Gin Sour

The gin sour is a classic sour cocktail that’s the perfect balance of lemon, gin and syrup! Top with an egg white foam for a frothy topping.

Here’s a cocktail with a long history that inspired a slew of other drinks: the Gin Sour! It’s the lesser known relative to sours like the Whiskey Sour and Amaretto Sour. But the Gin Sour is just as tasty as its cousins: it’s smooth, tart, balanced, with floral notes from the gin. Top it with a classic egg white foam for a creamy body and frothy finish. It’s a unique sour to remember! Here’s how to make it.

What’s in a gin sour?

The Gin Sour is one in the family of sour cocktails: drinks made of liquor, citrus, and sweetener. The most well-known of course is the Whiskey Sour. But there are many more classic sour cocktails that don’t have “sour” in the name. The Margarita, Mojito, Sidecar, Daiquiri, and Gimlet are all considered sours!

The history of the Gin Sour is not known, but it likely came to be in the mid-1800’s. The Whiskey Sour was first recorded in 1862: and many recipes around the time specified that you could use any alcohol in the sour. The Gin Sour is lighter and more delicate than the boldness of the Whiskey Sour. The ingredients in a Gin Sour are:

• Gin
• Lemon juice
• Simple syrup
• Egg white
• Angostura bitters, for garnish

How to make a gin sour (basic steps)

The gin sour is quick and easy to make. The only fancy part is the shaking technique to get that frothy foam topping. Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe):

1. Dry shake: Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake for 15 seconds without ice.
2. Shake: Add ice to the cocktail shaker and shake again for 30 seconds.
3. Strain: Strain into a glass and garnish with a few shakes of bitters on top. Voila!

What’s a dry shake?

Bartenders have added egg whites to cocktails since the 1860’s. Why? They add a frothy texture to each sip, and a creamy rich flavor. The best frothy egg white form is achieved by doing a Dry Shake. Here’s how it works:

• Shaking without ice lets the protein in the egg begin to form foam, instead of being diluted by the ice.
• Shaking again with ice cools the drink and strengthens the foam. Strain it into the glass and a thick, white frothy layer will form.

You’ll notice that the classic egg white foam is also atop the Gin Fizz, which is a close cousin drink to the Gin Sour. The only difference is using soda water to add a bubbly note. Speaking of its drink relatives..

Related gin drinks! Tom Collins, Gin Fizz & more

The Gin Sour is like the godfather of a lot of the famous gin drinks. You’ll notice that the combination of lemon, gin and sweetener seems to have infinite variations. Here are the most famous classic cocktails related to the Gin Sour:

• Gin Fizz Add soda water to the Gin Sour and you’ve got the classic fizz. (Try the Sloe Gin Fizz for a unique spin.)
• Tom Collins Drop the egg white, add more soda water and serve with ice.
• Gin Gimlet Use lime instead of lemon and drop the egg white.
• Clover Club Use raspberry syrup or grenadine instead of simple syrup.
• Bees Knees Use honey syrup instead of simple syrup, and no egg white.
• White Lady Use Cointreau instead of simple syrup.

More classic sour cocktails

The family of sour cocktails includes all sorts of drinks that don’t have “sour” in the title. But let’s talk about those “classic sours” for a moment! These are drinks that combine liquor, lemon, and simple syrup, then top it off with an egg white foam (and sometimes bitters). Here are the major classic sours:

• Whiskey Sour The best known of all!
• Pisco Sour The magic meld of pisco and lime in this Peruvian sour gives it flavor like none other.
• New York Sour Whiskey sour on the bottom, red wine layer floated on top.
• Boston Sour The whiskey sour with an egg white foam.
• Amaretto Sour The perfect way to make it with amaretto liqueur! A must try.
• Vodka Sour Tangy and sweet, with a hint of bitters.
• Tequila Sour Like a margarita, done up as a sour.

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When to serve a Gin Sour

The Gin Sour is a light, refreshing drink with a retro feel that works anytime! It’s great for sipping as a:

• Happy hour drink
• Dinner party drink
• Late night drinks drink
• Guys or girls night drink
• Cocktail hour drink