This variation on the classic sour cocktail format features the family of Italian liqueurs known as Amaretto. They have a prominent almond flavor and are used to accent many cocktails or enjoyed on the rocks. In this cocktail, we use it to add a layer of depth to the classic lemon notes of the sour.
What makes an Amaretto Sour different from other sours?
A typical sour cocktail consists of your base spirit, lemon juice, and your syrup as a sweetener to round everything out. The Amaretto Sour uses the distinct almond flavor of amaretto liqueur to add some complexity to an otherwise simple cocktail. Since amaretto is fairly low in alcohol content compared to most base spirits, we beef this drink up with bourbon. When drinking, you will immediately notice that this is no typical Whiskey Sour as the sweet almond notes are right up front with the lemon and really help mellow out the acidity of the citrus.
How to make an Amaretto Sour
To make this sour variation, you need to have bourbon, amaretto, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white on hand. While the construction is simple, there are a few key steps that will take this cocktail to the next level. First is the dry shake. This simply means shaking the cocktail without ice to foam the egg. My favorite hack here is using a blender ball from one of my protein shaker bottles. Next is the wet shake, where you actually add ice to chill the cocktail. Since we serve this one straight up, a longer wet shake is necessary to get the appropriate amount of ice melt and balance the cocktail.
Amaretto Sour Recipe
- 1.5oz amaretto
- 1oz Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 1oz lemon juice
- .5oz simple syrup
- 1 egg white
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add blender ball (if you have one) and shake for 20-30 seconds. Add ice and shake for an additional 15 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with bourbon cherries. Wait a few seconds for the egg white foam to separate from the liquid before enjoying.