Gin Sour
A sour and refreshing gin cocktail ∙ Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 15.9% ABV ∙
The Gin Sour is a classic shaken sour of gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup, often made with egg white for a silky foam.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Old Tom gin 60 mlLemon juice 30 mlSugar syrup 15 mlEgg white 15 ml (opt.)Angostura 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 wheel and a maraschino cherry on a skewer
Tips
- If you add the Angostura, stop at 3 dashes; that's enough to scent the drink without burying the lemon.
History
The Gin Sour belongs to the Sour family of drinks — spirit, citrus, and sweetener — that Jerry Thomas codified in his 1862 guide How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon-Vivant's Companion. That book included a Brandy Sour, a Gin Sour, and a rum-based Santa Cruz Sour.
The gin version is documented as a traditional mixed drink that predates Prohibition in the United States, made simply from gin, lemon juice, and sugar. It remained popular into the 1940s alongside the Whiskey Sour, the Gin Rickey, and the Tom Collins. Adding soda water to the same base turns it into a Gin Fizz, and later bartenders began adding egg white for a smoother, foamier texture, a variation some categorize as a Boston Sour style.
FAQ
What is a Gin Sour?
One of the original sours: gin, lemon juice and sugar, shaken and served short over ice. Jerry Thomas printed a Gin Sour in his 1862 guide; egg white for foam came later.
What goes in a gin sour?
60 ml Old Tom gin, 30 ml lemon juice and 15 ml sugar syrup. Egg white (15 ml, for foam and body) and 3 dashes of Angostura bitters are both optional.
What is the difference between a Gin Fizz and a Gin Sour?
Soda water. A Gin Fizz is a Gin Sour lengthened with soda, so it is longer and fizzy, while a Gin Sour has no soda and is served short over ice. The gin, lemon and sugar are the same.
What gin is best for a Gin Sour?
Old Tom gin is the classic choice, and it is what this recipe uses: its slight sweetness softens the lemon. A London dry gin also works if you want a crisper, more juniper-forward drink.
How much alcohol is in a Gin Sour?
About 15.9% ABV as served, a moderate strength. The lemon juice, syrup and egg white dilute the single 60 ml pour of gin.
How do you make a good Gin Sour?
Shake everything with ice, strain back into the shaker and shake again without ice; that second, dry shake firms up the egg-white foam. Fine-strain into the ice-filled glass. If you add Angostura, stop at 3 dashes so it does not bury the lemon.
