Amaretto Sour
Almond liqueur, lemon and a little bourbon, shaken with egg white. Sweet and nutty, made balanced by plenty of lemon.
- MethodShaken
- GlassRocks (old fashioned) glass
- IceCubes
- Strengthabout 9.3% ABV
- BaseLiqueur-led, Whiskey
- Tastesweet, sour, fruity
Recipe
| 45 ml 1½ oz | Amaretto |
| 22.5 ml ¾ oz | Bourbon (optional) |
| 30 ml 1 oz | Fresh lemon juice |
| 7.5 ml ¼ oz | Simple syrup (1:1) |
| 1 egg white | Egg white (or 25 ml aquafaba) (optional) |
Garnish. A strip of lemon peel and a cocktail cherry on a pick.
Method
- If using egg white, shake everything without ice for about 10 seconds first.
- Add ice and shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds.
- Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
- Let the foam settle and garnish.
About the Amaretto Sour
The Amaretto Sour is a sour built on almond-flavoured liqueur. Made with fresh lemon, egg white and a measure of bourbon for backbone, it is nutty, tart and silky, far from the sugary bottled-mix version that gave it a poor name. Without the bourbon it is lighter and sweeter.
History
Documented
Amaretto was widely marketed in the United States in the 1970s, and the sour made with it became one of the most common bar orders of the 1970s and 80s, usually with bottled sour mix. In 2012 the Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler published a version with fresh lemon, egg white and a measure of strong bourbon, which many bars now follow.
Legend and lore
It is often said that the drink was created in 1974 for the American importer of a leading amaretto brand. No document from that time has been produced, and the drink seems to be missing from bar guides of the late 1970s.
Disputed or unclear: The 1974 creation date is widely repeated but not documented; the timeline uses it only as an approximation.
Variations
- Whiskey Sour. Whiskey as the main spirit, with sugar.
- Pisco Sour. Pisco, lime, sugar and egg white with bitters on the foam.
- Godfather. Whisky and amaretto stirred over ice, no citrus.
Bartender's notes
- Amaretto is sweet, so you need less syrup than in other sours; taste before adding more.
- A higher-strength bourbon is what keeps it from tasting like a dessert.
