Amaretto Sour
Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 12.5% ABV ∙
The Amaretto Sour is a classic almond-liqueur cocktail built by shaking amaretto with fresh lemon juice and egg white, served foam-topped over ice. Marzipan sweetness and toasted-nut flavors are cut by sharp citrus, while a silky meringue texture and a soft bitters edge bring balance to the finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Amaretto liqueur 60 mlLemon juice 30 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 1 dashEgg white 15 ml
- Strain back into the shaker
- Dry shake (without ice)
- Fine strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with a lemon slice and a maraschino cherry on a cocktail stick
Tips
- Shake with ice first, then strain the liquid back into the empty shaker and shake again without ice — that cold second pass is what whips the egg white into foam.
- Use fresh-squeezed lemon, never bottled sour mix — the mix is what gave the drink its old reputation for being cloying.
- Amaretto already carries plenty of sugar, so lean on lemon rather than added syrup to keep it from turning saccharine.
- Finish with a dash of bitters over the settled foam for aroma and a faint marbled top.
History
The Amaretto Sour is generally traced to the 1970s, when it emerged as a promotional push from the liqueur brand Disaronno, then sold as Amaretto di Saronno. The original was minimal — amaretto and lemon juice, with the liqueur's own sugar standing in for both base spirit and sweetener. Through the 1980s and '90s, prefabricated artificial sour mix replaced fresh lemon and sugar in high-volume bars, giving the drink a doubled-up sweetness and a lasting reputation as overly saccharine. The Amaretto Sour belongs to the same sour family as the Whiskey Sour — spirit, citrus, and sweetener in the classic sour template. Modern bartenders rehabilitated it; Portland, Oregon bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler published an influential 2012 version rounding it out with fresh lemon, a small pour of high-proof bourbon, and egg white for silky body.
FAQ
What is in an Amaretto Sour?
Amaretto liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and egg white, with an optional dash of Angostura bitters. The amaretto acts as both base and sweetener, so no separate syrup is needed. It's garnished with a lemon slice and a maraschino cherry.
How do bartenders make a good Amaretto Sour?
Bartenders double-shake it: with ice first to chill and dilute, then strained back into the empty shaker and shaken again without ice to froth the egg white. They use fresh lemon instead of bottled sour mix, which is the key to avoiding the drink's old sugary reputation. Strain over fresh ice.
Is an Amaretto Sour shaken or stirred?
Shaken — specifically double-shaken. It goes with ice first to chill and dilute, then back into the empty shaker for an ice-free second shake that builds the foam. Stirring would leave it flat and unfoamed.
What glass is an Amaretto Sour served in?
An Amaretto Sour is typically served over fresh ice in a rocks glass, topped with the egg-white foam and garnished with a lemon slice and a maraschino cherry.
Does an Amaretto Sour have bourbon in it?
Not traditionally — the classic and most common Amaretto Sour is just amaretto, lemon, and egg white. Some modern versions, notably Jeffrey Morgenthaler's, add a small pour of high-proof bourbon for backbone; with whiskey it's sometimes called a Godfather Sour.
