Apple Brandy Sour
A fruity and sour brandy cocktail ∙ Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 13.4% ABV ∙
The Apple Brandy Sour is a shaken sour of apple brandy, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, and egg white, served over ice with optional Angostura bitters.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Apple brandy 45 mlLemon juice 25 mlSugar syrup 15 mlEgg white 15 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 3 dashes (opt.)
- Strain back into the shaker
- Dry shake (without ice)
- Fine strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with a lemon twist
Tips
- Fine-strain onto fresh ice so ice shards and any unwhipped egg white stay in the strainer.
History
The Apple Brandy Sour belongs to the broader Sour family of cocktails, the simple spirit-citrus-sweetener template that American bartenders codified in the 19th century, most notably in Jerry Thomas's 1862 guide How to Mix Drinks. Rather than being a single invented drink with one credited creator, it is the standard Sour built around apple brandy, most often American applejack, which dates to the late 1600s and was among the first spirits distilled by colonial settlers from fermented apple cider.
Apple brandy sours were common in American bar culture by the early 1900s, appearing alongside related applejack drinks such as the Jack Rose, and apple brandy is regarded by cocktail writers as one of the spirits best suited to the sour format.
FAQ
How do you make an Apple Brandy Sour?
Shake 45 ml apple brandy, 25 ml lemon juice, 15 ml sugar syrup, 15 ml egg white and, if you like, three dashes of Angostura with ice. Strain back into the empty shaker and shake again without ice. Fine-strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
Can I make an Apple Brandy Sour without egg white?
Yes. A splash of aquafaba (chickpea water) or a few drops of a commercial foaming agent gives a similar silky foam.
Is an Apple Brandy Sour shaken or stirred?
Shaken twice: first with ice to chill and dilute, then without ice, which whips the egg white into a thick, stable foam.
What glass is an Apple Brandy Sour served in?
An old-fashioned glass, served over ice and finished with a lemon twist.