Mango Vodka Sour
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 18.7% ABV ∙
A shaken sour of mango vodka, mango liqueur, and fresh lemon juice, served up in a coupe glass. Silky and cold from the fine strain, with a plush, ripe-fruit weight that gives way to a bright, tart snap on the finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Mango vodka 45 mlMango liqueur 45 mlLemon juice 20 mlSugar syrup 10 mlSaline solution 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a mango slice
Tips
- Pre-chill the coupe before you start — a fine-strained up drink with no ice warms fast in a room-temperature glass.
- Fine-strain the shaken mix to keep ice shards and pulp out, so the coupe pour looks glossy and smooth.
- Add the saline solution as just a single dash — it is there to sharpen the mango sweetness, not to read as salty.
History
No dated creation story for the Mango Vodka Sour appears in cocktail references; it circulates today mainly as a fruited riff promoted on modern recipe sites, without a named bartender, bar, or year attached to it. It belongs to the wider Vodka Sour family, which took shape as vodka's popularity grew through the 20th century and bartenders began building sours around it in place of the older base spirits. The Vodka Sour itself follows the template of the Whiskey Sour, whose sour template Jerry Thomas codified in his 1862 How to Mix Drinks — though the whiskey version itself is first documented in print in 1870. The Mango Vodka Sour's defining change is simply the addition of mango, in the form of mango vodka, liqueur, or puree, to that standard lemon-and-sugar sour base.
FAQ
What is in a Mango Vodka Sour?
Mango vodka, mango liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and sugar syrup, shaken with a dash of saline solution and fine-strained into a coupe glass. It is garnished with a mango slice and comes in at about 18.7% ABV.
How do you make a Mango Vodka Sour?
Shake the mango vodka, mango liqueur, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and a dash of saline solution hard with ice, then fine-strain into a pre-chilled coupe glass and garnish with a mango slice. Chilling the glass first matters, since the drink is served up with no ice to keep it cold.
What is in a vodka sour cocktail?
A classic vodka sour is simply vodka, fresh lemon (or lime) juice, and sugar syrup, shaken and strained. This Mango Vodka Sour builds on that base by using mango vodka and adding a mango liqueur, a fruited variation on the same sour formula.
What mixes well with mango vodka?
Mango vodka pairs naturally with citrus and complementary fruit liqueurs, like the mango liqueur and fresh lemon juice used here to balance its sweetness. It also works well with a touch of sugar syrup for a rounder, more approachable sour.
Is a vodka sour a thing?
Yes, a vodka sour is a well-established variation on the classic whiskey sour template, made with vodka, citrus juice, and sugar syrup instead of whiskey. Fruited versions, such as this Mango Vodka Sour, swap in a flavored vodka and a matching liqueur for a sweeter, fruit-forward take.
