076 – Amaro Sour

A 2022 re-discovery of the ‘Amaro Sour’ cocktail, a less-well-known ‘sour mix’.

What started as a Covid activity, in the 105-day Sydney lock-down, is now a continuing journey through the cocktail’s of the past. This time, a surprising find in the sour-cocktail family – the forgotten ‘Amaro Sour’.

Make your own ‘mix-at-home’ #Locktail the ‘Amaro Sour.

METHOD – Add 45ml Amaro (my suggestion is Amaro Montenegro), 20ml Bourbon Whiskey, 30ml fresh lemon juice, 20ml home made simple syrup (2-parts sugar to 1-part water) and half a fresh egg white (pasteurized if possible) into a cocktail shaker. Dry Shake (no ice) for around 15-seconds to foam the egg white with the citrus (be careful shaker isn’t forced open). The add a handful of ice and Cold Shake (10 to 15 seconds) and strain into a Double Rocks (Old Fashioned) glass containing a piece (large cube or sphere) of ice. Option to garnish with piece of lemon peel and a brandied or cocktail cherry.

HISTORICAL NOTES – The ‘Whiskey Sour’, appeared way back in 1887, in Jerry Thomas’ famous tome, ‘A Bartenders Guide’. In building this cocktail, I’m surprised I haven’t made more sours, although I did do a Pisco Sour back on 31 August 2021 in the 12th ‘Locktail’ – it is a great cocktail, and a favorite of one of my longest friends, although I personally think the ‘Amaro Sour’ has it beaten.

I had planned on doing an ‘Amaretto Sour’, an\other great cocktail. The Amaretto Sour dates around the 1970s, when Italian liqueurs became popular in the United States, and various mixes combined with the ‘sour cocktail’ template – including, probably, various versions of an Amaro Sour. The only problem with an Amaretto Sour is that it tastes like wedding-cake marzipan, great if you like that flavour, not so great if you don’t. The Amaro Sour, probably holding a more contemporary palate, just didn’t get famous.

The Amaretto Sour’s has almost died out, like so many 1970 regulars, but was revitalized in the modern cocktail by Oregon bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler. His revamped cocktail included a generous pour of cask-strength bourbon whiskey. I am giving the similarly names (phonetically at least) Amaro Sour, the Morgenthaler treatment and combining it with some great Joe C & Emely selected single-barrel, cast-strength selected Jack Daniel’s Rye Whiskey (Lot 14-C-28 to be precise) if you can part with this in a cocktail mix.

I commend the Amaro Sour as a cocktail worthy of historical rediscovery. Amaro Montenegro is sweet and has limited herbal notes to clash, but by all means, experiment to match your taste with Averna, Nonino or any Amaro that you have, or even better, love.

THE OFFICIAL MIX – There are four sour cocktails that appear within the International Bartender Association (IBA) lists. The ‘Whiskey Sour’ is on ‘The Unforgettables’ list, here. The official recipe is 45ml Bourbon Whiskey, 25ml Fresh Lemon Juice, 20ml Sugar Syrup and 20ml Egg White (optional) made largely as per this Amaro Sour recipe. Although everyone knows the egg-white isn’t ‘optional’. The Pisco Sour, New York Sour and Trinidad Sour also make the IBA list, all worthy cocktails. The largely undiscovered ‘Amaro Sour’, not on any list, may have them all beat.

TASTING NOTES – Sour cocktails have great appeal. Sourness from citrus, usually lemon. Sweetness from simple-syrup, liqueurs, or other sweet ingredients and their combinations. Usually some foam and texture from some egg-white, well broken up and reacting with the citrus, and then the flavour additions of choice. Barrel-taste from whiskey or whisky. Umami from Pisco, or wedding-cake marzipan from Amaretto. So how about something even richer – the sweet, herbal and mysterious flavours from the centuries old Italian traditions of Amaro. Pick your own Amaro, like Amaro Montenegro (from 1885) and add it to the ‘sour cocktail template’ for something with surprising complexity and appeal.

LOCKTAIL CHANGES – I was going to do an Amaretto Sour (and you still can by switching the Amaro for Amaretto, and making the Bourbon Whiskey optional), however not everyone is a fan of the marzipan taste, and it seems contemporary tastes are moving even further from that flavour. So I’ve elected for another Italian Liqueur base, the Amaro family. Trying a few, I’ve elected that Amaro Montenegro suits this mix the best. I think I’ve found a winner, a cocktail that history has largely forgotten and one that really should be re-discovered in the modern cocktail age.

YOUR LOCKTAIL EXPERIENCE – If you’d rather taste than read, I am progressively building an ingredient list and other sourcing information on this site. I will re-use ingredients where I can (good for my budget too), so that the cost goes down overtime if you are ‘playing at home’.

Let me know what you think.

Cocktails you’d like reinvented.

Recipes you’ve tried and your ‘score’.

This is sixth cocktail from the 1971-1980 bracket of ‘Locktail’ remixes. Full list in the index.