30 Sour Cocktails Worth the Pucker

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Sipping sour cocktails at home will make your mouth pucker and your tastebuds sing. And as a bonus, these sour cocktails are as easy to craft as they are to sip.

Classic Margarita with Lime Wheel and Straw — Image: ©2foodtrippers

Sour cocktails are some of the easiest cocktails to craft at home without any special ingredients or bar tools. Acid is a key flavor component and these cocktails have plenty of it. However, as it turns out, most sour cocktails aren’t actually that sour.

The concept of a sour cocktail not being so sour sounds counterintuitive until you realize that sour cocktails are as sweet as they are sour. The sour flavor typically comes from citrus juices like lemon juice, lime juice and grapefruit juice while the sweetness comes from sweeteners like simple syrup, honey and Cointreau.

Perhaps sour cocktails should be called ‘sweet and sour’ cocktails. However, that nomenclature would have its own issues. Instead, the best option is to craft and drink the best ones and to find your personal favorite.

What Are Sour Cocktails?

Paloma Cocktail with Grapefruit and Black Background — The Paloma stands out from the sour cocktail crowd with an ingredient list that includes tequila, grapefruit juice and grapefruit soda. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Sour cocktails are traditionally crafted with two parts liquor, one part citrus juice and one part sweetener. But don’t quote us on that since that ratio is altered in some sour cocktail recipes while others include frothy egg white.

Despite that simple formula, sour cocktails run the gamut in terms of tartness and potency. The types of liquors vary too with options including bourbon, gin, rum, tequila, vodka and more.

The Whiskey Sour may be the most well known sour cocktail but it’s far from the only one. Other classic sour drinks include the Clover Club, Daiquiri, Gimlet, Margarita and Sidecar. The same goes for modern classics like the Cosmopolitan, Lemon Drop Martini, Mojito and Paloma. Yep, these popular drinks are all sour cocktails too.

30 of the Best Sour Cocktails

1. Whiskey Sour

The Whiskey Sour ranks as one of the most popular drinks in the world. It's a pleasure to drink and a breeze to craft at home.

Whiskey Sour Recipe

2. Gin Sour

The Gin Sour tickles the tongue with clean flavors that are simultaneously sweet and sour. This classic gin cocktail is easy to craft at home in just a few minutes.

Gin Sour Recipe

3. Mezcal Sour

The Mezcal Sour is a tasty sour cocktail that's crafted with an unconventional liquor – mezcal. It's a balanced cocktail that's simultaneously sweet, sour and smoky. And, as a bonus, it's easy to craft at home with just four key ingredients.

Mezcal Sour Recipe

4. Amaretto Sour

Crafting an Amaretto Sour is easy. The challenge is deciding which ingredients to add. Since this recipe includes both Disaronno amaretto and bourbon, it's technically a Disaronno Sour recipe and it's delicious.

Amaretto Sour Recipe

5. Classic Margarita

The classic Margarita is one of the most popular cocktails in the world. It's also one of the easiest cocktails to craft at home with just three ingredients and no special bar tools.

Classic Margarita Recipe

Bees Knees Cocktail with Ingredients on Window Sill

6. Bee’s Knees

The Bee's Knees is the cat's meow when it comes to classic cocktails. The three-ingredient gin lemon cocktail is both sophisticated to sip and super easy to make at home.

Bee’s Knees Recipe

7. Paloma

The Paloma tastes like summer in a glass. The refreshing tequila tipple is simultaneously sweet, sour and salty. It's also easy to craft at home regardless of the season.

Paloma Recipe

New York Sour Cocktail with Black Background Centered

8. New York Sour

The New York Sour takes the classic Whiskey Sour to a new level by adding a red wine float. This ruby layer provides a fruity zing plus a stripe of elegance.

New York Sour Recipe

9. Pisco Sour

The Pisco Sour's flavors will transport you to South America. Follow this easy Pisco Sour recipe and craft the iconic cocktail at home in just a few minutes.

Pisco Sour Recipe

10. Tom Collins

Simultaneously sweet and tart, the Tom Collins cocktail is a delightful drink that tastes like spiked lemonade. It's also super simple to craft at home with just a few ingredients.

Tom Collins Recipe

11. Clover Club

This Clover Club cocktail is simultaneously sweet and tart. Learn how to make this frothy pre-Prohibition cocktail at home in just five minutes.

Clover Club Recipe

12. Gimlet

The Gimlet is one of the easiest classic cocktails to craft at home. It's also one of the classiest.

Gimlet Recipe

13. Ward 8

The Ward 8 cocktail isn't as famous as its cousin, the Whiskey Sour, but it should be. Simultaneously sweet and spicy, this pre-Prohibition potent potable is as easy to sip as it is to craft.

Ward 8 Recipe

14. Mojito

The Mojito is ideal for summer. You can whip up this Cuban cocktail favorite at home with just five ingredients plus ice.

Mojito Recipe

15. Cosmopolitan

Leave your impressions behind when you craft a Cosmopolitan cocktail at home. Despite its pretty pink hue, the Cosmo is a serious vodka cocktail that's easy to craft and even easier to sip.

Cosmopolitan Recipe

Bourbon Sidecar with Lemon Twist and Sugar Rim

16. Bourbon Sidecar

The Bourbon Sidecar cocktail takes the classic Sidecar to new heights by replacing cognac with bourbon. Follow this easy recipe and craft one at home in just five minutes.

Bourbon Sidecar Recipe

17. Greyhound

SIMultaneously refreshing and tart, the Greyhound cocktail has just two ingredients. The question is whether those two ingredients are gin and grapefruit juice OR vodka and grapefruit juice.

Greyhound Recipe

Salty Dog Cocktail with Black Background from Above

18. Salty Dog

The Salty Dog cocktail is essentially a Greyhound with a salt rim. Simultaneously salty, sour and surprisingly sweet, it's an ideal drink to sip during the dog days of summer.

Salty Dog Recipe

19. Pink Lady

The Pink Lady cocktail proves that you shouldn't judge a drink by its color. Despite its 'girly' hue, this pink drink is a sophisticated sipper that's more dry than sweet.

Pink Lady Recipe

Lemon Drop Martini from Above with White Background

20. Lemon Drop Martini

The Lemon Drop Martini is a classy citrus sipper that's served with a frosty, sugar-studded rim. It's super easy to craft at home and tastes like liquid candy.

Lemon Drop Martini Recipe

Ramos Gin Fizz Cocktail Up Close with Straw and Pink Background

21. Ramos Gin Fizz

The Ramos Gin Fizz is a quintessential New Orleans cocktail. Also discover why it's considered royalty in the Louisiana city where the good times roll all year long, but especially during Mardi Gras and then craft the fizzy gin drink at home.

Ramos Gin Fizz Recipe

Gold Rush Cocktail from Above with White Background

22. Gold Rush

The Gold Rush glitters bright in the cocktail galaxy. Follow this easy recipe and craft the tasty bourbon cocktail at home in just five minutes.

Gold Rush Recipe

23. White Lady

Proving that you shouldn't judge a cocktail by its name, the White Lady Cocktail is a classic drink that's appropriate for multicultural cocktail connoisseurs. Learn how to craft the classy cocktail at home in just five minutes.

White Lady Recipe

24. French Blonde

Shake off any doubts about the French Blonde cocktail. While it may or may not be Taylor Swift's favorite cocktail, there's no doubt that it's flirty, floral and fun to sip.

French Blonde Recipe

25. Aviation

Don't be confused by its deep blue color. The Aviation cocktail is a serious cocktail for serious drinkers. Learn how to craft the classic gin cocktail at home in just five minutes.

Aviation Recipe

26. Hemingway Daiquiri

Also known as a Papa Doble, the Hemingway Daiquiri takes the classic Daiquiri to a new level with two simple additions. Discover how Ernest Hemingway got his name on the drink and learn how to make a Papa Doble at home.

Hemingway Daiquiri Recipe

Corpse Reviver No. 2 Cocktail from Above

27. Corpse Reviver No. 2

The Corpse Reviver No. 2 tastes like a dream despite its nightmare-inducing name. Learn the history behind the ghoulishly delightful gin cocktail and then craft one at home in just five minutes.

Corpse Reviver No. 2 Recipe

Brown Derby Cocktail with Black Background from Above

28. Brown Derby

Easy to craft and a pleasure to imbibe, the Brown Derby cocktail is ideal for a lazy brunch or a cozy night by the fire. The addition of maple syrup makes the Prohibition cocktail simply impossible to resist.

Brown Derby Recipe

Brandy Crusta from Above with White Background

29. Brandy Crusta

Named after its main ingredient and its crunchy, sugary rim, the Brandy Crusta is a timeless New Orleans cocktail. It's also sweet, sour and sophisticated.

Brandy Crusta Recipe

30. Whiskey Smash

The Whiskey Smash is a refreshing pre-prohibition cocktail that's more sweet than sour. It's also super easy to craft at home with just a handful of ingredients.

Whiskey Smash Recipe

💡 Frequently Asked Questions

What is a sour cocktail?

A sour cocktail is a cocktail crafted with liquor, citrus juice and a sweetener. Some sour cocktails are topped with frothy egg white.

What is the most classic sour cocktail?

While there are numerous classic sour cocktails, the most famous ones include the Daiquiri, Margarita, Sidecar and Whiskey Sour. Modern sour cocktail classics include the Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Paloma.

What’s the most popular sour cocktail?

The Whiskey Sour isn’t just the most popular sour cocktail. It’s also one of the most popular cocktails in the world. Other popular sour cocktails include the Amaretto Sour, New York Sour and Pisco Sour.

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Daryl and Mindi Hirsch

Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on their website 2foodtrippers. Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers a unique taste of the world.