Trader Vic’s Sour
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 20.8% ABV ∙
Trader Vic's Sour is a tiki-era whiskey sour split across three base spirits — blended Scotch, bourbon, and Cognac — with lemon, orgeat, and sugar. Almond-sweet orgeat rounds a tart lemon backbone while the three spirits layer malt, sweet corn, and grape warmth into a long finish — a satisfying late-afternoon pour.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Blended Scotch whisky 30 mlBourbon 15 mlCognac 15 mlLemon juice 20 mlOrgeat (almond) syrup 10 mlSugar syrup 5 mlSaline solution 2 dashes
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with a dehydrated orange slice
Tips
- Keep the Scotch at double the bourbon and Cognac, as the card pours it — it leads while the other two fill the mid-palate.
- Strain over fresh ice in the rocks glass rather than the shaker ice, which is chipped and over-dilutes.
- Squeeze the lemon to order; day-old juice goes flat and dulls the sour edge against the orgeat.
- Split the spirits evenly by feel — Scotch leads, with bourbon and Cognac filling the mid-palate.
History
The Trader Vic's Sour comes from the tiki repertoire of Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron, who built a number of sour variations around different base spirits and citrus. The version documented here is a template from bartender Jelani Johnson, published in Chloe Frechette's book Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes (Ten Speed Press, 2020), which notes the formula works equally well with bourbon, Scotch, or brandy as the base. This recipe combines all three. Beyond that framing, little firm origin detail for the specific drink is documented.
FAQ
What is in a Trader Vic's Sour?
A Trader Vic's Sour combines three base spirits — blended Scotch whisky, bourbon, and Cognac — with fresh lemon juice, orgeat almond syrup, and a little sugar syrup. The original template lets you use any one of the three spirits as the base; this version uses all three together.
Is a Trader Vic's Sour shaken or stirred?
Shaken. Because it contains citrus and orgeat, it is shaken hard with ice for about ten seconds to chill and combine, then strained over fresh ice. Shaking is essential for any sour to properly integrate the lemon and syrup.
What glass is a Trader Vic's Sour served in?
An old-fashioned (rocks) glass filled with ice. It is a short, over-ice sour rather than a strained-up drink, and here it is finished with a dehydrated orange slice.
What is orgeat and why is it in this sour?
Orgeat is a sweet almond syrup, a tiki-bar staple that adds nutty richness and body. In a Trader Vic's Sour it softens the tart lemon and ties the three spirits together, which is what distinguishes it from a plain whiskey sour.
