In 2025, Disaronno, the world’s most cherished Italian liqueur, marks a monumental milestone: 500 years of heritage, style, and innovation, celebrating the Dolcevita with a contemporary twist. Legend has it that in 1525, in Saronno, a local innkeeper gifted Bernardino Luini, a pupil of Leonardo da Vinci, a fragrant amber liqueur crafted from a secret recipe, as thanks for posing as the Madonna in his Adoration of the Magi. That elixir, passed down through the Reina family and refined by Domenico Reina in his early 20th-century shop, birthed Disaronno, now savoured in over 160 countries and hailed as an emblem of Italian style. To honour this anniversary, Disaronno unveils the Disaronno Bar project, bringing its essence to the vibrant neighbourhood bars of Italy’s emerging urban quarters, transforming them into hubs of “new-stalgia” where minimalist aesthetics and pop spirit blend with nods to the Dolcevita and modern flair.
Kicking off on 19 April, Disaronno Day, Milan’s Bicchierino Bar will launch the initiative, followed by other haunts in Milan and Rome, including LOM Dopolavoro, Caffè degli Artisti, Salumeria del Design, Treebar, Biffi, and Argot. Each Disaronno Bar will offer a bespoke signature cocktail crafted with local bartenders, elevating the experience with a distinctive touch. The year 2025 promises global revelry, with activations spanning top cocktail venues, from Asia’s 50 Best Bars to neighbourhood gems, engaging influencers and featuring a competition to win a Dolcevita-inspired trip to Rome.
Fans are invited to join the worldwide toast with the hashtag #Disaronno500cheers. In Rome, the acclaimed Drink Kong, among the 50 Best Bars, will introduce the “Dolcevita” cocktail on 4 April, a modern sour reimagined by Patrick Pistolesi with Disaronno, Rabarbaro Zucca, whiskey, lemon juice, pineapple, and agave syrup. The iconic square-capped bottle, crafted in the 1970s by a Murano glassmaster and displayed at the Louvre in 1999, embodies Disaronno’s timeless elegance, its almond aroma and warm, enveloping taste making it versatile—sublime neat, on the rocks, or in classics like the Godfather and Disaronno Sour. Far more than an amaretto, Disaronno is a beacon of Italian excellence, bridging tradition and modernity, and continuing to captivate generations with a story that began half a millennium ago and is destined to shine ever brighter.
