Pistachio Cream Liqueur
Pistachio cream liqueur is a sweet cream liqueur flavoured with pistachio. The bottle we count, Aber Falls at 70cl on LWC’s trade listing, is 15% ABV, while Bottega’s 50cl is 17% on Drinkfinder’s listing. It contains tree nuts and milk. The Pistachio Martini takes 22.5ml, about 0.34 of a UK unit at 15%.
Quick Facts
Follow the label on your bottle. The listings we cite give no storage advice.
Contains: milk, tree nuts. LWC’s listing for Aber Falls names milk. Difford’s Guide lists nuts and dairy against the pistachio cream liqueur in the Pistachio Martini. Check the bottle.
About Pistachio Cream Liqueur
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Pistachio and cream, sweet; Aber Falls is described with white chocolate.
A cream liqueur sits between 15% and 17%
LWC lists Aber Falls Pistachio Cream Liqueur at 70cl and 15% ABV, describes it as roasted pistachio blended with white chocolate, and gives milk as its allergen. Drinkfinder lists Bottega Pistacchio Cream Liqueur at 50cl and 17% ABV, made from a paste of Sicilian pistachios with alcohol, water and sugar. We count 15%. The bottle in your hand sets the real figure.
In law a liqueur needs at least 15% ABV and at least 100g of sugars a litre, under Annex II category 32 of the retained spirit drinks regulation. A bottle at 15% sits exactly on the strength floor.
Nuts and milk are in the bottle
Difford’s Guide lists nuts and dairy against the pistachio cream liqueur in its Pistachio Martini. LWC names milk for Aber Falls. Anyone with a nut or milk allergy should not drink it, and a vegan will not want it. The gelato garnish on the Pistachio Martini needs its own label read.
Pistachio cream liqueur beside two other sweet liqueurs we use
Aber Falls Pistachio Cream Liqueur, 70cl
- ABV
- 15%
- Allergens named
- Milk
- Source
- LWC listing
Bottega Pistacchio Cream Liqueur, 50cl
- ABV
- 17%
- Allergens named
- None named on the listing
- Source
- Drinkfinder listing
Irish cream (Baileys Original)
- ABV
- 17%
- Allergens named
- Milk
- Source
- Our Irish cream entry
Amaretto
- ABV
- 28%
- Allergens named
- Tree nuts and eggs in some bottles
- Source
- Our amaretto entry
| Bottle | ABV | Allergens named | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aber Falls Pistachio Cream Liqueur, 70cl | 15% | Milk | LWC listing |
| Bottega Pistacchio Cream Liqueur, 50cl | 17% | None named on the listing | Drinkfinder listing |
| Irish cream (Baileys Original) | 17% | Milk | Our Irish cream entry |
| Amaretto | 28% | Tree nuts and eggs in some bottles | Our amaretto entry |
It goes in after the ice
The Pistachio Martini adds 22.5ml of the liqueur to the shaker after the ice, which Difford’s says helps stop the cream liqueur splitting. The drink is then dry shaken and fine strained. It sits beside vanilla vodka and amaretto.
Using Pistachio Cream Liqueur
Usage
Measure 22.5ml, adding it to the shaker after the ice, as the Pistachio Martini does.
Pro Tip
Add it after the ice and shake at once, following Difford’s method for the Pistachio Martini.
Top Tips
- Check the strength on the bottle. Listings run from 15% to 17%.
- Add it after the ice and shake at once, as Difford’s advises, so the cream does not split.
- Tell anyone you pour for that it contains nuts and milk.
- Read the label of the gelato as well when you serve the Pistachio Martini.
Possible Substitutions
- Irish Cream: Cream and 17% ABV, with no pistachio; a different drink
- Amaretto: A nut flavour at 28% ABV with no cream; use less and expect a thinner drink
Production Method
Pistachio, in a paste for Bottega’s Sicilian version, is blended with alcohol, water, sugar and a dairy ingredient, according to the listings. Recipes differ by maker.
History & Context
Difford’s Guide says the origins of the Pistachio Martini are undocumented, and that it is popular in the North End of Boston.
More to explore
Common Questions
What is pistachio cream liqueur?
How strong is pistachio cream liqueur?
Does pistachio cream liqueur contain nuts?
Does it contain dairy?
Is it a liqueur in law?
How long does it keep once opened?
What can I use instead?
Which drinks use pistachio cream liqueur?
Sources.
Correct as of 1 November 2026.
- LWC, “Aber Falls Pistachio Cream Liqueur 70cl NRB” (70cl, 15% ABV; roasted pistachio and white chocolate; allergen milk).
- Drinkfinder, “Bottega Pistacchio Cream Liqueur 50cl” (50cl, 17% ABV; paste of Sicilian pistachios with alcohol, water and sugar).
- Difford’s Guide, “Pistachio Martini” (recipe 30944: 22.5ml pistachio cream liqueur added after the ice; allergens nuts and dairy listed against it; origins undocumented).
- legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (as retained in UK law)” (category 32 liqueur: minimum 15% ABV, minimum 100g/l sugars).
- NHS, “Calculating alcohol units” (units = ABV x ml / 1000; the 14-units-a-week guidance).
From the Guides
Made with Pistachio Cream Liqueur
Featured In These Cocktails
Often Used With
Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 1 November 2026