DISARONNO TURNS 500: A JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORY, TASTE, AND ITALIAN CHARM
words by JANA LETONJA
Some things never go out of style. Even as the world spins faster, Disaronno remains a quiet constant — familiar, comforting, and unmistakably Italian. In 2025, the beloved liqueur celebrates an incredible milestone: 500 years since its story first began. It all started back in 1525, in the northern Italian town of Saronno, during the height of the Renaissance. Bernardino Luini, a student of Leonardo da Vinci, had been commissioned to paint the Madonna for the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Miracles. For his muse, he chose a local innkeeper. In gratitude, she gave him a small gift—an amber-colored liqueur made from a secret blend of herbs and ingredients. That simple gesture became the seed of what we now know as Disaronno.
Over time, the recipe found its way into the Reina family, who quietly preserved the tradition. Giovanni Reina rediscovered the original blend in the 1600s, and by the early 1900s, his descendant Domenico Reina opened a small workshop to produce it. The family never let the heart of the liqueur go—carefully guarding its history and taste through generations.
Of course, Disaronno isn’t just known for what’s inside the bottle. That square-cut design with the bold cap? It’s not just stylish, it was crafted in the 1970s by a Murano glass artist and even earned a spot in a Paris design exhibit at the Louvre. Elegant and a little mysterious, like the drink itself.
Whether you’ve had it neat, on the rocks, or mixed into a classic Godfather or a Disaronno Sour, you probably remember its warmth — sweet, slightly bitter, with that unforgettable almond-like aroma. And now, a new cocktail called Dolcevita has joined the mix, created especially for this landmark anniversary.
To mark the 500th year, Disaronno isn’t just celebrating its past, it’s bringing it to life. Over 160 countries are joining in on the festivities, but Rome played host to something special: a two-day experience that felt more like a love letter to Italy itself.
It began with a dinner at the Michelin-starred Glass Hostaria, where chef Cristina Bowerman paired her refined cuisine with a refreshing Disaronno Spritz. Then came cocktails at Drink Kong — ranked 33rd among The World’s 50 Best Bars — where mixologist Patrick Pistolesi introduced the Dolcevita cocktail, a smooth mix of Disaronno, The Busker whiskey, and tropical notes. A modern twist on the classic sour, with below ingredients:
40ml Disaronno
20ml Rabarbaro Zucca
15ml The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth
20ml Fresh Lemon Juice
10ml Pineapple Juice
5ml Agave Syrup
The next day, a fleet of vintage Fiat 500s carried us through the Eternal City. It was a throwback to la dolce vita, driving past landmarks like the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, Castel Sant’Angelo, and Trastevere’s winding alleys. Rome, with all its cinematic charm, felt like the perfect backdrop for Disaronno’s own story — one rooted in beauty, craft, and culture.
The finale took place at La Lanterna, a rooftop tucked above the Roman skyline, where the air was full of music, cocktails, and celebration. It was there we got to see Disaronno’s limited-edition bottles for the occasion, each paired with its specifically crafted cocktail —named after a facet of Italian identity: Eleganza, Passione, Dolcevita, Bellezza, and Stile.
And to top it off, we heard from Patrick Pistolesi himself as he talked about creating the Dolcevita cocktail, a drink that manages to capture 500 years of history in a single glass.
The Dolcevita cocktail was created to mark Disaronno’s 500th anniversary. Can you walk us through your creative process in designing this drink and how you balanced innovation with heritage?
Creating the Dolcevita was a journey between past and present. The idea was to honour Disaronno’s legacy while offering a contemporary interpretation of Italian elegance. We started with the emotional value of the brand, a symbol of warmth, style, and timeless pleasure. From there, we selected ingredients that could echo tradition but speak a modern language. The balance came by respecting Disaronno’s identity while introducing contrasts and textures that surprise without overwhelming.
Disaronno has a rich legacy rooted in Renaissance Italy. How did this deep cultural and historical background influence your approach to crafting the Dolcevita cocktail?
The Renaissance was a period of great creativity and rediscovery, a moment when art, science, and beauty aligned. That spirit inspired our approach. We thought of Disaronno as a liquid artwork, and the cocktail as a canvas to reinterpret that heritage. The name “Dolcevita” itself evokes a golden era of Italian culture, and we tried to infuse the drink with that same richness — elegant, complex, yet effortlessly pleasurable.
The Dolcevita combines ingredients like Rabarbaro Zucca, the Busker, and pineapple with Disaronno. What role does each ingredient play in achieving the cocktail’s modern yet timeless character?
Each element in the Dolcevita was chosen to tell part of a story. Disaronno brings depth, almond warmth, and iconic sweetness. Rabarbaro Zucca adds a bitter, vegetal complexity that nods to the aperitivo tradition. The Busker, an Irish whiskey, introduces a smooth, global dimension that bridges cultures. Pineapple brings brightness, acidity, and a tropical note that lifts the drink and connects it to today’s fresh, vibrant palates. Together, they create a harmonious dialogue between history and innovation.
Disaronno’s 500th anniversary is being celebrated across 160 countries with a strong focus on the Italian Dolcevita lifestyle. In your view, how does the Dolcevita cocktail embody that essence on an international stage?
The Dolcevita cocktail is more than a drink, it’s a mood, a philosophy. It captures the pleasure of taking your time, of beauty in detail, of joy in the everyday. These are values that transcend borders. By using ingredients that blend Italian tradition with global influences, the Dolcevita becomes a passport to that lifestyle, accessible and aspirational at once. It’s a sip of Italy wherever you are in the world.
Drink Kong Bar is known for pushing boundaries in mixology. How did your team approach the challenge of creating a cocktail that not only celebrates a historic milestone but also speaks to contemporary tastes worldwide?
At Drink Kong, we always start with instinct and emotion. For Disaronno’s 500th anniversary, we felt the weight and beauty of the moment. We wanted a drink that would feel celebratory but not obvious — refined, yet approachable. So we explored flavor contrasts, textures, and cultural references. We also made sure the Dolcevita had a strong visual and sensory identity. The result is a drink that respects history but feels alive today — bold, balanced, and designed to resonate globally.
