The Stone Sour Cocktail is a refreshing drink you can easily make at home. It is a twist on the classic Sour Cocktail with the additional use of orange juice and apricot. That's not covering all aspects of the drink, but it gives you an idea of its taste.
Quick Facts Stone Sour Cocktail
The Whiskey Stone Sour, the most famous version we make here, is a close relative of the Whiskey Sour. Apart from that, Amaretto, Rum, and even Tequila Stone Sours are among the more popular choices.
Following the regular Sour Cocktail template, the Stone Sour calls for a base spirit, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Additionally, you need orange juice and Apricot Brandy to make this cocktail:
Freshly squeezed orange juice is a must. Other than that, it's quite a simple and easy drink to make. That is absolutely vital, though, to get a proper craft cocktail. The same goes for the lemon juice. Bottled citrus juice is a no-go in mixology.
Apart from that, we have a few best practices for you to keep in mind when mixing:
As mentioned, other versions are also pretty famous. The Amaretto Stone Sour, for example, can be found on many bar menus. The Apricot Brandy part is left off here, making the drink even more similar to a classic sour version.
Another well-known variation would be the Tequila Stone Sour. Many recipes include orange juice as well as triple sec. The triple sec works great with Tequila - we also know that from Margarita cocktails- and, therefore, is a fantastic addition to this Stone Sour.
American bartender Tom Bullock is widely accepted as the inventor of the first version of this cocktail. His cocktail book "The Ideal Bartender" featured the first recipe with orange juice but without Apricot Brandy.
His version of a Gin Stone Sour marks the starting point of Stone Sour history. The book had been published in 1917, shortly before prohibition. No wonder the cocktail vanished for quite some time.
In the early 1970s, the Stone Sour with orange juice resurfaced in country clubs across the US. It's hard to find out how and why the recipe spread, but it did. A little later, by the 80s, the recipe was quite common and well-known.
It was mentioned in "Sardi's Bar Guide", published in 1988, which described the cocktail as a sour "with the addition of orange juice."
In the decade after that, the drink had its most triumphant time. During the 90s, in some parts of the US, the drink was so popular you were hard-pressed to find someone who didn't know it.
With the new Millennium, the popularity of the Stone Sour Cocktail declined, and it fell into oblivion again. As with most things, it likely will have a comeback at some point. However, at this point, while you can still find recipes online in all kinds of variations, the hype is not there anymore.
Tom Bullock was not only the inventor of the Stone Sour, but he was the first African American to publish a cocktail book. His book "The Ideal Bartender" gives an excellent impression of how pre-prohibition drinks looked and tasted.
What makes the book stand out even more is that Bullock did not use modified versions of existing cocktails. He made his very own, unique creations. -Something you won't find very often.
If you want to read more about Tom Bullock and his legacy, there is a brilliant article about his life as a bartender. You can find it here.
Apart from the variations of the Stone Sour mentioned above, there are countless other creative Sour Cocktail recipes you should try at least once. Three of those are: