Amaretto Sour
A delightful and approachable cocktail, the Amaretto Sour is a sweet and tart blend of amaretto liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup, often enhanced with an egg white for a creamy texture.
What is this drink?
The Amaretto Sour is a cocktail that went from being dismissed as an 80s sugar bomb to being rediscovered as a genuinely excellent drink once bartenders learned to balance it properly. Built on amaretto liqueur — a sweet Italian almond-apricot spirit — with fresh lemon juice and simple syrup, and finished with a dry-shaken egg white for a silky foam, the modern Amaretto Sour is one of the most texturally impressive cocktails you can make.
Why you'll love it
The combination of amaretto's distinctive almond-marzipan sweetness and the bright tartness of fresh lemon is a natural pairing that is immediately satisfying. The egg white foam transforms the texture from sweet-tart sour to luxuriously smooth, creating a drink that feels decadent and special. The Angostura bitters drizzled on the foam add aromatic complexity and a striking visual.
When to serve
The Amaretto Sour is an excellent after-dinner cocktail that bridges the gap between dessert and digestif. It pairs beautifully with almond-based desserts, dark chocolate, fruit tarts, and anything with marzipan or stone fruit flavors. It is also a brilliant choice for those who find most cocktails too dry or too spirit-forward but want something more interesting than a sweet wine.
Pro tip
Add a small amount of cask-strength bourbon (around half an ounce) alongside the amaretto — this is a technique pioneered by bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler and it transforms the drink by adding proof, complexity, and a dry backbone that keeps the sweetness in check. Always dry shake the egg white first before adding ice — the double shake creates the best, most stable foam. Dash Angostura bitters in a design on the foam at the end.
Amaretto Liqueur
The sweet, complex Italian liqueur made from apricot kernels and almonds, with flavors of marzipan, vanilla, cherry, and warm spice. Disaronno is the benchmark brand. Its sweetness is high, so balancing it with enough lemon juice is critical.
Fresh Lemon Juice
The essential acidic counterpoint to amaretto's pronounced sweetness. Fresh lemon juice provides vibrant tartness that prevents the drink from cloying and creates the sour backbone the cocktail is named for.
Egg White
The ingredient that elevates this drink from simple sour to something spectacular. A single egg white, dry-shaken first, creates a thick, glossy foam that floats on top and gives every sip a silky, luxurious mouthfeel.
Angostura Bitters (garnish)
Dashed onto the egg white foam in a pattern, Angostura bitters add aromatic complexity, a visual flourish, and a bitter contrast to the sweet amaretto that makes the first sip dramatically more interesting.
Swap Options
Add half an ounce of bourbon to the shaker alongside the amaretto for depth, proof, and dryness — this is the transformational upgrade. Use aquafaba (chickpea brine) in place of egg white for a vegan alternative. Substitute lemon with yuzu juice for a Japanese-inspired variation with more floral citrus complexity. Try Frangelico hazelnut liqueur instead of amaretto for a nutty variation with a different character.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Combine ingredients (dry shake if using egg white)
If using egg white, combine 2 ounces (60 ml) amaretto, 1 ounce (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, 0.5 ounce (15 ml) simple syrup, and 1 large egg white in a cocktail shaker without ice. Shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds. This 'dry shake' creates a frothy texture.
Tips:
- •The egg white provides a rich, silky texture and a beautiful foam layer.
Add ice and shake again
Add 1 serving of ice to the shaker (after the dry shake if using egg white). Shake again for another 15-20 seconds until well-chilled.
Tips:
- •The second shake with ice chills and further dilutes the drink.
Strain into glass
Strain the mixture into a chilled old fashioned glass filled with fresh ice. If using egg white, double strain to ensure a smooth foam.
Tips:
- •A chilled glass will keep your drink colder for longer.
Garnish
Garnish with 1 orange slice and 1 maraschino cherry. A dash of Angostura bitters on top of the foam (if using egg white) adds an aromatic touch and visual appeal.
Tips:
- •A quality maraschino cherry (like Luxardo) will elevate the drink significantly.
Flavor Profile
Alcohol Content
Fun Fact
Bartender's Tips
- Use fresh lemon juice for the brightest flavor.
- Adjust the simple syrup to your preferred sweetness; some prefer a tarter drink with less syrup.
- For a vegan option, aquafaba (chickpea brine) can be used as an egg white substitute for foam.
- To balance the sweetness of amaretto, some recipes use a small amount of bourbon or rye whiskey.
Different ways to make this drink your own
Amaretto Sour with Bourbon
Add 30ml of bourbon alongside the standard amaretto measure. The whiskey's proof, dryness, and oak complexity transforms the Amaretto Sour from a sweet dessert drink into a balanced, sophisticated cocktail. This upgraded version is now considered by many bartenders to be the definitive way to make it.
Frangelico Sour
Replace amaretto with Frangelico hazelnut liqueur for a nuttier, slightly drier variation with earthy, toasted hazelnut character. The egg white foam and lemon juice are unchanged, but the flavour profile shifts from almond-marzipan to toasted hazelnut and vanilla.
Vegan Amaretto Sour
Replace egg white with aquafaba — the strained liquid from a can of chickpeas. Use exactly the same volume (30ml) and dry shake vigorously for 20 seconds before adding ice. The resulting foam is virtually identical to egg white in appearance and texture, making this a genuinely excellent vegan alternative.
Tools that make this drink come together
Cocktail Shaker
A Boston or cobbler shaker is essential for the Amaretto Sour. First, dry shake without ice to emulsify the egg white into a stable foam, then add ice and shake again hard to chill and dilute the drink. Skipping the dry shake produces a significantly inferior, less foamy result.
Hawthorne Strainer
The coil spring strainer holds back ice after shaking, allowing the smooth cocktail and its foam to pour cleanly into the glass. For the most refined result, double strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any ice shards.
Citrus Juicer
Fresh lemon juice is non-negotiable for a balanced Amaretto Sour. Pre-bottled lemon juice is too flat and lacks the bright acidity needed to balance the amaretto's sweetness. A small hand juicer is all that's needed.
Can't Find These?
A large jar with a tight lid substitutes for a cocktail shaker — shake vigorously. Strain through a slotted spoon held over the rim, then through a tea strainer for clarity. Hand-squeeze lemon over a sieve. The dry shake technique still applies even with a jar.
The right glass makes a real difference
Coupe Glass (or Rocks Glass)
An Amaretto Sour is most elegantly served in a chilled coupe glass — the rounded bowl showcases the amber colour and the white foam topping, while the stem prevents hand warmth from affecting the cold drink. Served without ice, the drink stays at its ideal temperature throughout and the foam sits undisturbed on the surface for the duration. For a more casual, rocks-glass presentation over ice, the drink dilutes more slowly and stays cold longer.
Alternatives
A rocks glass over a large ice cube is the casual alternative — suitable for home use and keeps the cocktail cold while diluting it gradually. A Martini glass provides a similar elegant presentation to the coupe. A Nick & Nora glass offers an intimate, refined serve for smaller quantities.
Perfect food pairings to complete the experience
Tiramisu
The coffee, almond, and amaretto flavours of tiramisu mirror the cocktail's character almost exactly. Serving an Amaretto Sour alongside tiramisu creates a harmonious Italian dessert experience where the cocktail and dessert enhance each other.
Biscotti
Crispy almond biscotti are the quintessential Italian biscuit pairing for amaretto. The toasted almond flavour complements the marzipan character of the Amaretto Sour, and the crunch provides a pleasant textural contrast to the smooth foam.
Peach Tart
The stone fruit sweetness of a peach tart pairs naturally with amaretto's apricot-kernel character. The lemon juice in the cocktail cuts through the richness of the pastry, making every sip feel clean and refreshing.
Charcuterie (Aged Meats)
Thinly sliced prosciutto, bresaola, and aged salami provide a savoury contrast to the sweet-sour Amaretto Sour. The salt and fat of the cured meats balance the cocktail's sweetness and make the lemon acidity more pronounced.
Prep in advance for effortless serving
Pre-Mix Amaretto and Lemon
Combine amaretto and fresh lemon juice in the correct ratio in a sealed bottle and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add egg white and shake (dry first, then with ice) per serving. Pre-mixing eliminates measuring at the point of service without sacrificing freshness.
Separate Egg Whites in Advance
Separate egg whites up to 24 hours ahead and store covered in the fridge. Cold egg whites whip just as effectively as room-temperature ones when dry shaken vigorously, making advance separation a perfectly viable preparation step.
Chill Coupe Glasses
Place coupe glasses in the freezer at least an hour before service. A frost-cold glass extends the time the cocktail stays at the correct chilled temperature after pouring, which is especially important for a drink served without ice.
Pre-Squeeze Lemons
Juice lemons several hours ahead and refrigerate in a sealed container. Fresh lemon juice retains its bright acidity for up to 8 hours without noticeable degradation, making it entirely suitable for party prep.
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