NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 15:  Frangelico on display at Giada De Laurentiis' Italian Feast presented by Ronzoni sponsored by The New York Post during Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented By FOOD & WINE at Pier 92 on October 15, 2015 in New York City.  (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for NYCWFF)
Food - Drink
Frangelico: The Sweet Hazelnut Liqueur Perfect For Winter Cocktails
By SYLVIA TOMCZAK
Hazelnuts are beloved in Italian cuisine and used in baked goods, savory dishes, and even alcohol. Frangelico is a liqueur flavored primarily with hazelnuts, along with a few other ingredients, and it originated over 300 years ago in the hills of northern Italy's Piedmont region, where Christian monks distilled their own alcohol.
Italian monks distilled drinks using locally foraged hazelnuts and other botanicals, and Frangelico is thought to be named after the hermit monk Fra' Angelico. This liqueur was likely used for medicinal purposes years ago, but today, it is enjoyed as a warm and inviting beverage that tastes almost like a liquefied Nutella, but not too sweet.
Frangelico has a full-body texture and a balance of complex herbal and nutty flavors (similar to amaretto) with hints of chocolate, vanilla, toffee, butterscotch, and caramel. This one-of-a-kind drink is commonly served as a digestivo, sipped as cordial or on the rocks, but it can also be added to coffee, hot chocolate, and desserts.
Frangelico makes a great addition to an espresso martini or White Russian, as well as festive cocktails like mulled wine or cider. It is high-proof alcohol with no perishable ingredients, so an unopened bottle can last indefinitely and an opened one still lasts for several years, but flavors, colors, and aromas begin to fade after opening.