Liqueurs

Galliano

Galliano L'Autentico is an Italian herbal liqueur led by vanilla and anise, at 42.3% ABV on its maker’s site. Galliano Vanilla, at 30% with a vanilla distillate added, is also sold, by its maker’s account; every Galliano line in our recipes means L'Autentico. It goes in small measures: 15ml floated on a Harvey Wallbanger, 30ml shaken with crème de cacao and cream in a Golden Cadillac.

Quick Facts

ABV42.3% ABVGalliano L'Autentico, 42.3% on its maker’s site; the Vanilla bottling is 30% on the same site.

Legal categoryLiqueur

OriginItaly

Flavour Strengthmedium bold

SeasonYear-round (often associated with retro and dessert-style cocktails)

Our keeping timeYears unopened. Once opened, a year or more kept sealed and out of the light; the fruit and aromatics fade first.

Storage

Store upright in a cool, dark place away from direct light. Ensure the cap is tightly sealed after use. In our experience it is shelf-stable once opened.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes change: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Galliano

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

VanillaAniseHerbal spiceCitrus peel

Tasting Notes

Sweet and aromatic with prominent vanilla upfront, followed by anise, herbal complexity, and a lightly bitter, warming finish.

Vanilla and anise from Chieri, since 1896

Arturo Vaccari first made Galliano in 1896 at Chieri, near Turin, by its maker’s account, and named it for Giuseppe Galliano, a military hero killed at the battle of Adowa in the First Italo-Ethiopian War, by the Oxford Companion’s. It is a herbal liqueur led by vanilla and anise, from Mediterranean and exotic botanicals, among them juniper, star anise, cinnamon, lavender and Madagascar vanilla. Its maker blends it from nine parts, made by several macerations and distillations.

The Oxford Companion, a secondary source, says L'Autentico, relaunched in 2010, replaced a weaker, more syrupy version introduced in 1979. Today L'Autentico is 42.3% and Galliano Vanilla, with a vanilla distillate added, is 30%. Both are on sale, and they do not mix the same way.

Galliano L'Autentico and Galliano Vanilla (strengths and make-up from Galliano’s own product pages; the recipe uses are ours)

Strength

Galliano L'Autentico: 42.3%
Galliano Vanilla: 30%

Recipe

Galliano L'Autentico: Arturo Vaccari’s blend, by its maker’s account
Galliano Vanilla: The same base with a vanilla distillate added

Vanilla

Galliano L'Autentico: Madagascar vanilla, with anise and herbs
Galliano Vanilla: Stronger vanilla, from an added vanilla distillate

In our recipes

Galliano L'Autentico: All three use it
Galliano Vanilla: None

	Galliano L'Autentico	Galliano Vanilla
Strength	42.3%	30%
Recipe	Arturo Vaccari’s blend, by its maker’s account	The same base with a vanilla distillate added
Vanilla	Madagascar vanilla, with anise and herbs	Stronger vanilla, from an added vanilla distillate
In our recipes	All three use it	None

It is floated on orange juice

In the Harvey Wallbanger, 45ml of vodka and 120ml of orange juice are stirred over ice and 15ml of Galliano is floated on top over a bar spoon. The Slow Comfortable Screw Against the Wall finishes the same way. Both are served unstirred, so the first sip is vanilla and the rest is orange.

It sweetens the Golden Cadillac

The Golden Cadillac is equal parts Galliano, white crème de cacao and cream, all shaken very hard and double strained. There is no syrup: the two liqueurs carry the sugar, and the Galliano's 30ml makes up one part in three.

Using it

Using Galliano

Usage

15ml floated on top of the Harvey Wallbanger and the Slow Comfortable Screw Against the Wall, and 30ml in the Golden Cadillac, where it is the main flavour. To float it, run it gently down an upturned spoon resting on the surface, once the drink is built.

Pro Tip

Float the Galliano last, after the orange juice has been stirred in, and serve the drink unstirred. Stirring after the float mixes it through and loses the first sip of vanilla the drink is built around.

Top Tips

Check which bottle you have. Our recipes use L'Autentico at 42.3%; the 30% Vanilla bottling is sweeter and shifts the balance.
Let it be the sweetener. The Golden Cadillac has no syrup; the Galliano and the crème de cacao supply the sugar.
A little goes a long way: 15ml is enough to taste across a highball of orange juice.
Do not treat vanilla liqueur as a stand-in. Galliano's anise and herbs are half of its flavour.

Possible Substitutions

Vanilla liqueur (lacks herbal depth)

Production Method

By its maker’s account, Mediterranean and exotic botanicals, led by vanilla and anise, prepared by several macerations and distillations and blended from nine parts. Made by Maraschi & Quirici in Chieri.

History & Context

Galliano’s own site says Arturo Vaccari first made it in 1896 at Chieri, near Turin, with the distillers now called Maraschi & Quirici, who still make it there. The Oxford Companion, a secondary source, places Vaccari in Livorno, says he named it for Giuseppe Galliano, a military hero killed at the battle of Adowa in the First Italo-Ethiopian War, and says Lucas Bols owns the brand, having bought it from Remy Cointreau, and that both lines are made in the Netherlands, where the maker’s site names Chieri; today its maker sells L'Autentico at 42.3% and Galliano Vanilla at 30%.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is Galliano?

An Italian herbal liqueur, bright yellow, sold in a tall bottle and led by vanilla and anise, from botanicals that its maker’s site lists as including juniper, star anise, cinnamon, lavender and Madagascar vanilla. The standard bottle, L'Autentico, is 42.3% ABV. By its maker’s account Arturo Vaccari first made it in 1896 at Chieri, where it is still made.

What does Galliano taste like?

Sweet vanilla first, then anise, with herbs, citrus peel and a little spice behind. It is sweet but not syrupy, and strongly aromatic, which is why recipes use it at 15 to 30ml. The 30% Vanilla bottling leans further towards vanilla and sugar.

How strong is Galliano?

Galliano L'Autentico is 42.3% ABV on its maker’s site, and our drinks’ unit counts rest on it. Galliano Vanilla is 30% on its maker’s site too. The two balance differently in a drink, so look at which one you have first.

What can I use instead of Galliano?

No single bottle covers it. A vanilla liqueur gives the vanilla without the anise and herbs; a dash of anise liqueur alongside it gets closer. In a Harvey Wallbanger the float is 15ml, so the swap is less noticeable than in a Golden Cadillac, where Galliano is a third of the drink.

Is Galliano the same as sambuca?

No. Sambuca is an anise liqueur, clear and dominated by aniseed. Galliano is vanilla first, with anise and many other herbs and spices behind it. The Galliano range on its maker’s site also includes a sambuca, which causes some of the confusion, but the yellow liqueur in the tall bottle is a different drink.

Does Galliano go off once opened?

No. In our experience a liqueur this strong and sweet stays sound for years once open. Cap it and keep it from bright light; the vanilla in particular fades gradually after the seal is broken, so an old bottle tastes flatter rather than spoiled.

Sources.

Checked between 16 October and 19 October 2026.

Galliano, “Galliano Autentico” (producer’s product page (42.3% alc./vol.; botanicals; nine component parts)).
Galliano, “Galliano Vanilla” (producer’s product page (30%; a vanilla distillate added)).
Galliano, “Heritage and craftsmanship” (producer’s history (Arturo Vaccari, 1896, Chieri; Maraschi & Quirici)).
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (Robert Simonson), “Galliano” (secondary source: invented in 1896 by Arturo Vaccari, named for Giuseppe Galliano killed at Adowa; owned by Lucas Bols; L’Autentico of 2010 replaced the weaker 1979 version).

Make something

Made with Galliano

Featured In These Cocktails

Slow Comfortable Screw Against the Wall Golden Cadillac Harvey Wallbanger

Often Used With

Updated 19 October 2026

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