To our alcohol inclined CS'ers..:D

[Amina516]

Just wondering if you can use whiskey sour mix to make an amaretto sour?

Anyone know?

Or better yet a banging amaretto sour recipe would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[KiaKat]

Sour mix (also called LemonX or Sour Lemon) is equal parts lemon juice and simple syrup, mixed with a touch of seltzer, if you want the bubbles. Personally I split the citrus so it's 2 parts lemon, 1 part lime, and 1 part orange, then 4 parts simple syrup.

The recipe for a sour is as follows:

Fill highball glass (8oz) with ice
Add 1-2oz (I use 1.5oz) liquor (whiskey, amaretto, etc)
Add enough sour mix to nearly fill the glass
Using either a boston shaker or simply a top, shake (if you can't close off the open end of the glass, just stir vigourously)
Top with cherry and a couple small straws
Enjoy!

[Dave1982]

A Sour is a type of cocktail, which consists of a spirit, a sweet ingredient (often sugar/simple syrup or an orange cordial like triple sec or Cointreau), and a sour ingredient (usually lemon or lime juice).

Many common drinks fall into this category, such as the Daquiri, Cosmo, and Margarita (though the Cosmo uses two sour ingredients).

Speaking generally, there is no "wrong" way to make a [Spirit of Choice] Sour. However, certain flavors work better with different spirits. For instance, a Whiskey Sour should use lemon juice, and a Daquiri should use lime. A Cosmo should use triple sec instead of simple syrup. But you can make it whatever way you like it.

That having been said, there are problems with sour mix. Most commercial mixes are artificially flavored, which may taste ok, but will make the final product taste....well, like a cheap, premade drink.

If you make homemade sour mix from fresh juices, that's going to me MUCH better, but you still have the problem of that given mix not always being quite right for a given spirit. Plus, the juice will start to spoil fairly quickly if you store it.

Your best bet (but the one that is the most time consuming) is to make the drink from scratch. Squeeze the juice fresh when you are ready to make the drink, and then add either sugar or simple syrup. Shake with ice, strain and serve. (This will probably yield a smaller drink than a commercial mix will, since those premixes often have a lot of water added as a filler.

I've never had Amaretto, but from what I understand, lemon would probably work best. Garnish with a lemon twist or a cherry.


(Most of the above is from The Essential Bartender's Guide, by Robert Hess. Paraphrased to protect the board).

[KiaKat]

Commercial ones that are sold for bar/restaurant use are also designed to work with a soda gun system, and are therefore nearly always carbonated to some degree. This adds to the foaminess. They're also rarely made from 100% juice. Because it's concentrated, it's frequently flavouring with sugar.

Because Amaretto is so sweet on its own, I might cut back on the simple syrup a touch.

[Amina516]

Dave, So, the stuff that is sold in a bottle as Whiskey Sour mix is just regular sour mix? lol. Just curious. Its simple enough though that I just may make my own.

Thank you Kia for the recipe. I look forward to trying it out.

[Dave1982]

Dave, So, the stuff that is sold in a bottle as Whiskey Sour mix is just regular sour mix? lol. Just curious. Its simple enough though that I just may make my own.

Thank you Kia for the recipe. I look forward to trying it out.

Well, it depends on the brand. If it's specifically labeled "Whiskey sour" mix, then it's probably lemon flavored. Daquiri mix would be lime flavored. If it's just "sour mix" then it's probably a mix of both, intended to be used in any drink needing both sweet and sour.

[Amina516]

Ahh..Thank you.

The light has finally come on. LMAO.

[Jester]

Dave, So, the stuff that is sold in a bottle as Whiskey Sour mix is just regular sour mix? lol. Just curious. Its simple enough though that I just may make my own.

Bartender here. I am not going to address the idea of making your own sour mix....that is for you to decide. Being a bartender, I use a mix. The one we use is pretty good, being powder mixed with water for a decent tasting mix. Homemade ones will probably be better, but storebought mixes are easier and more convenient for many people. These are what I will be addressing.

Sour mix, often called sweet and sour mix, is used in any drinks that are called a sour, such as a whiskey sour, amaretto sour, Midori sour, vodka sour, etc. The typical sour cocktail consists of the spirit and sour mix over ice, garnished with an orange wheel and a Maraschino cherry. A variation on a sour is a stone sour, where orange juice is added to the drink with the spirit and sour mix.

For more sour cocktail recipes, I highly recommend the website webtender.com.