Elder Sour
A floral and sour liqueur cocktail ∙ Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 7.3% ABV ∙
The Elder Sour is an egg-white sour of elderflower liqueur and fresh lime juice, double-shaken, with an optional dash of orange bitters.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Elderflower liqueur 60 mlLime juice 30 mlEgg white 15 mlOrange bitters 1 dash (opt.)
- Strain back into the shaker
- Dry shake (without ice) to emulsify
- Fine strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and a maraschino cherry on a skewer
Tips
- Shake hard with ice first, then strain back into the empty shaker and dry shake for 15-20 seconds; that's what whips the egg white into a thick foam.
History
The Elder Sour is credited to a British drinks writer, who created it in London in 2006. It emerged early in a wave of cocktails built around elderflower liqueur, a category that gained wide popularity in bars after the French elderflower liqueur St-Germain launched in 2007. The drink follows the classic sour template, pairing the floral liqueur with citrus and egg white in place of a base spirit, and is cataloged among the sours family of cocktails alongside other elderflower-based drinks the same writer developed around the same time, such as the Elderflower Daiquiri.
FAQ
What is in an Elder Sour?
60 ml elderflower liqueur, 30 ml fresh lime juice, 15 ml pasteurized egg white and an optional dash of orange bitters.
Is an Elder Sour shaken or stirred?
Shaken twice. Shake it with ice first to chill and dilute, then strain it back into the empty shaker. Shake again without ice for 15-20 seconds; that second shake whips the egg white into a thick foam.
What glass is an Elder Sour served in?
An old-fashioned glass filled with ice, garnished with a lemon wheel and a maraschino cherry.
