The recipe for a perfect amaretto sour cocktail

This easy-to-mix 1970's classic sour cocktail is a perfect balance of sweet and sour. It is made using lemon juice and a wonderful Italian liqueur that dates back over 500 years!

A Classic and Refreshing Sweet and Sour Cocktail

The combination of sweet and sour has always been popular in food and cocktails. This Amaretto Sour is so easy to mix up and it tastes so good, it'll become your go-to happy hour cocktail for good reason.

There's an entire category of cocktails called sours which include classics like the Whiskey Sour. In the early 1970's a creative bartender in America mixed a newly-popular, 500 year-old Italian liqueur with some lemon juice, and added this crowd-pleaser to the list of sours. Soon American bars everywhere were including this cocktail on their menus.

Amaretto is a wonderful liqueur that is made from a secret blend of apricot pits and almond extract for a unique flavor profile. This is such a pleasant-tasting liqueur that you'll keep a bottle of Amaretto on your shelf once you taste this.

Ingredients Needed for an Amaretto Sour

There are only a few Ingredients needed for an Amaretto Sour:

• Fresh, large ice cubes--preferably round
• Sugar cubes
• Fresh lemon juice
• Amaretto liqueur--choose a quality liqueur like Amaretto di Saronno which has a nice almond taste and is readily available at your local grocery store or liquor store
• Orange slices for garnish

You can also use a plain simple syrup in place of the sugar cubes if you prefer.

Bar tools needed

You just need a few standard tools to mix this drink:

• Jigger
• Bar spoon
• Knife
• Muddler (or the back of a spoon)
• Mixing glass or large cocktail shaker (if desired, I usually just mix directly in the glass and give it a stir with the bar spoon)

How to Make it

This drink is very easy to make. Just follow the 5 steps below:

1. Pour a dash of water into a glass containing your sugar cubes.
2. Using a muddler, crush the cubes to mix with the water.

3. Pour the water and sugar mixture over a ball of ice.
4. Pour the Amaretto into the glass.
5. Last, add the fresh-squeezed lemon juice for the sour flavor.
6. Add an orange slice or for garnish.

Give it a stir and add a decorative garnish, such as an orange wedge and cherry.

Tips for Success

Even though this Amaretto cocktail is one of the easy cocktails to make at home, keep these things in mind when making this classic recipe:

• Always take the time to squeeze some fresh juice rather than use bottled. It will make the drink come alive with freshness and will not be overly sour.
• Choose a quality liqueur to mix with. Inferior mixers will not have the nice almond flavor and can be too sweet.
• Fresh ice is a must. Never use ice that has been in your freezer for a long time because it will pick up odors from other food over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Try a Frothy Egg White Variation

For a delicious cocktail, try adding an egg white like you would for a Whiskey Sour. It's pretty easy to do, just add your Amaretto, lemon juice and sugar mixture to a cocktail shaker, then add an egg white and shake for about 15 seconds. This is a dry shake. Then add a handful of fresh ice cubes to the shaker and shake for another 15 seconds. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain into an old fashioned glass (or your glass of choice) for a frothy top. Add a slice of orange or a couple of maraschino cherries for garnish. There are some people who are concerned about using a raw egg, but nowadays most eggs have been pasteurized, so the risk of getting sick is greatly reduced.

Before you go, did you try this cocktail? Why not leave a comment in the comments section along with a rating? I always appreciate hearing from you and getting your feedback.