Simple Amaretto Sour Cocktail

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

An amaretto sour cocktail in a small glass with orange slice and cherry

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 cocktail.

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.

Ingredients Needed for an Amaretto Sour

The three ingredients used to mix a sour, liqueur lemon and sugar

There are only 3 Ingredients needed for an Amaretto Sour:

Sugar cubes
Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Amaretto liqueur--choose a quality Amaretto like Disaronno, which has a nice flavor at a moderate price.

You can also use a 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

How to Make it

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

two pictures showing how to make a cocktail

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

three pictures showing how to make a cocktail

Pour the water and sugar mixture over a ball of ice.
Pour the Amaretto into the glass.
Last, add the fresh-squeezed lemon juice.

Give it a stir and add any garnish you like, such as an orange wedge and cherry.

Tips for Success

Even though this drink is very straightforward, keep these things in mind:

Always take the time to squeeze some fresh lemon 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an Amaretto Sour the same as a Whiskey Sour?

While the two cocktails are similar and both in the Sour family, they are still different cocktails. The Amaretto Sour uses a sweet, almond-flavored liqueur, and the Whiskey Sour uses a stronger tasting bourbon or rye.

What can you mix with Amaretto?

Amaretto is a sweet Amaro bitter that pairs nicely with vodka, rum or whiskey. It is also great to sip straight up after dinner -- with or without ice.

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.