A change in the weather calls for a change in cocktails, from tall to short, and from light to dark. My gig as a judge at the Luxardo Maraschino cocktail competition earlier this week at Raw Bar by Duncan Ly provided me with the inspiration for just such a drink: an Amaretto Sour.
Smooth, sweet and Amaretto Sour.
As I’ve mentioned ad nauseum, I really love sours, so I was excited to see that all of Luxardo’s liqueurs were in play for the competition, including amaretto. Some say amaretto is so 1980s, but I say, wait a minute! It really helps to mix it with something beyond Coke; for example, bourbon, lemon juice and an egg white.
Isn’t that a cool bottle?
In fact, One of my favourite cocktails from the competition was a twist on a sour, using amaretto and maraschino liqueur, by Tony Migliarese from Cilantro. I didn’t manage to get his recipe, but I did come home with a bottle of amaretto. Then, I turned to The Google and found this great recipe online.
Amaretto Sour
- 1.5 oz Luxardo Amaretto
- .75 oz bourbon (I used Knob Creek)
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp “English” simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water)
- .5 oz egg white, beaten
- Garnish: lemon twist and brandied cherries
Method: Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and dry shake. Add ice and shake again to chill. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon twist and brandied cherries.
— Recipe comes courtesy of Portland mixologist Jeffrey Morgenthaler, as contributed to Liquor.com.
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