Sour Cocktails

28 recipes

The sour is the oldest cocktail formula after the Old Fashioned: spirit, citrus, sweetener, shaken hard. The Whiskey Sour, Daiquiri and Margarita are all the same skeleton with different spirits, which is why learning one teaches you all of them. This list collects 28 genuinely tart drinks from our catalog.

The classic ratio is 2:1:1, two parts spirit to one part lemon or lime and one part syrup, and adding egg white turns a Whiskey Sour into a silky Boston Sour. Each recipe shows exact measures, ABV and calories.

TequilaMargaritaAgave tequila, triple sec and freshly squeezed lime shaken and served against a salted rim. Tart, punchy and endlessly refreshing — the world's…Easy4 ingredientsWhiskeyWhiskey SourBourbon shaken with fresh lemon and sugar syrup, optionally silked out with a few drops of egg white foam. A perfectly calibrated sweet-tart standard.Medium6 ingredientsWhiskeyBoston SourA whiskey sour enriched with a whole egg white, shaken to a dense foam and dressed with lemon and cherry. Plush texture over classic sweet-tart bones.Medium6 ingredientsWhiskeyBourbon SourStraight bourbon shaken with fresh lemon and a little superfine sugar, garnished with orange and cherry. Clean, tart and built on the whiskey's own…Easy5 ingredientsBrandyBrandy SourBrandy shaken with fresh lemon and powdered sugar, dressed with a lemon slice and cherry. The sour template with a warm, grapey backbone.Easy5 ingredientsWhiskeyFrisco SourBlended whiskey and honeyed Benedictine shaken with both lemon and lime juice. A citrus-double sour with an herbal, monastic undertone.Easy6 ingredientsGinGin SourGin shaken with fresh lemon and superfine sugar, garnished with orange and cherry. Clean, juniper-lifted and tart to the last sip.Easy5 ingredientsWhiskeyNew York SourA whiskey sour crowned with a float of dry red wine that drifts down in crimson ribbons. The wine adds tannin and drama to an already great drink.Medium7 ingredientsBrandyPisco SourPisco shaken hard with lemon, sugar and egg white into a silky foam, finished with drops of bitters. South America's proudest sour, bright and…Medium5 ingredientsRumRum SourLight rum shaken with fresh lemon and superfine sugar, garnished with orange and cherry. Clean cane sweetness wrapped in citrus.Easy5 ingredientsTequilaTequila SourTequila shaken with lemon and powdered sugar, finished with a lemon slice and cherry. The sour formula with an earthy agave heart.Easy5 ingredientsVodkaVictory CollinsVodka shaken with equal big pours of lemon juice and unsweetened grape juice, sweetened lightly and served tall. Tart, vivid and quenching.Easy5 ingredientsVodkaVodka LemonVodka and a big pour of lemon juice stirred in a highball with a lemon slice and optional mint. Bracing citrus with nothing to hide behind.Easy4 ingredientsTequilaBlue MargaritaA margarita gone electric — tequila and lime shaken with blue curacao and strained into a salt-rimmed glass. Same tart bite, unforgettable color.Easy4 ingredientsRumDaiquiriWhite rum, fresh lime and fine sugar shaken to a frosty, pale cloud — nothing more. The purest expression of the sour family and a true test of…Easy3 ingredientsGinGin FizzGin, fresh lemon and simple syrup shaken hard and topped with a splash of soda. Sharp, sparkling and one of the great morning-after classics.Easy5 ingredientsGinGin LemonGin and lemon juice stirred over ice with a lemon slice. Sharp, botanical and refreshingly stripped-back.Easy4 ingredientsTequilaGrand MargaritaA margarita upgraded with Grand Marnier in place of triple sec, shaken hard with 100% agave tequila and fresh lime over a sea-salt rim. Richer orange…Easy4 ingredientsVodkaKamikazeEqual parts vodka, triple sec and lime juice shaken ice-cold. Sharp, citrusy and equally at home as a cocktail or a round of shots.Easy3 ingredientsWhiskeyScotch SourScotch shaken with lime juice and powdered sugar, dressed with lemon and cherry. Malt and smoke give this sour its distinctive backbone.Easy5 ingredientsTequilaTommy's Margarita100% agave tequila shaken with fresh lime and agave nectar — the margarita minus the orange liqueur. Cleaner, softer and all about the agave.Easy4 ingredientsOtherA True Amaretto SourA jigger of amaretto shaken with the juice of half a lemon, served over ice in a frosted-sugar-rimmed glass. The purist's amaretto sour — no mix,…Easy4 ingredientsOtherAmaretto SourAmaretto shaken with sour mix and dressed with cherry and orange. Almond candy meets lemon bite in an enduring favorite.Easy2 ingredientsOtherAmaretto Stone SourAmaretto shaken with equal parts orange juice and sour mix over ice. The amaretto sour's juicier, sunnier cousin.Easy3 ingredientsTequilaAmaretto Stone Sour AlternativeAmaretto and tequila shaken with sour mix, splashed with orange juice and garnished with fruit. The stone sour with an agave spine.Easy4 ingredientsOtherStone SourApricot brandy shaken with equal parts sweet-and-sour and orange juice. A soft, fruity sour that keeps the proof low.Easy3 ingredientsOtherAmaretto Sweet & SourAmaretto and Midori blended to a slush with sweet-and-sour and pineapple over a blender of ice. A frozen crowd-pleaser in margarita clothing.Easy4 ingredientsWhiskeyTrinidad sourA full 45ml of Angostura bitters shaken with orgeat, lemon and a measure of rye. The famous inversion that turns a seasoning into the star.Easy4 ingredients

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