An amaretto sour is 50 ml amaretto, 25 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice and one egg white, shaken hard without ice, shaken again with cubed ice, then strained over fresh ice into a rocks glass and finished with a cocktail cherry and a strip of lemon peel. Add a small spoonful of sugar syrup only if your fruit is very sharp. Two parts amaretto to one part juice is the whole secret.
This guide is for anyone making cocktails at home, from a first attempt to a round of cocktails for friends. Get the balance right and it tastes nothing like the syrupy version many people remember, which is why it has become a modern classic cocktail again. You will find the classic recipe in ml, the egg-free version, the whiskey version bartenders now favour, a longer serve, and straight answers on strength, nuts and swaps.
What Is an Amaretto Sour?
It belongs to the sour family, one of the old families of mixed drinks, documented by Jerry Thomas in his 1862 book How to Mix Drinks. Wikipedia's sour entry defines a sour as a base liquor, lemon or lime juice and a sweetener, with egg white in some versions.
In this drink the Italian liqueur does two jobs at once. It is the base spirit and most of the sweetness, which is why the drink needs so little added sugar. According to Wikipedia's amaretto sour entry, the importer of Amaretto di Saronno introduced the drink in 1974 as two parts liqueur to one part lemon juice. In the 1980s most bartenders swapped the fresh juice for commercial sour mix. Most modern versions have gone back to fresh citrus, a foamy top and often a splash of whiskey.
The drink's own story is harder to pin down. TT London notes that it does not have a direct history that can be easily traced, like a lot of cocktails. It is widely thought that an Italian American bartender created it, because the bitter flavour of many Italian cocktails was not to the taste of American drinkers. TT London adds that amaretto was first imported to the United States in the early 1970s. Whoever poured the first one, a drink that an importer used to sell its liqueur has since become a modern classic cocktail.
The liqueur is far older. It comes from Saronno, and Wikipedia retells a 1525 legend, of sometimes questionable provenance by its own account, in which a young widowed innkeeper steeped apricot kernels in brandy as a gift for the painter Bernardino Luini.
Classic Amaretto Sour Recipe
Serves: 1. Prep time: 5 minutes.
Ingredients
50 ml amaretto, such as our Amaretto Almond Liqueur
25 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (about half a large fruit)
1 egg white, or 1 tbsp aquafaba
5 ml sugar syrup (simple syrup), optional
Cubed ice
To garnish: a maraschino cherry and a strip of lemon peel, or an orange slice
Equipment
Cocktail shaker (a Boston tin and Boston glass, or a three-piece cocktail shaker). No shaker? Any jar with a lid will work, says Lemon Tree Dwelling.
Citrus press, such as a Mexican elbow (optional)
Hawthorne strainer
Jigger
Old fashioned glass (a rocks glass)
The five steps of a classic amaretto sour
Method
Chill the glass. Put it in the freezer while you work.
Dry shake. Add the amaretto liqueur, juice, simple syrup and egg white to the shaker with nothing else. Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds to whip up the egg white foam.
Add ice. Open the shaker, add a good handful of cubed ice, re-seal the shaker and go again for another 10 to 15 seconds, until the outside feels cold.
Strain. Fill the chilled glass with fresh cubes. Set a Hawthorne strainer over the shaker, whose spring holds back the ice, and pour.
Garnish. Let the white top settle into a fluffy consistency, then garnish with a cocktail cherry and twist the lemon peel over the drink before dropping it in. A few dashes of Angostura bitters on the foam is a common finishing touch.
Getting the Ratio Right
Like most classic cocktail recipes, it keeps the classic structure of spirit, citrus and sweetener. Two parts liqueur to one part juice is the perfect balance for most people, and it is the 1974 original. Amaretto's high sugar content covers the sharpness of the citrus on its own.
Sharper: move to 45 ml and 30 ml, the balance Jeffrey Morgenthaler uses.
Sweeter: if you prefer the sweeter end, add a little simple syrup rather than more liqueur, so the drink gets sweeter without getting stronger. Good news if you have a sweet tooth.
Longer: Lemon Tree Dwelling tops theirs with Sprite, Squirt or club soda, or sparkling water. Soda water keeps it dry. Sprite or Squirt makes it one of the easier sweet cocktails for a party.
Lime for a tarter finish: sours take lemon or lime juice, so 25 ml of lime juice works with a greener, tarter finish.
| Version | Amaretto | Juice | Other ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original (1974) | 2 parts | 1 part | None, served over ice |
| Classic with egg | 50 ml | 25 ml | 1 egg white, optional syrup |
| Morgenthaler (2012) | 45 ml | 30 ml | 22.5 ml cask-proof whiskey, 5 ml rich syrup, 15 ml egg white |
Three amaretto sour recipes side by side
Amaretto Sour Without Egg White
Egg adds texture and foam, not flavour, so if you would rather not add egg white, olive magazine swaps it for 1 tbsp of aquafaba, the liquid from a tin of chickpeas, which keeps the drink vegan. Or leave it out altogether and pour the original: the same 50 ml and 25 ml, shaken and strained over fresh cubes. It is thinner and sharper, and it is how the drink was first served.
The Bourbon Amaretto Sour
Imbibe credits this modern version to Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler, who published it in 2012. Punch lists his measures as 45 ml amaretto, 22.5 ml cask-proof bourbon, 30 ml lemon juice, a teaspoon of 2:1 rich syrup and 15 ml whisked egg white. Shake it hard, strain over fresh cubes in a rocks glass, and garnish with a lemon twist and a brandied cherry.
For a simpler version at home, Eight Forest Lane reduces the amaretto to 25 ml and adds 25 ml of bourbon, for a stronger, more complex drink. Either way, that measure of whiskey gives the drink backbone without hiding the almond flavour. Our Koval "Chicago's Finest" small batch whiskey is distilled in small batches from organic Midwest grains and made exclusively for vomFASS. For another whisky classic, our Classic Manhattan recipe is stirred rather than shaken.
How Strong Is an Amaretto Sour?
Amaretto generally sits between 21 and 28% ABV, according to Wikipedia's amaretto entry, and ours is 24%. Lemon Tree Dwelling puts most brands at 42 proof, or 21%. That is lower than a typical gin or whisky, but this is not a low alcohol drink.
Here is the maths for the classic recipe. 50 ml of our amaretto holds 12 ml of pure alcohol, which the NHS counts as 1.2 units. Mixed with the juice, egg and syrup, that is roughly 105 to 110 ml of liquid, so the drink starts at about 11% before dilution brings it down. Add whiskey and it climbs.
Does an Amaretto Sour Contain Nuts?
It can. The name comes from the Italian amaro, meaning bitter, though the bitter flavour tends to be mild and sweeteners are often added. Depending on the brand, this Italian liqueur is made from apricot kernels (apricot pits), bitter almonds, peach stones or almonds, as the Wikipedia entry explains. Our Amaretto Almond Liqueur contains almonds. If you have a nut allergy, read the label of the exact bottle and ask the bar before you order one.
What Can I Use Instead of Amaretto?
Nothing tastes quite the same, because amaretto brings both the almond flavour and the sugar. If you want to stay in the sour family, change the base instead: Wikipedia lists the whiskey sour and the gin sour among the classic sour cocktails. If it is the almond note you are after, our marzipan cream liqueur is made to be drunk chilled and neat after a meal. It may contain traces of almonds.
Tips for a Better Amaretto Sour
Do not skip the dry shake. It is what builds the foam.
Use cubed ice, twice. Strain over fresh cubes rather than the ones from the tin so the drink stays cold without going watery.
Make your own simple syrup. Lemon Tree Dwelling combines equal amounts of sugar and water in a small saucepan, brings it to a boil and lets it cool. It keeps this recipe free of shop-bought sour mix.
Taste before you strain. Citrus varies. Dip a straw in and add a dash of syrup if it is too sharp.
Where to Buy Amaretto in the UK
Order our Amaretto Almond Liqueur online in 350 ml, 500 ml, 700 ml and 1 litre bottles. It is a sweet Italian liqueur refined with other natural aromas, and it works in dessert cocktails, martinis and coffee. A 700 ml bottle makes 14 sours at 50 ml each. In our Stamford shop you can taste before you buy and refill your vomFASS bottle. If you like Italian cocktails and layered shots too, try our Baby Guinness recipe, or give both liqueurs in our Baby Guinness gift set.
Amaretto works well beyond the sour. Stir it with Scotch for a Godfather, using a blended malt such as our Mac Spey Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, or with Cognac for a French Connection, using our Cognac V.S.O.P. Premier Cru. For coffee, pour amaretto and our cold brew liqueur over ice or make our pistachio cold brew cocktail, and for an alcohol-free coffee try our pistachio iced latte. You can also browse our other liqueurs.
Koval "Chicago's Finest" Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey
Distilled in small batches from organic Midwest grains
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Drink Responsibly
The NHS defines one UK unit as 10 ml of pure alcohol and advises men and women not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week. The NHS alcohol units guide has the full breakdown. Our spirits and liqueurs are for adults aged 18 and over only.
Amaretto Sour FAQs
What are the ingredients in an amaretto sour?
Amaretto, fresh lemon juice and egg white, with optional simple syrup, served over ice with a maraschino cherry and lemon peel. Many modern cocktail menus add a small measure of whiskey.
What is the amaretto sour recipe in ml?
50 ml amaretto, 25 ml lemon juice and one egg white, plus up to 5 ml sugar syrup.
Can you make an amaretto sour without egg white?
Yes. Use 1 tbsp of aquafaba, or leave it out and serve the original two-ingredient version.
Is an amaretto sour strong?
Made with 50 ml of a 24% liqueur, it holds 1.2 units and starts at roughly 11% ABV before dilution.
Does amaretto contain nuts?
Ours contains almonds. Other brands may use apricot kernels or peach stones, so always check the label.
What glass do you serve an amaretto sour in?
An old fashioned glass filled with fresh cubes.
