Amaretto Sour Recipe: Almond, Lemon and Foam

Ingredients

1¾ oz amaretto an almond and apricot kernel liqueure.g. Disaronno · Lazzaroni · Luxardo · Bols
¾ oz lemon juice
¼ oz simple syrup 5 to 15 ml, depending on the amaretto
1 egg white or 20 ml aquafaba (optional)

Garnish: Lemon wheel and cocktail cherry · Ice: Ice cubes

Method

Add amaretto, lemon juice, syrup and egg white to a shaker without ice.
Dry shake for about 10 seconds to build the foam.
Fill the shaker with ice and shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds.
Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice cubes.
Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cocktail cherry.

Watch it made

Amaretto Sour

Taste

Nutty and sweet at first, then bright lemon acidity and a creamy, soft texture. Light in alcohol and very easy to drink.

History and origin

Amaretto is an Italian liqueur flavoured with almonds or apricot kernels, and the town of Saronno near Milan is closely linked with its best-known brand. The liqueur became a fixture in American bars in the 1970s, and the Amaretto Sour rode that wave: a simple sour that let a sweet, approachable liqueur stand in for the spirit.

For years the drink was mostly made with bottled sour mix and had a reputation as a sugary guilty pleasure. The modern revival came when bartenders went back to fresh lemon and egg white. Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler published a widely copied version that adds a measure of cask-strength bourbon for backbone, and that approach helped put the Amaretto Sour back on serious cocktail menus.

Bartender tips

Amaretto brands differ a lot in sweetness: start with 5 ml syrup, taste, and add more only if the drink is too sharp.
A splash of bourbon or strong rye (10 to 15 ml) gives the drink more structure without hiding the almond.
Use only freshly squeezed lemon juice; bottled juice and sour mix make the drink flat and cloying.

Variations

Amaretto Sour with bourbon: Use 45 ml amaretto and 22.5 ml cask-strength bourbon with 30 ml lemon juice and a teaspoon of rich syrup, plus egg white: the style made popular by Jeffrey Morgenthaler.
Orange twist: Add 10 to 20 ml fresh orange juice for a rounder, fruitier sour.