Rum Sour
A citrus and sour rum cocktail ∙ Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 11.7% ABV ∙
The Rum Sour is a shaken sour of aged rum, orange and lime juice, sugar syrup and egg white, with a foamy head and an orange twist.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Caribbean aged rum 50 mlOrange juice 25 mlLime juice 25 mlSugar syrup 15 mlEgg white 15 ml
- Strain back into the shaker
- Dry shake (without ice) to emulsify
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- The orange and lime go in at 25 ml each, and a short or long pour of either quickly changes how sour the drink tastes.
History
The Rum Sour belongs to the Sour family of mixed drinks, one of the oldest defined categories of cocktail, built simply from a spirit, citrus juice, and a sweetener. This structure was codified in print by the bartender Jerry Thomas in his 1862 guide How to Mix Drinks, which described the sour style using various base spirits, rum among them. The Rum Sour emerged as the rum-based branch of that category, with no single credited inventor.
FAQ
Is a Rum Sour a thing?
Yes. It is one of the classic sours of spirit, citrus and sugar, here aged rum with orange and lime juice, sugar syrup and egg white. Jerry Thomas's 1862 guide already describes sours made with rum.
How do you make a Rum Sour?
Shake the rum, orange juice, lime juice, sugar syrup and egg white with ice. Strain back into the shaker and shake again without ice to whip the egg white. Fine-strain into a chilled glass and express an orange twist over the top.
Is a Daiquiri just a Rum Sour?
Not quite. They are close relatives, but this Rum Sour adds egg white for a foamy, silky head, which a Daiquiri does not have.
What is the best rum for a Rum Sour?
A Caribbean aged rum. Its warm caramel flavor stands up to the 50 ml of citrus and the egg white.
What's the secret to a perfectly balanced Rum Sour?
Measure the orange and lime juice exactly, 25 ml each; a short or long pour of either changes how sour the drink tastes. For the foam, use a reverse dry shake: shake with ice, then again without, and fine-strain to keep out ice shards.
