Perry Santanachote
Perry is a food writer, photographer, and recipe developer based in New York City. She cooks every day, and somehow eats even more often. Her recipes have been published in Eating Well, Fine Cooking, Food & Wine, The Kitchn, Thrillist, and Tone It Up. Perry grew up in Denver, Colorado and was raised by two grandmothers who taught her the importance of cooking with all five senses and never adhering to a diet with a name. She has a degree in anthropology and a slightly more practical master’s degree in journalism.
published Nov 16, 2021
Whiskey gives this drink a bitter-sweet attitude you'll love.
The amaretto sour co*cktail had its heyday in the 1970s. The liqueur, made from almonds and apricots, is often paired with a tart mixer — usually a commercial sour mix that is too sweet for modern palates. Jeffrey Morgenthaler, an award-winning bartender and author, updated the classic drink with fresh lemon juice and a rich simple syrup to help brighten up the sour and tone down the sweet. We took his cue for this recipe, including the addition of bourbon to give the drink a bitter-sweet agrodolce attitude. Egg whites are a common addition to sours to give the drinks body and a frothy head, but totally optional.
What Is Amaretto Made Of?
Amaretto is about 20 percent alcohol and has a nutty flavor that can come from the following:
- Bitter almonds
- Sweet almonds
- Apricot kernels
- Peach pits
Is an Amaretto Sour the Same as a Whiskey Sour?
The two co*cktails are similar, with the only difference being the amaretto that gives the amaretto sour a nutty flavor.
Can You Drink Amaretto Straight?
Amaretto is cloyingly sweet straight out of the bottle, hence the sour addition, but if you’re game, pour the liqueur over ice and give it a sip.
0 Ratings
Amaretto Sour Recipe
Whiskey gives this drink a bitter-sweet attitude you'll love.
YieldServes 1, Makes 1 co*cktail
Prep time 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2
medium lemon
- 1 1/2 ounces
amaretto liqueur
- 1 ounce
bourbon, preferably barrel proof
- 1/2 ounce
egg white (or 1/2 of 1 large egg white, optional)
- 1 teaspoon
Ice
Orange slice, for garnish
Maraschino cherry, for garnish
Instructions
Juice 1/2 medium lemon until you have 1 ounce lemon juice. Add to a co*cktail shaker with 1 1/2 ounces amaretto liqueur, 1 ounces bourbon, 1 ounce egg white if using, and 2 teaspoons simple syrup. Use an immersion blender to get the mixture thick and foamy, 10 to 15 seconds. (Skip the blending if you’re not using egg white.) Alternatively, add amaretto, bourbon, egg white if using, and simple syrup to a co*cktail shaker and shake (without ice) until foamy, about 15 seconds.
Add ice to the co*cktail shaker. Seal the shaker and shake until the outside of the shaker is frosty.
Strain into an Old-Fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange slice and maraschino cherry.
