Sherry Sour
A sour and refreshing fortified wine cocktail ∙ Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 7% ABV ∙
The Sherry Sour is a low-proof sour of Palo Cortado sherry, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white, double-shaken and served over ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Palo Cortado sherry 60 mlLemon juice 20 mlSugar syrup 15 mlEgg white 15 ml
- Strain back into the shaker
- Dry shake (without ice)
- Fine strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry
Tips
- A nutty, slightly oxidative Palo Cortado holds its own against the lemon and sugar; a pale, delicate sherry would get lost.
History
The Sherry Sour applies the classic sour template of spirit, citrus, and sugar to sherry; no single inventor, bar, or date is documented. Sherry was already a familiar cocktail ingredient in the 19th century, appearing widely in punches, cobblers, and flips of the period.
Sherry-based mixed drinks fell out of fashion after Prohibition, when higher-proof spirits came to dominate the American bar. A 21st-century revival of sherry in cocktails, led by bartenders and sherry producers, brought renewed attention to sherry sours as a lighter, lower-proof alternative to spirit-based sours.
FAQ
How do you make a sherry cocktail?
Make it as a sour. Shake 60 ml Palo Cortado sherry with 20 ml fresh lemon juice, 15 ml sugar syrup, and 15 ml egg white over ice. Strain back into the shaker and dry shake without ice to whip up the foam. Fine-strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass and add a maraschino cherry.
