Lemon Sour

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

Enjoy a crisp, tart tipple with the sweet and stimulating Lemon Sour.

The variety of mixed drink known as the sour is one of the most versatile and palatable in the cocktail world. You’ve got your base spirit, lemon juice and simple syrup, shaken over ice and served “up”, meaning not on the rocks. Sometimes you’ll have egg white in the recipe to give the top of your beverage a nice foamy froth, giving every sip a smooth and creamy texture. This matches so perfectly with the sweet and sour flavors, you’ll want that white cap every time you mix one for yourself. This isn’t a necessary ingredient for a sour, but one that elevates it, making each sip a whole different experience.

The sour is also one of those recipes that can be made into a completely different one by only adding, or subtracting, one ingredient. Let’s take the Gin Sour – which tonight’s cocktail is another name for – for example: you have gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Forego the egg white, pour over ice and top with club soda. Now you have a Tom Collins. Take the same ingredients, but remove the syrup and use lime juice instead of lemon. Now you have a Gin Rickey.

The sour has been around for a fairly long while, and is considered one of the “original cocktails”, along with tipples like the Sazerac, Martinez and the Old Fashioned, just to name a few. And the mixed drink as we know it in our modern times, was really born from the mind of Jerry Thomas. In 1862 “Professor” Thomas, as he was known, published the first drinks manual titled The Bartender’s Guide. In it was the first recorded recipe for the sour, which was made with a spoonful of sugar to offset the lemon.

In the early days of this drink’s existence, the flavor profile was a tad different. The amount of citrus added to these cocktails usually varied from bartender to bartender. Some used a lot of lemon juice, others would use a scant amount. These days, most of the sours we enjoy are often made with the same or similar measurements for the lemon juice added, often between 1/2 ounce to a full ounce.

The beauty of this recipe, or any for that matter, is that you can adjust the amount of any ingredient to satisfy your own individual and unique palate. Finding your own flavor with every drink you discover is part of the joy of cocktails.

What is the Best Gin to Use in a Lemon Sour?

For this drink, you can try out a variety of different styles of gin. For me, it depends on my mood. A classic London Dry, like a Tanqueray or Bombay will serve you dutifully. If you want to try one that tastes “fresher”, a California gin made with seaside botanicals, such as Gray Whale, brings a cool finish with each sip. My current favorite is Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret, which will give your sour some incredible stone fruit flavors.

What kind of glassware and garnish is used?

Chill a cocktail glass or coupe in your freezer for up to fifteen minutes before serving. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Is the Lemon Sour also a Japanese cocktail?

Yes, there is also a slightly different drink with the same name, which does cause some confusion. This drink is also made with lemon juice and simple syrup, but instead of gin the Japanese spirit shōchū is used. Stirred over ice in a tall highball glass and topped with club soda, this is another sour you should seek out and try.

Lemon Sour Variations

Sours, sours everywhere, which means there’s plenty to drink. If the sweetness of a little sugar mixed with the tart taste of citrus gets your cocktail motor humming, you’re in good company. The sour has been a popular mainstay of a night out or a relaxing dram at home for more than 150 years. And there are quite a few different sours you can choose from. Twist & Toast has a wide array of cocktail recipes that are easy to make, and the Lemon Sour is among them. Try these other sours out, too.

• Maracuyá Sour – Nothing beats a refreshing and fruity pisco cocktail, and this is one of the very best.
• Trinidad Sour – Want to try something different? This sour features bitters as its base!
• New York Sour – Red wine gives this sour its big-city flavor.
• Paloma Sour – Grapefruit juice and tequila come together with the sour for some serious Paloma vibes.