino Luini was commissioned by the Santa Maria delle Grazie to paint a fresco of the Madonna.  Needing a model of appropriate beauty, he called on an innkeeper he had met on a previous trip to Saronno Italy.  I hardly think I need to mention that their relationship was a bit more than business.  Once the “Adoration of the Magi” fresco was complete, she presented him with a concoction to express her gratitude and affection.  This elixer contained brandy, apricot kernels and her own recipe of spices.  It is that same recipe used in every bottle of Disaronno Amaretto on the shelves today.  Disaronno is a time capsule reaching back almost 500 years, and you don’t even have to be a famous dead painter to get your hands on it.

   ILLVA, the producers of Disaronno, combine burnt sugar, alcohol, apricot kernel oil, and a secret recipe of 17 herbs and spices to produced this almond liqueur that is loved worldwide.  It does not take a real Einstein to figure out if you will like Disaronno.  Do you like almonds and apricots?  If so, then you are probably going to like this almond-apricot flavored liquor.  If you think almonds and apricots are best used for flinging at the neighborhood children playing on your lawn, then I suggest you look elsewhere.  The initial flavor is dominated by smooth almond and fades into a hint of bitterness before the sweet apricot takes over and lingers for an exceptionally long time.  Beware, this is one sweet liqueur and the first 3 drinks on the rocks are quite enjoyable.  However, I find that the fourth is just too cloying to get down with a smile on my face.  Fortunately for us, some intrepid drinker invented the Amaretto sour and Disaronno makes one fine Amaretto sour. 

   One major drawback to Disaronno is the fact that it is only 56 proof.  So, while it mixes well with a number of things, we suggest you mix it with a little more potent booze if you expect to get very tipsy.  Their website has a number of cocktails if you are looking from some inspiration.  Don’t get too carried away though, as the sugar content of any amaretto can leave you regretting the previous nights consumption the morning after.

    There are a variety of amaretto liquors available at your local liquor store and at $26 a fifth, Disaronno is definitely not the cheapest.  However, only one can claim they are still using the 500 year old originale recipe.  If you are a fan of almonds or apricots, we suggest you give it a try.  Hey, it has to be the “The World’s Favorite Italian Liquor” for some reason.

Sipability - 8.0

Mixability - 8.5

Drunkability - 3.5

Hangover-ability - 6.5

Bang for the Buck - 6.5

Overall - 6.5 

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    There are some things in life that are definitely more enjoyable with a friend or two.  Ever trying playing on one of those playground seesaws by yourself?  No fun at all.  How about a rousing game of football?  Yeah, you can run up the score and rock out with your best in-zone dances without embarrassment, but you don’t get to see that satisfying humiliated look of defeat on your opponent’s face.  Grand Marnier is one of those things that you could enjoy by itself, but is so much better when you let it socialize with a few high alcohol content friends.

    The beverage you know today as Grand Marnier did not always carry that name.  When Louis Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle first invented the liqueur in 1880, he named it Curacao Marnier.  The name it carries today was given to it by Cesar Ritz when he first tasted his friend Louis Alexandre’s creation.  Obviously, he was a big fan.  Yes, if you are wondering, Cesar Ritz is that Ritz.  A number of years later Cesar was assisted by Louis Alexandre in procuring a site for his hotel, the Ritz.  So if you have ever have the pleasure of staying a night in the aforementioned hotel, pour a glass of Grand Marnier, and toast its creator because without him the hotel would probably not exist.

    Grand Marnier is a combination of eaux-de-vie that is created from grapes grown in distinguished regions of Cognac, France and the essence of Citrus Bigardia oranges.  To extract the essence of the orange, only the peels are steeped in netrual spirits until just the right amount of flavor has transferred over.  The Cognac, which has been aged for up to 5 years, and the distilled essence of Citrus Bigaradia are then combined using a 150-year-old secret recipe and placed into oak casks for another six to eight months of aging.  Once bottled, the distinctive red ribbon is hand-tied and sealed before being shipped to your favorite liquor store.  This may seem like a lot of effort, but it is well worth it and explains the $46 price tag.

    When sipped on the rocks, Grand Marnier has an obviously orange citrus flavor, but it comes along with a bold, sweet, almost toffee flavor added by the cognac.  It flirts with being too sweet but goes down extremely smooth with only a little alcohol burn.  It also makes for a decent shot when served up chilled.  However, as much fun as it is to enjoy by itself, Grand Marnier really excels when you add a few friends to the mix…like Tequila!  Use it to replace triple sec in a margarita, and an average drink suddenly turns into an amazing one.  We also gave the Grand Tropical cocktail from their website a shot, and it turned out to be Caribbean paradise in a glass.  At 80-proof, Grand Marnier has a little more punch than most orange liqueurs and, when consumed straight, will only get you lightly-toasted.  Unfortunately, due to the high sugar content of this liqueur, you will be reminded of your drinking experience the next morning.  Surprisingly though, it is not as bad as a lot of other liqueurs and is definitely a small price to pay to enjoy this fine beverage.

    So in essence, Grand Marnier is just like naked twister.  You could play by yourself, but it is just more fun with friends, friends of the opposite sex of course.  It is a little pricey but well worth it because I have not found another orange-flavored liqueur that can match its bold and complex flavor.  So I say pick yourself up a bottle, invite some friends over, spin the dial, and reach for that fun little colored circle.

 Sipability - 6.5

Mixability - 9.0

Drunkability - 6.5

Hangover-ability - 7.0

Bang for the Buck - 4.0

Overall - 7.5 

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     You know you’ve seen the bottle a thousand times but were too afraid to buy it.  Well, have no fear!  The crew here at BoozeBasher are always up for trying new things once, twice, well…until we can remember what actually happened.  Now we are branching out to bring you that radioactive yellow-colored liqueur review that you’ve been craving.  Not only does Galliano have an eye-catching color, but it also comes in a very distinct-looking bottle.  It’s tall and slender with flat edges, very much like a Roman column.  It’s a fitting look for an Italian spirit. 

     Galliano is an herb liqueur made from a variety of herbs, spices, berries, and flowers.  Sources say it contains at least 30 different ones; that in no way rivals Jägermeister’s 56, but it’s still a lot!  The original recipe dates back to 1896, as stated on the bottle, from a brandy producer named Arturo Vaccari.  He named his creation after Maggiore Galliano, hero of the East African wars of the 19th century.  There is surprisingly little information available out there on this unique liqueur.

     When cracking open the seal and taking a sniff, you pick up right away on the anise, licorice, and alcohol smells.  If you back off a little, you will notice the sweet scents of berries and vanilla.  To tell the truth, I was not prepared for what was to follow.  The taste hits you up front with a sweet licorice flavor that lingers for a few seconds.  The taste dissipates nicely after a couple seconds into what can only be described as “ooooh!”  I think that was the same reaction from everyone who tried it.  It was surprising with its sweet, refreshing, candy-like finish.  Galliano really is like nothing I’ve ever tasted.  Hell, even the ladies loved it!

     We had a hard time trying to decide what to mix with this delicious liqueur, so we went with the old Sprite stand-by.  Wow!  Now that’s a tasty beverage.  The carbonation and citrus of the Sprite really add to the variety of licorice and berry flavors.  The mixer cuts down a little on the licorice flavor and leaves you with a fantastically refreshing drink. 

     I had no problem putting down four of these in a hurry, and I doubt anyone will.  Galliano is the godfather of delicious. Plus, at a 30% alcohol content, this liqueur is no slouch, and it proceeded to give me a nice buzz.  I felt great, and the buzz carried through for a good while.  The only downside to the whole experience was the next morning.  I woke up with quite the headache.  I blame it on the high sugar content and the crazy combination of herbs and spices.

    Galliano rings up at $36 for a 750mL bottle.  While this might seem a little pricey for a liqueur, I guarantee it’s worth every penny.  If you’ve never tried Galliano, I highly recommend you and your nearest lady friend (or random girl/guy in a nearby bar) do so immediately.  You will really impress that lucky person with your sophisticated taste in imported liqueurs.  He or she will love the taste, and who knows, maybe you by assoication.  There is the chance your drinking buddy may just walk off into the sunset with the bottle, but that’s just something you are going to have to risk.

Sipability - 7.0

Mixability - 8.0

Drunkability - 6.5

Hangover-ability - 4.0

Bang for the Buck - 3.0

Chick appeal - 9.0

Overall - 6.5 

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