Amaretto Sour
Jeffrey Morgenthaler, the bar manager of Pépé Le Moko and Clyde Common in Portland, Ore., enjoyed amaretto sours as a young man. As a bartender, he embarked on a project to make a better version of this often-mocked drink, which was typically composed of just amaretto and sour mix. He boosted the alcoholic strength by mixing in nearly a full ounce of overproof bourbon, replaced the sour mix with real lemon juice and added an egg white — a common ingredient in many sour recipes from the past. Given all the alterations, he might have given the cocktail a new name, but decided against that. “There wouldn’t have been any point,” he said. “There’s a big difference between if I took this drink and made it good, and if I invented a new drink with amaretto. The latter wouldn’t have the same gravitas.”
- Serves: 1 person
Ingredients
- 1 ½ounces amaretto
- ¾ounce cask-proof bourbon, such as Booker’s
- 1ounce fresh lemon juice
- 1teaspoon rich simple syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water; see note)
- ½ounce egg white, beaten
- Lemon twist, for garnish
- Brandied cherries, for garnish
Instructions
Step 1
Combine the amaretto, bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white in a cocktail shaker and shake without ice, about 10 seconds, to integrate. Add ice and shake until chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain over fresh ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with the lemon peel and brandied cherries.