#sourdrinks

Vodka Sour

I guess the only way to differentiate a Vodka Sour from a Vodka Fix is that the sour is served in a sour glass with no ice. The garnish, a lemon slice and a cherry, are also different from the Fix's twist. Unlike a whiskey sour or some brandy sours, there is no egg white, which I am starting to view as a deal breaker.

But the Vodka Sour is a nice introductory into classic cocktails for the vodka drinker. They sometimes need a push beyond dry Martinis, tonics and sodas.

2 oz. vodka

1 1/2 oz. lemon juice

1 tsp. sugar

lemon slice

maraschino cherry

Strega Sour

Strega is a citrus, mint and saffron liqueur made with a secret recipe. It does have enough sugar that you don't need to use it when making this sour. It still requires the help of gin to make it big and strong enough to enjoy as a cocktail and not just a shot. Caorunn makes this simple drink very deluxe and exotic.

2 oz. gin (Caorunn used)

1 oz. Strega

1 oz. lemon juice

lemon slice

Amaretto Sour

This is probably the quintessential amaretto cocktail--the one at the forefront of everyone's mind. That's why I've been putting it off for some time. I like the more obscure, the arcane.

But as far as sours go, it is really easy. Take care to serve this up in a sour glass. Otherwise it will just be a Fix of some sort. There's only two ingredient and a garnish, so it's hard to screw up.

2 oz. amaretto (Lazzaroni used)

1 oz. lemon juice

orange slice

Pink Almond

The Pink Almond has a few unusual liquors in it that really attempt to make a rich almond flavor shine. Amaretto is a sweet cookie-tasting almond liqueur from Italy. Creme de noyaux is a sweet French almond liqueur that is famous for being bright pink. And kirschwasser is a German cherry brandy that has a faint scent of nuts. Put these all together, plus whiskey and lemon juice and you have the Pink Almond. Which is a little funny because this drink really comes down to being a nutty Whiskey Sour, whatever pretensions it may have. And it is really terrific, if not a little overblown. The whiskey you choose is less important here than the other ingredients, but avoid Bourbon or anything smoky. The nuttiness of Irish whiskey is probably the best choice.

Apricot Sour

Like so many sours, most notably the Amaretto Sour, the Apricot Sour relies heavily on the sweetness of the liquor to balance lemon juice. And it is about as simple as a sour can get. Not the most potent of this category, but there's no worry over egg whites. My one stipulation is to use a sour glass and not a cocktail glass. The proportions just don't warrant the big cocktail glass.

2 oz. apricot brandy

1 oz. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. sugar syrup

lemon slice

oh my god