Garden Sour

Name: Garden Sour
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Mezcal — 20 ml (2/3 oz); Tequila blanco — 20 ml (2/3 oz); Rhubarb liqueur — 20 ml (2/3 oz); Lemon juice (freshly squeezed) — 20 ml (2/3 oz); Sugar syrup — 15 ml (1/2 oz); Celery bitters — 2 dashes; Soda water — 60 ml (2 oz)

Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 11.1% ABV ∙

The Garden Sour is a long, shaken mezcal-and-tequila sour built on rhubarb liqueur, lemon and celery bitters, then lengthened with soda over ice. Expect a smoky, faintly savory edge that fades into a crisp, effervescent finish, with tart brightness balanced by a whisper of sweetness and a light, frothy texture.

Ingredients

Servings

Garnish

Rhubarb ribbon

Instructions for 1 serving

Pre-chill a glass
Shake the first 6 ingredients with ice: Mezcal 20 mlTequila blanco 20 mlRhubarb liqueur 20 mlLemon juice 20 mlSugar syrup 15 mlCelery bitters 2 dashes
Strain into the ice-filled glass while also pouring Soda water 60 ml
Garnish with a rhubarb ribbon around the inside of the glass

Tips

Shake only the first six ingredients with ice — add the soda water after straining so it keeps its fizz.
Shake hard and fast — the goal is a quick, cold dilution before the drink meets the soda, not a long aeration.
Pre-chill the Collins glass so the ice-filled build stays cold as the soda tops it.

History

The Garden Sour is a modern cocktail created in 2017 by Giffard, the French liqueur and syrup maker, to mark the American launch of its Rhubarbe liqueur. The recipe was devised as a showcase for the new product, pairing its tart rhubarb flavor with smoky mezcal, citrus, celery bitters, and soda water to evoke a springtime garden party theme. As a brand-promotional creation rather than a bar-invented classic, its history is documented mainly through the drink's appearance in cocktail guides shortly after the liqueur's debut, with later published versions adjusting the base spirit split between mezcal and tequila.

FAQ

What are the ingredients in a sour cocktail?

A sour cocktail is built from three core components: a base spirit, citrus juice, and a sweetener. The Garden Sour follows that structure with mezcal, tequila blanco, and rhubarb liqueur as the spirit base, fresh lemon juice for citrus, and sugar syrup to sweeten, plus celery bitters and a soda water top that lengthens it into a fizzy, Collins-style sour.