Sipping the best sour cocktails at home will make your mouth pucker and your tastebuds sing.
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?
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.
Classic Sour Cocktails
If you enjoy imbibing classic cocktails, then it’s likely that you’re a sour cocktail fan whether you know it or not.
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.
These are our favorite sour cocktail recipes to craft at home:
24 Of The Best Sour Cocktails
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. Follow our Whiskey Sour recipe and join the happy crowd of Whiskey Sour fans.
Pisco Sour
The Pisco Sour's flavors will transport you to South America. Follow our easy Pisco Sour recipe and craft the iconic cocktail at home in just a few minutes.
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.
Amaretto Sour
Crafting an Amaretto Sour is easy. The challenge is deciding which ingredients to add. Since we add both Disaronno Amaretto and Bourbon, our Amaretto Sour recipe is technically a Disaronno Sour recipe and it's delicious.
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.
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.
Bourbon Sidecar
The Bourbon Sidecar cocktail takes the classic Sidecar to new heights by replacing cognac with bourbon. Follow our easy Bourbon Sidecar recipe and craft one at home in just five minutes.
Aviation
Don't be confused by its deep blue color. The Aviation cocktail is a serious cocktail for serious drinkers. Discover how to craft the classic gin cocktail at home in just five minutes.
Gin Gimlet
The Gin Gimlet cocktail is one of the easiest classic cocktails to craft at home. It's also one of the classiest.
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. Follow our easy recipe and craft the classic cocktail at home in just five minutes.
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.
Clover Club
This Clover Club cocktail is simultaneously sweet and tart.Follow our recipe and craft this frothy pre-prohibition cocktail at home in just five minutes.
Hemingway Daiquiri
Also known as a Papa Doble, the Hemingway Daiquiri takes the simple 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.
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. Follow our recipe and craft a White Lady cocktail at home in just five minutes.
Corpse Reviver No. 2
The Corpse Reviver No. 2 tastes like a dream despite its nightmare-inducing name. Learn the history behind this ghoulishly delightful gin cocktail and then craft one at home in just five minutes.
Classic Daiquiri
Leave any preconceptions about the Daiquiri behind when you follow our easy Bacardi Daiquiri recipe. Cuba's most classic cocktail is a sophisticated summer sipper made with just three ingredients that you probably already have at home.
Siesta
You won't want to take a siesta when you sip a Siesta cocktail. This tequila cocktail is fun and sophisticated with a pink color and complex flavor. Plus, it's so easy to craft at home that you can drink a Siesta and then take one too.
Gold Rush
The Gold Rush glitters bright in the cocktail galaxy. Follow our easy recipe and craft the tasty bourbon cocktail at home in just five minutes.
Mojito
Our Bacardi Mojito recipe is ideal for summer. Follow our recipe and whip up the Cuban cocktail favorite at home with just five ingredients plus ice.
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.
Lemon Drop Martini
The Lemon Drop Martini is a classy citrus sipper that's served with a frosty, sugar-studded rim. It's also super easy to craft at home and tastes like liquid candy.
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.
Caipirinha
The Caipirinha is so popular in Brazil that it's the country's national drink. Follow our recipe and easily craft one at home with just four ingredients.
Brown Derby
Easy to craft and a pleasure to imbibe, the Brown Derby cocktail is ideal for a lazy brunch or a cosy night by the fire. Our addition of maple syrup makes this prohibition cocktail simply impossible to resist.
Sour Cocktails FAQs
A sour cocktail is a cocktail crafted with liquor, citrus juice and a sweetener. Some sour cocktails are topped with frothy egg white.
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.
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 Amoretto Sour, New York Sour and Pisco Sour.
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About The Authors
Daryl & 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.
Original Publication Date: September 3, 2023