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The Amaretto Sour is delicious, refreshing, and definitely worth a revisit. It’s a little sweet, a little sour, and a little fizzy if you add a splash of soda.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Amaretto: A sweet Italian liqueur that tastes like almonds (aka maraschino cherries). Some popular brands include Disaronno, Lazzaroni, Luxardo, DeKuyper, and Bols.
- Simple syrup: Use store-bought or combine equal parts granulated sugar and water (i.e., 1 cup sugar plus 1 cup water) in a small saucepan. Cook gently over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the syrup from the heat and let cool completely.
- Lemon-lime soda: Optional but recommended, especially if you love fizzy drinks. 7UP or Sprite are good choices, and diet sodas work too.
- Cherries: Dark and rich cocktail cherries, such as Luxardo brand, can be substituted for the maraschino cherries.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add amaretto, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Cover and shake vigorously until chilled, about 30 seconds.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
- Top with soda, if using, and garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail.
- Big batch: To make a batch of 12 cocktails, in a large pitcher filled with ice, stir together 18 ounces (2 ¼ cups) amaretto, 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) simple syrup, and 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) fresh lemon juice. Have ice, glassware, soda, and garnishes on hand so guests can help themselves.
- No cocktail shaker: Find your biggest, sturdiest glass and fill it with ice. Add the drink ingredients, then stir with a long spoon to get it all mixed and chilled. Strain through a small mesh strainer or use a slotted spoon to keep the ice in the shaker as you pour the cocktail.
- Egg whites: Some versions of the drink include an egg white for silky body and foamy frothiness. If you want to try this, first give the ingredients a “dry shake” (without ice) to emulsify them. Then, add ice to the shaker and give everything a second shake to chill the cocktail.
- Amaretto Sour, up: After shaking, strain the cocktail into a chilled “up” glass or coupe. Garnish and drink.
- Whiskey Sour: A similar cocktail made with whiskey instead of Amaretto.
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Amaretto Sour
The Amaretto Sour is delicious, refreshing, and definitely worth a revisit. It's a little sweet, a little sour, and a little fizzy if you add a splash of soda.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces amaretto liqueur (3 tbsp, see note 1)
- 1 ounce fresh lemon juice (2 tbsp)
- 1 ounce simple syrup (2 tbsp, see note 2)
- Lemon-lime soda optional (see note 3)
- Orange slice for garnish
- Maraschino cherry for garnish (see note 4)
Instructions
- In a martini shaker filled with ice, add amaretto, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake until chilled, about 30 seconds.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with soda if desired. Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry.
Notes
- Amaretto: A sweet Italian liqueur that tastes like almonds (aka maraschino cherries). Some popular brands include Disaronno, Lazzaroni, Luxardo, DeKuyper, and Bols.
- Simple syrup: Use store-bought or combine equal parts granulated sugar and water (i.e., 1 cup sugar plus 1 cup water) in a small saucepan. Cook gently over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the syrup from the heat and let cool completely.
- Lemon-lime soda: Optional but recommended, especially if you love fizzy drinks. 7UP or Sprite are good choices, and diet sodas work too.
- Cherries: Dark and rich cocktail cherries, such as Luxardo brand, can be substituted for the maraschino cherries.
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail.
- Big batch: To make a batch of 12 cocktails, in a large pitcher filled with ice, stir together 18 ounces (2 ¼ cups) amaretto, 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) simple syrup, and 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) fresh lemon juice. Have ice, glassware, soda, and garnishes on hand so guests can help themselves.
- No cocktail shaker: Find your biggest, sturdiest glass and fill it with ice. Add the drink ingredients, then stir with a long spoon to get it all mixed and chilled. Strain through a small mesh strainer or use a slotted spoon to keep the ice in the shaker as you pour the cocktail.
- Egg whites: Some versions of the drink include an egg white for silky body and foamy frothiness. If you want to try this, first give the ingredients a “dry shake” (without ice) to emulsify them. Then, add ice to the shaker and give everything a second shake to chill the cocktail.
- Amaretto Sour, up: After shaking, strain the cocktail into a chilled “up” glass or coupe. Garnish and drink.
- Whiskey Sour: A similar cocktail made with whiskey instead of Amaretto.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cocktailCalories: 213kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 20mgPotassium: 60mgFiber: 1gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.
Yes! Thank you for sharing! Definitely no egg whites! But I like mine with the addition of bourbon, oj and lime juice, instead of lemon lime soda! And lots of fruit garnish, of course! Colleen
Absolutely perfect!