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.

MargaritaTequilaMargaritaAgave tequila, triple sec and freshly squeezed lime shaken and served against a salted rim. Tart, punchy and endlessly refreshing — the world's…Easy4 ingredientsWhiskey SourWhiskeyWhiskey 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 ingredientsBoston SourWhiskeyBoston 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 ingredientsBourbon SourWhiskeyBourbon 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 ingredientsBrandy SourBrandyBrandy SourBrandy shaken with fresh lemon and powdered sugar, dressed with a lemon slice and cherry. The sour template with a warm, grapey backbone.Easy5 ingredientsFrisco SourWhiskeyFrisco SourBlended whiskey and honeyed Benedictine shaken with both lemon and lime juice. A citrus-double sour with an herbal, monastic undertone.Easy6 ingredientsGin SourGinGin SourGin shaken with fresh lemon and superfine sugar, garnished with orange and cherry. Clean, juniper-lifted and tart to the last sip.Easy5 ingredientsNew York SourWhiskeyNew 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 ingredientsPisco SourBrandyPisco 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 ingredientsRum SourRumRum SourLight rum shaken with fresh lemon and superfine sugar, garnished with orange and cherry. Clean cane sweetness wrapped in citrus.Easy5 ingredientsTequila SourTequilaTequila SourTequila shaken with lemon and powdered sugar, finished with a lemon slice and cherry. The sour formula with an earthy agave heart.Easy5 ingredientsVictory CollinsVodkaVictory CollinsVodka shaken with equal big pours of lemon juice and unsweetened grape juice, sweetened lightly and served tall. Tart, vivid and quenching.Easy5 ingredientsVodka LemonVodkaVodka 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 ingredientsBlue MargaritaTequilaBlue MargaritaA margarita gone electric — tequila and lime shaken with blue curacao and strained into a salt-rimmed glass. Same tart bite, unforgettable color.Easy4 ingredientsDaiquiriRumDaiquiriWhite 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 ingredientsGin FizzGinGin 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 ingredientsGin LemonGinGin LemonGin and lemon juice stirred over ice with a lemon slice. Sharp, botanical and refreshingly stripped-back.Easy4 ingredientsGrand MargaritaTequilaGrand 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 ingredientsKamikazeVodkaKamikazeEqual 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 ingredientsScotch SourWhiskeyScotch SourScotch shaken with lime juice and powdered sugar, dressed with lemon and cherry. Malt and smoke give this sour its distinctive backbone.Easy5 ingredientsTommy's MargaritaTequilaTommy'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 ingredientsA True Amaretto SourOtherA 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 ingredientsAmaretto SourOtherAmaretto SourAmaretto shaken with sour mix and dressed with cherry and orange. Almond candy meets lemon bite in an enduring favorite.Easy2 ingredientsAmaretto Stone SourOtherAmaretto Stone SourAmaretto shaken with equal parts orange juice and sour mix over ice. The amaretto sour's juicier, sunnier cousin.Easy3 ingredientsAmaretto Stone Sour AlternativeTequilaAmaretto 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 ingredientsStone SourOtherStone SourApricot brandy shaken with equal parts sweet-and-sour and orange juice. A soft, fruity sour that keeps the proof low.Easy3 ingredientsAmaretto Sweet & SourOtherAmaretto 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 ingredientsTrinidad sourWhiskeyTrinidad 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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