Amaretto Sour: An Underappreciated Cocktail Classic

For as long as I can remember I have always loved sour drinks and sweets. When taking trips to the sweet shop I would always go for a box of WarHeads or Sour Apples instead of a bar of chocolate. When it comes to my favourite cocktail, it appears that I have the same taste!

An Amaretto Sour is a short drink served in most cocktail bars and trendy restaurants, but to make the most basic version at home couldn't be easier.

Basic Amaretto Sour recipe (serves 1)

Ingredients:

2 measures amaretto liqueur (Disaronno is perfect - and currently £16 for 70cl in Tesco),
1 drizzle angostura bitters (£10, Waitrose and Tesco)
Juice of half a lemon.
That’s it!

Recipe

Simply pour two measures of Disaronno over ice, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, drop in a delicate drizzle of Angostura Bitters for added zing and garnish with a slice of sugared lemon. Simples.

As mentioned, this is a very basic (but very tasty) version of the Amaretto Sour, something that is great for a late evening pick me up or a post-meal tipple. There are however a number of small tweaks you can make to this; like swapping the lemon for orange, using sugar syrup instead of Angostura Bitters etc etc.

All these will make a sharp, refreshing drink that those sour heads out there are going to love. There is however, one recipe which I believe to be the best of the best. 

Advanced Amaretto Sour (click the link for the full recipe from the amazing Jeffrey Morgenthaler)

There's more ingredients this time: Amaretto Liqueur, Bourbon, lemon, sugar syrup/Angostura Bitters and an egg white.

What is really great about this version, apart from the addition of more alcohol, is the consistency. The beaten egg whites give it a thicker, fluffy feel similar to a Pina Colada that gives this short drink a bit more substance without skimping on the flavour! It really is worth the extra effort, even if you're already tipsy at the end of the night...

OK, I admit it. It is quite a camp drink. But that doesn't stop me drinking it! And it shouldn't put you off either, because if you want a shorter, booze infused drink packed full of great flavours (unlike vodka and coke or tequila shooters) this really is a great option.

And you know, I'm a firm believer that sometimes it is good to get in touch with your slightly more feminine side...

Images from Phil Campbell and meisjevandeslijterij's photostreams respectively.