Tulo

Amaretto Sour Recipe

A properly balanced amaretto sour with fresh lemon juice and an egg white for a silky foam top, not the cloying bar-mix version.
Photo by Emre Akyol on Pexels

Fresh lemon juice cuts amaretto's sweetness, and a dry shake (no ice) whips the egg white into a stable foam before the wet shake chills the drink, skipping either step is why bar-mix versions turn out flat and one-note sweet.

Prep
5 min
Cook
0 min
Total
5 min
Servings
1

Ingredients

Servings1
  • 2 oz amaretto
  • 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 1 whole egg white
  • 2 dashes angostura bitters, for garnish

Nutrition per serving

Calories
266
Protein
4g
Carbs
32g
Fat
0g

Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.

Need different units or a different yield? Try our Conversion Calculator

Instructions

  1. 1Add the amaretto, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white to a shaker.
  2. 2Dry shake (no ice) vigorously for 15-20 seconds to whip the egg white.
  3. 3Add ice and shake again for 15 seconds until well chilled.
  4. 4Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, or up into a coupe.
  5. 5Dot the foam with angostura bitters for garnish.

Tips & variations

  • Pasteurized egg whites (or the liquid egg white product sold in cartons) work fine and remove any raw-egg concern.
  • No egg white on hand? The drink is still good without it, just less foamy on top.

Storage & reheating

Best made fresh and drunk right away, the whipped egg-white foam collapses within a few minutes and won't come back with re-shaking. If you need to prep ahead for a crowd, batch the amaretto, lemon juice, and simple syrup together and refrigerate up to a day, then add egg white and shake to order per drink.

Tips from the Tulo kitchen

  • The dry shake (no ice) is what actually builds the foam, skipping straight to the wet shake with ice will still taste fine but won't foam properly no matter how hard you shake it.
  • Let the shaker sit for a few seconds after the wet shake before straining, it gives the foam a moment to stabilize instead of collapsing as soon as it hits the glass.

FAQ

Is it safe to drink raw egg white in a cocktail?

The risk is low but not zero. Using pasteurized egg whites (fresh-pasteurized eggs, or a carton of pasteurized egg whites) removes the concern entirely if you'd rather not use a raw egg.

What can I use instead of egg white?

Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas), about the same amount as the egg white, is the standard vegan substitute and whips into a similar foam.

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