You’ll have to bring some muscle to shake up this cocktail, but it’s well worth it! I have yet to find someone who doesn’t love this drink. The ginger, lemon and Amaretto combine to offer just the right amount of lemony zing, warm gingery spice and nutty Amaretto. The froth on top balances out the sour flavours providing an elegant creamy finish. There is no added sugar or syrup—just a few simple ingredients are required.
Unless you are able to find a top-notch restaurant in a major urban centre, it can be hard to find a good quality cocktails when eating out. So many places load up on sugary syrups that seem designed to try to hide the alcohol flavours rather than accent them. All the more reason to expand your cocktail repertoire at home where you can control everything going into your drink.
This combination works because the ingredients are very fresh and simple: fresh ginger, choppped;
Freshly squeezed lemon juice,
Amaretto, of course…
Now before continuing with the rest of the ingredients, a word on Amaretto. Italian for “a little bitter”, Amaretto is an almond-flavoured liqueur that is frequently made from apricot pits, almonds, or both. The bitterness is rather mild and the drink is often made with sweet almonds to enhance the final flavour. If you are thinking you don’t want to get a bottle of this to try for one drink only for it to sit there, consider that Amaretto is very versatile and is called for in many recipes including Tiramisu, a flavour enhancer for whipped cream, as an additive for baked treats like biscotti, and savoury dishes, too. Not to mention, slipping a little into your evening coffee can be a nice treat as well 🙂 Now, back to our Amaretto Sours…
…don’t forget to add a splash or two of Angostura bitters. I did a side-by-side comparison with and without the bitters, and was really surprised how much better the drink tasted with the Angostura. It provides an extra depth and seems to bring out the best in the Amaretto. Even with all the lemon juice, this drink doesn’t need any additional sugars or syrups, keeping the taste clean and vibrant.
After adding an egg white and shaking it all up for 20 seconds or so, add some ice, and shake for another 20 seconds. Finally strain into two small glasses (or one larger one) to serve.
I like to thread a cocktail stick with blueberries and a strip of lemon zest, and pop a few extra lemon slices into the glass before serving. Nothing seems to grab people’s attention at a dinner party quite like pulling out the cocktail shaker, filling it with ice and giving it a good go—the sound and activity gets people interested and they’ll want to come near to see what you’re making. Even better, let your guests get into the action and have them do the shaking (especially if you need to make a few rounds, share the arm-workout love!) Try out this drink for your next gathering—you won’t regret it.
Recipe slightly modified from Serious Eats’ Ginger Amaretto Sour.
Amaretto Sour
Ginger, froth, zing—this drink brings all the flavour and fun, while being light on the alcohol taste.
Ingredients
- 1 1.5" piece of peeled ginger, chopped into pieces
- 1 3/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2.5 oz Amaretto
- 2 splashes of Angostura bitters
- 1 egg white
- lemon slices for garnish
- blueberries for garnish
- lemon zest slices, for garnish
Instructions
-
Muddle the chopped ginger with lemon juice in cocktail shaker. Add Amaretto, bitters, and egg white. Shake well for 20 seconds. Add a handful of ice and shake for another 20 seconds. Strain into 2 glasses, popping a few lemon slices in each glass. Thread two cocktail sticks with blueberries and lemon zest, and top each glass with one of them. Serve and enjoy!
