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Sour cocktails are one of the oldest drink families: because they’re truly timeless! Here are the best sour cocktail recipes to try: whiskey sour, margarita, and more.
Sour cocktails are one of the oldest cocktail families there is, and they’re just popular today for good reason. The sweet tart flavor is timeless no matter what decade you live in!
What’s a sour? It’s a mixed drink made of liquor, citrus, and sweetener. You might be surprised by the familiar names of cocktails that are part of the sour family: The Margarita! The Cosmo! The Daiquiri! As two cocktail experts who have over 300+ cocktail recipes in our library, sours are one of Alex and my favorite family of drinks. Here are the basic the elements of a sour cocktail:
- Liquor: Sours can be made with just about any spirit: whiskey, vodka, gin, tequila, and brandy.
- Citrus (the “sour”): Usually you’ll see lemon juice or lime juice, but some variations have grapefruit or orange.
- Sweetener: Simple syrup or orange liqueur like Cointreau or triple sec (which contain sugar) are the common sweeteners.
- Egg white: (optional): Often you’ll see classic 1920’s style sour drinks topped with an egg white foam. This gives the drink a creamy, rich texture and frothy topping, like in the Boston Sour or Gin Fizz.
As you can imagine, there are endless variations on this formula. Below we’ve listed the 3 most popular sour cocktails, then listed the remaining drinks organized by type of liquor.
And now, the best sour cocktails!
The most classic of all sour cocktails: the whiskey sour! It's an iconic drink that goes back centuries. Its flavor is perfectly balanced between sweet, tart, and boozy.
Variations: Boston Sour (adds egg white), Gold Rush (made with honey syrup), Whiskey Smash
Ingredients: Bourbon whiskey, lemon juice, maple syrup or simple syrup
There’s truly no drink like it. Meet the classic pisco sour! This sour cocktail from Peru is mega popular for a reason. It’s just that good. The way the pisco melds with the lime makes it bright, mellow, and distinctly magical. Here’s how to make this famous classic cocktail that’s earned it’s place in history.
Ingredients: Pisco, lime, simple syrup, egg white, bitters
Did you know the margarita is one of the most popular sour cocktails? Here's the classic way to make it: with three ingredients and a salt rim. Perfection! Did you know the margarita is one of the most popular sour cocktails? Here's the classic way to make it: with three ingredients and a salt rim. Perfection!
Variations: Try all our Margarita Recipes (Mezcal, Cadillac, Jalapeño and more)
Ingredients: Tequila, Cointreau, lime juice
The sidecar is one of the best classic sour cocktails of all time! Why? Taste it and you'll see. This drink is perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, and layered and complex: warm, crisp, dry, rich, and full at the same time.
Variations: Vodka Sidecar, Bourbon Sidecar, White Lady, Between the Sheets
Ingredients: Cognac, Cointreau, lemon juice
The tequila sour is a delightfully refreshing sweet tart drink with a frothy foam topping! It’s a mashup of a 1920’s sour cocktail with a margarita. Also try a classic Mezcal Sour.
Ingredients: Tequila, lemon juice, lime juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, egg white
The Paloma is a variation on the margarita, that classic sour! Combine tequila and grapefruit and you’ve got the classic Mexican Paloma.
Ingredients: Tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup, soda water
Did you know the mojito was a sour cocktail? This iconic Cuban cocktail is refreshing and perfectly balanced with lime, rum and fresh mint!
Ingredients: Rum, fresh mint, lime juice, simple syrup, soda water
The daiquiri is one of the easiest drinks there is: and a 1920's classic sour cocktail! The classic daiquiri was not frozen, as has become popular today. As you can see, it's similar to the mojito.
Variations: Lime Frozen Daiquiri, Strawberry Daiquiri, Hemingway Daiquiri
Ingredients: Rum, fresh mint, lime juice, simple syrup
The Gin Fizz is one of the most iconic gin cocktails: and it's a sour cocktail too! It's got a classic egg white foam, and is topped off with soda water.
Variations: Gin Sour, Bees Knees (with honey syrup)
Ingredients: Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, soda water
The Tom Collins is an iconic gin sour cocktail that's a variation on the gin fizz! It's light, bubbly and perfectly sweet tart. It's typically served in a highball glass.
Ingredients: Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water
The classic gimlet is another in the list of sour cocktails! It's the perfect balance of sweet and tart with the botanical flavor of gin.
Variations: Vodka Gimlet, French Gimlet (adds St Germain)
Ingredients: Gin, lime juice, simple syrup
Here’s a fun way to use this smoky agave-based liquor: the Mezcal Sour! This spin on the classic Pisco Sour is smoky and nuanced. It’s balanced with a light, sweet tart body and a frothy egg white foam top.
Ingredients: Mezcal, lime juice, Cointreau, simple syrup, egg white, bitters
Here’s another sophisticated, classic sour cocktail: the White Lady! It’s a classic sour featuring gin, grenadine or raspberry syrup, and lemon with a frothy egg white foam.
Variations: White Lady Cocktail
Ingredients: Gin, raspberry syrup or grenadine, lemon juice, egg white
Here's a unique sour cocktail: the Southside! It's a refreshing gin drink made with mint, lemon and lime: think of it like a gin mojito!
Variations: Southside Fizz (adds soda water)
Ingredients: Gin, lemon juice, lime juice, fresh mint, simple syrup
The Cosmo is a sour cocktail, too! This vibrant pink drink is sweet tart, and gets its beautiful color from cranberry juice.
Ingredients: Vodka, 100% cranberry juice, lemon juice, Cointreau, simple syrup
The vodka sour is a classic sour cocktail: it’s refreshingly sweet tart with a frothy egg white foam on top! Use our dry shake technique to get the perfect foam.
Ingredients: Vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, egg white
Try a rum sour! This classic sour cocktail is delightfully sweet tart, pairing any type of rum with lemon juice and simple syrup. Top it off with an egg white foam topping, which gives it a creamy mouthfeel. It’s irresistibly refreshing: and simple to make!
Ingredients: Rum, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white
The lemon drop martini is intensely sweet tart! It’s festive and refreshing, with a lemon twist and sugar rim.
Ingredients: Vodka or citron vodka, Cointreau, lemon juice, simple syrup
Here's the perfect amaretto sour! It's nothing like those syrupy versions with sour mix. Made correctly, this drink can be one of the best sour cocktails out there! It’s tangy and sweet tart, with a hint of almond from the amaretto that’s toned down by the secret ingredient: bourbon.
Ingredients: Amaretto, bourbon, lemon, simple syrup, egg white, bitters
The New York sour is one of the most stunning sour cocktails there is! Make a classic whiskey sour and float a layer of red wine on top.
Ingredients: Bourbon whiskey, lemon juice, maple syrup or simple syrup, red wine
More types of cocktails
We’ve got lots more great cocktail recipes for you! Here are some of our best cocktail collections:
- These gin cocktails include all the classics: Gin Fizz, Gin and Tonic, and more!
- Try great bourbon cocktails like the Whiskey Sour, Old Fashioned, Manhattan, and more.
- Mix up champagne cocktails, light, bubbly, and perfect for celebration.
- Grab refreshing cranberry cocktails like a Vodka Cranberry and Sea Breeze.
- Mix up frozen alcoholic drinks like a Frozen Margarita or Frozen Sangria.
Frequently asked questions
Sour cocktails are a family of drinks featuring a base spirit (like vodka, gin, whiskey, or even tequila), citrus juice (usually lemon or lime), and a sweetener (simple syrup or liqueur). The balance between these elements creates a refreshingly tart and tangy flavor profile.
Vodka Sour: The quintessential sour, featuring vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and optionally, egg white for a frothy texture.
Whiskey Sour: This bourbon-based sour offers a deeper, richer flavor profile compared to the vodka sour.
Daiquiri: A Cuban classic made with rum, lime juice, and simple syrup, known for its refreshing simplicity.
Margarita: The Margarita is a sour cocktail (liquor + citrus + sweetener) with the addition of triple sec or Cointreau, an orange-flavored liqueur.
Yes! While lemon and lime are the most common, you can experiment with grapefruit, orange, or even yuzu juice for a unique twist.
We like using pure maple syrup as an alternative sweetener for sour cocktails. Honey syrup works as well.
Egg white is a classic addition to some sour cocktails like the Pisco Sour, creating a frothy texture and a smoother taste. It’s optional, and some variations (like the Whiskey Sour) can be made without it.
Classic Whiskey Sour
The most famous of sour cocktails: the whiskey sour! It’s perfectly balanced with bourbon, lemon and sweetener. Garnish with an orange peel and a cocktail cherry.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 3 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) bourbon whiskey*
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice
- ¾ ounce (1 ½ tablespoons) pure maple syrup (or simple syrup)
- Garnish: Orange peel and a cocktail cherry
- Ice, for serving
- Variation: Add an egg white for a Boston Sour
Instructions
- Add the bourbon whiskey, lemon juice, and syrup to a cocktail shaker. Fill with a handful of ice and shake until very cold.
- Strain the drink into a lowball or Old Fashioned glass. Serve with ice, an orange peel and a cocktail cherry.
Notes
*You can use any variety of whiskey, but we prefer it with the sweeter flavor of bourbon.
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