Amaretto Sour

By Timo Torner / Last updated on March 20, 2023

If you have a sweet tooth when it comes to cocktails but don't want a fruity, tropical one, an Amaretto Sour is a perfect choice. It's sweet, yet not overly sweet, and maintains the sophisticated air of a classic Sour.
Amaretto Sour Cocktail with Maraschino cherry and Lemon

Amaretto is a beautiful liqueur made of apricot kernels, peach stones, and almonds. One of the most famous cocktails based on the Italian almond-flavored liqueur is the Amaretto Sour. 

The slightly sweet and distinctive taste makes it a brilliant and exceptional sip. However, you need to mind a few things to get it right.

Ingredients to make an Amaretto Sour

Looking at the list of ingredients of the Amaretto Sour recipe, it is nothing unusual for a sour. Only the split base (Amaretto and Bourbon) is worth mentioning:

  • Amaretto Liqueur: I like to use Disaronno. It's the bestselling brand for a good reason. It has a fantastic balance of sweetness of almonds and apricots and a slight bitterness.
  • Cask-proof Bourbon: A high-ABV liquor is necessary to counter the sweetness of Amaretto in this Sour. Thus, barrel-proof is the way to go. Wild Turkey's 101, for instance, is excellent value for money.
  • Lemon juice: Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice in your cocktails. It may sound like a minor thing, but this will make or break your drink. If you want to know why, read more about lemon juice in cocktails
  • Simple syrup
  • Egg white: for a nice foamy top
  • Maraschino cherry: these aromatic cherries are the perfect garnish, as they complement the Amaretto gorgeously.
Amaretto Sour Cocktail with foamy top

How to make it

For the perfect foam, you should perform a dry shake. That technique makes it easier for the egg white to emulsify, resulting in a thicker and stronger foam. Here's how to do it, step-by-step:

  • Step 1: Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker but don't add ice, yet. Shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds.
  • Step 2: Open the shaker carefully, add ice cubes and shake again until your drink is well-chilled.
  • Step 3: Strain over ice into an Old Fashioned glass.
  • Step 4: Garnish your drink with a Maraschino Cherry and/or a lemon peel.

Variations

One of the most popular variations of this cocktail is applying the formula of a Stone Sour. By adding orange juice, the drink gets a richer, even more fruity, touch.

If you like the idea of oranges but don't want to bring another juice to the recipe, replace the simple syrup with homemade orange syrup. This will also bring some extra complexity.

Amaretto Sour with leaf background

A split base for the best Amaretto Sour recipe

Traditional Sour drinks are based on spirits like Whiskey, Gin, or Rum. Using Amaretto makes things different. It is a liqueur and, as such, has a lower ABV and is sweeter. 

If you use the same ratio for an Amaretto Sour recipe as you do for a Whiskey Sour, your result will definitely turn out too sweet. -Amaretto is sometimes used as a replacement for orgeat - an almond syrup. That should give you an idea of how sugary it is.

You could also use Rum to balance that, but Bourbon is the most common and also my preferred way to make this drink. The person who came up with it was Jeffrey Morgenthaler, by the way.

Other cocktails with Amaretto

If you now have an open bottle of Amaretto at home and wonder what you can do with it apart from making Amaretto Sour Cocktails, try one of the following:

For a better overview, check out our 9 favorite Disaronno Cocktails. Also, for more inspiration, check out our 12 favorite Sour Cocktails.

Amaretto Sour Cocktail with Maraschino cherry and Lemon

Amaretto Sour

A sweet and almondy twist on the classic Sour recipe
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: amaretto, sour cocktail
Servings: 1
Calories: 283kcal
Cost: $3

Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz Amaretto
  • 0.75 oz Cask-proof Bourbon
  • 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Simple syrup
  • 1 pcs Egg white

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker without ice and shake for 10 to 15 seconds.
    1.5 oz Amaretto, 0.75 oz Cask-proof Bourbon, 1 oz Fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp Simple syrup, 1 pcs Egg white
  • Add ice and shake again until your drink is chilled.
  • Strain into an old fashioned glass.
  • You can use two Maraschino Cherries and/or lemon peel twist as a garnish.

Nutrition

Serving: 5oz | Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.7g | Protein: 3.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 121mg | Sugar: 28.7g | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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