Amaretto Sour

Amaretto Sour is like a summer romance. The first time you try it, it will blow you away. You are going to fall in love, and you are going to have it again and again. So much that you’ll eventually get tired of it, and the romance will start to fade. You will then start to experience other things and you won’t think about your old romance for a while. But it is only a matter of time until the old romance creeps back into your thoughts and makes you think back on all the good times so that you’ll want to rekindle that fire. This time, however, you won’t be blinded by the passion as, by now, you know that this isn’t the only cocktail in the world, but that you can still enjoy each other’s company from time to time. And that is how Amaretto Sour becomes a staple in your cocktail repertoire.

Amaretto Sour Cocktail

Ingredients

Almond Liqueur

As the name of the cocktail suggest, the Italian liqueur Amaretto is recommended for this cocktail. The classic choice is Disaronno Amaretto, but we recommend Lorenzo Inga’s Amaretto which really underlines the flavors of this cocktail.

45 ml
Whiskey

We strongly recommend bourbon for this cocktail. Using a scotch will yield a much different result. This serves to balance out the cocktail and add volume, so any bourbon will do. We recommend Bulleit or Buffalo Trace.

22.5 ml
Lemon Juice

Freshly squeezed.

30 ml
Simple Syrup

1:1 simple syrup.

7.5 ml
Egg Whites (Optional)

If you’re making 2 cocktails in the tin at the same time, 1 egg should still suffice. Can be omitted for a vegan friendly edition, but if no dietary preferences prevent it, we highly recommend adding it.

1 egg
Bitters (Optional)

For aroma. We recommend Angostura bitter.

3 drops

Method

Step 1: Add to shaker

Add Amaretto, Bourbon, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup and egg whites to a shaker. Don’t add any ice yet.

Step 2: Dry-shake for 10 seconds

Dry-shake (shake without ice) for around 10 seconds to emulsify the egg whites.

Step 3: Add ice and shake

Add plenty of ice to the shaker and shake for another 15 seconds.

Step 4: Pour and strain

Double strain into a lowball over ice.

Step 5: Drop bitters on foam

Drop 3 drops of bitters on the foam to aromatize the cocktail.

Step 6: Garnish with lemon and cherry

Garnish the cocktail with a pierced Maraschino Cherry and a lemon wheel (or lemon twist)

Step 1: Add ingredients to shaker
Step 1: Add ingredients to shaker
Step 2 and 3: Dry-shake and shake
Step 2&3: Dry-shake and shake
Step 4: Pour and strain
Step 4: Pour and strain
Step 5: Drop bitters on foam
Step 5: Drop bitters on foam
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Ingredient #1

Almond Liqueur

Disaronno Amaretto

The main flavor and aroma of this cocktail is the Amaretto, which is why we prefer an Amaretto made of almonds as opposed to the apricot kernels of the Disaronno, which provides a bit more marzipan on the nose. But Disaronno is still a fine choice for this cocktail if you already have a bottle on hand.
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Ingredient #2

Whiskey

Buffalo Trace

The purpose of the bourbon in this cocktail is to create volume, reduce the sweetness from the Amaretto, and add a bit of complexity on the back palette. Many of the popular bourbon brands can serve this purpose, but we really like the spice from Buffalo Trace in the Amaretto Sour.
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Ingredient #3

Bitters (Optional)

Angostura Bitter

This is only for adding a couple of drops on the foam for aroma, and Angostura Bitter yields a wonderful cinnamony fragrance that goes great with the almond in this cocktail.
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Flavor profile

The main character of this story is the Amaretto. Amaretto is an Italian liqueur made from apricot kernels, peach stones, or almonds, depending on the variant, which gives it a wonderful and unique marzipan taste. Naturally, this marzipan taste makes Amaretto Sour a perfect dessert or after-dinner cocktail, but the sour components of the cocktail balance it out and freshen it up, making it more than suitable for enjoying on a summer afternoon. 

Our Amaretto of choice is Lorenzo Inga. It is made from Sicilian Almond extracts, which really bring forth not only the Marzipan taste but especially the scent, compared to the typical choice, Disaronno Amaretto.

Traditionally, this cocktail was made with Amaretto as its only spirit. This tends to make the cocktail overly sweet, which is why our edition includes Bourbon to balance the taste and add volume, which really builds up the overall experience. The Bourbon is only a supporting actor, so use something mellow like Bulleit or Buffalo Trace.

Lastly, the foam from the egg whites thickens the plot. The creaminess and texture it adds go so well with the taste of this cocktail. Also, as in any other Sour cocktail that has a large amount of lemon, the protein from the egg whites helps to tame the sour edge, bringing it together with the rest of the ingredients.

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