Sour cocktails are refreshing drinks with a perfect balance of sweetness and acid, with the Tequila Sour being a more recent riff on originals like the Whiskey -, Gin-, or Rum Sour.
In the early days of Sour Cocktails, the combination of lemon (or lime) juice and sugar was an easy way to hide harsh notes of cheap alcohol. But nowadays, they easily are in the top 3 most popular cocktail templates of our time.
Tequila has this unique agave taste, which also shines through in this recipe. Combined with fresh lime juice and a bit of syrup is somewhere between a typical Sour and a classic Margarita.
Jump to Recipe | Ingredients | How to make it | Variations | FAQs
Ingredients for the Tequila Sour
Like all the other sour cocktails, this drink combines a spirit base, citrus juice, and simple syrup. Some include egg white to get a frothy top or Angostura bitters for extra flavor. Both are part of our Tequila Sour recipe. So you need:
- Tequila
- freshly squeezed lime juice
- Simple syrup
- Egg white
- Angostura bitters
For the Tequila, I recommend using 100% agave spirit. That is not a specific type of Tequila but rather a quality seal. Affordable quality brands are, for instance, Patrón or Espolòn.
Further, I prefer to use a Reposado, which will bring in warmer and mellow flavors to your cocktail and has less of a bite. Combined with tangy fresh lime juice - please don't use bottled lime juice in cocktails- that makes for a perfect cocktail.
How to make it
Making this Tequila-based Sour isn't much different from other Sours. For a nice and foamy top, you should perform a two-step approach called dry shake. But let's look at this step-by-step. The equipment you need includes:
- a rocks glass
- a cocktail shaker
- a Hawthorne strainer
Step 1: Cool your glass by filling it with some ice cubes or put it in the freezer for a couple of minutes. The cocktail is served neat. Therefore, it is best to have everything well chilled.
Step 2: Add all ingredients except Angostura bitters into the cocktail shaker. - Don't add ice just now. Shake the ingredients vigorously for at least 15 seconds.
Step 3: Open the shaker, add ice cubes and shake for another 10 to 15 seconds. That will chill and dilute the cocktail while preserving that beautiful egg-white foam. (The technique is known as Dry Shake)
Step 4: Remove the ice from your glass/ take the glass out of the freezer and carefully strain the cocktail into it. Once the foamy top is visible, add a splash or two of the bitters.
Variations
If you're on a vegan diet, egg white in a cocktail is a no-go. However, what if you don't want to miss out on that beautiful frothy top?
Luckily there's a solution to this dilemma - Aquafaba, the water of canned chickpeas. Your drink will lack a bit of that rich mouthfeel egg white creates, but the difference is marginal.
Another option to alter the recipe is to opt for a Blanco Tequila instead of a Reposed. That results in a fresher and more crisp cocktail with a little bite to it.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Reposado Tequila
- 1 oz Fresh lime juice
- 0.5 oz Simple syrup
- 1 oz Egg white or Aquafaba
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
Instructions
- Add Tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, and egg white (or aquafaba) into your cocktail shaker without ice. Shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds.2 oz Reposado Tequila, 1 oz Fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz Simple syrup, 1 oz Egg white or Aquafaba
- Open the shaker, add ice, and shake for another 15 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled rocks glass and garnish with 2 dashed of the bitters.2 dashes Angostura bitters
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Our recipe is made with half an ounce of simple syrup (1 part water to 1 part sugar). If you prefer a less sweet drink, simply reduce the amount.
One of the best ingredients to pair with Tequila is lime. It's used for Tequila shots, in a Margarita, and also in our Tequila Sour recipe.
I use this recipe chaging the Cynar by Motenegro, and I put 0.75 oz of syrup: I'm in love with the result and my girlfriend is jealous.
Excited that you like the recipe. -I guess you're referring to the Mezcal Sour (one of my favorites) though, as the Tequila Sour lacks the Amaro part.
But both recipes make for a great drink.
Cheers