Nutty for Almonds? Try our 9 Best Orgeat Syrup Cocktails

Orgeat, a cocktail staple across the board, is also one of the most mysterious. But it'll be mysterious to you no more once you give one of these orgeat cocktails a try. Orgeat syrup, think or-zha, is a nutty yet sweet and slightly citrus syrup (think marzipan in a glass) that'll give your cocktail that little extra something.

Yes, you read that right, a sour that uses Angostura bitters as the base. The result is a rich yet nutty cocktail with a hefty bite of whiskey.

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces Angostura bitters
• 1 ounce orgeat syrup
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ ounce whiskey
• Ice
• Lemon peel for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Chill a Nick and Nora glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, bitters, orgeat, lemon juice, and whiskey.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into the chilled glass.
5. Garnish with a lemon peel, if desired.

Nutty and sweet orgeat syrup smooths over the gin-forward sour, the Army & Navy cocktail.

Forget the simple syrup in this riff. The orgeat syrup lends all the sweetness you'll need for this upgraded old-fashioned recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces bourbon
• ½ ounce orgeat
• 3-4 dashes orange bitters
• 1-2 dashes aromatic bitters
• Ice
• Orange peel for garnish

Instructions

1. In a mixing glass, add ice, bourbon, orgeat, and bitters.
2. Stir rapidly to chill.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Garnish with an orange peel.

Like the old-fashioned above, you're leaving behind your usual daiquiri with simple syrup. Don't fuss, instead, you have a daiquiri that borders on doubly tropical with this simple switch.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces white rum
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¾ ounce orgeat
• Ice
• Lime ribbon for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a coupe glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, rum, lime juice, and orgeat.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into the chilled glass.
5. Garnish with a lime ribbon.

The mai tai isn't as intimidating a drink to make as it seems. You already have the ingredients on hand, including your newly acquired orgeat. It's the perfect boozy tiki drink.

There's no clear story behind this cocktail's name. Some say it has to do with the United Nations, some because the original recipes uses Japanese whiskey. Or maybe a secret third thing that you think up and tell your friends while you're making this.

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces cognac
• ½ ounce orgeat
• ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 dashes aromatic bitters
• Ice
• Lemon peel for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a coupe glass.
2. In a mixing glass, add ice, cognac, orgeat, lime juice, and bitters.
3. Stir rapidly to chill.
4. Strain into the chilled glass.
5. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Instead of simple syrup, (are you sensing a theme here?), orgeat brings the extra sweetness to this riff. Of course, you can always add a little extra splash of orgeat syrup to really make that flavor pop.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces dry sherry
• ½ ounce orgeat
• 1 orange wheel
• Crushed ice
• Dehydrated orange wheel and mint sprig for garnish

Instructions

1. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, sherry, orgeat, and orange wheel.
2. Shake well to chill and muddle orange.
3. Strain into a cocktail glass over crushed ice.
4. Garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel and mint sprig.

It's fair to say that this isn't The Dude's White Russian. This brings the classic cocktail into modern day without much extra effort at all.

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces caramel vodka or plain vodka
• 1 ounce coffee liqueur
• ½ ounce orgeat syrup
• Ice
• 1 ounce heavy cream

Instructions

1. In a rocks glass, add ice, caramel vodka, orgeat, and coffee liqueur.
2. Stir to mix.
3. Top off with heavy cream.
4. Press play on The Big Lebowski. Abide.

A touch of orgeat transforms this brunch cocktail. Well, also thanks to a few other changes. But it's a well-deserved makeover.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces vanilla vodka
• 2 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 ounces pineapple juice
• 1 ounce orgeat
• Ice
• Orange wheel for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vanilla vodka, orange juice, pineapple juice, and orgeat.
2. Shake to chill.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Garnish with an orange wheel, if desired.

Live the sweet nutty life, sorry amaretto, but tonight's your night off, with some orgeat syrup. Add a splash or make it the star of your cocktail and you're going to need to track down your socks because they'll be knocked off.