For a balanced Amaretto Sour, combine 45 ml amaretto, 15 ml bourbon, 20 ml fresh lemon juice and 5 to 10 ml simple syrup. Add 15 ml egg white or aquafaba if you want foam, dry shake first, then shake again with ice and strain.
In this guide
A balanced Amaretto Sour combines amaretto with fresh lemon juice, a small amount of bourbon for structure, and optional egg white or aquafaba for a soft foam and silky texture.
You can also make a simpler version with just amaretto and lemon. The bourbon and foam are useful additions, not requirements.
This guide gives you a reliable beginner recipe first, then explains how to make it less sweet, less sour, more structured and properly foamy.
Quick answer
For a balanced Amaretto Sour, combine:
- 45 ml amaretto
- 15 ml bourbon
- 20 ml fresh lemon juice
- 5 to 10 ml simple syrup, adjusted to taste
- 15 ml egg white or aquafaba, optional
If using egg white or aquafaba, dry shake first without ice, then shake again with ice. Double strain into a chilled coupe or over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
Amaretto Sour recipe
Ingredients
- 45 ml amaretto
- 15 ml bourbon
- 20 ml fresh lemon juice
- 5 to 10 ml 1:1 simple syrup
- 15 ml egg white or aquafaba, optional
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters, optional
- Ice
Makes: 1 cocktail
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Jigger
- Hawthorne strainer
- Fine mesh strainer
- Coupe or rocks glass
If you are building your first home bar, our guide to what cocktail tools you actually need covers the essentials.
Method
- Add the amaretto, bourbon, lemon juice, syrup and egg white or aquafaba to your shaker.
- If using a foaming ingredient, dry shake without ice for around 10 to 15 seconds.
- Add plenty of cold ice and shake again until the cocktail is thoroughly chilled.
- Double strain into a chilled coupe or into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Add bitters to the foam if using, then garnish.
If dry shaking is new to you, our guide on what dry shaking is and when to use it explains the technique in detail.
Garnish
An expressed lemon or orange peel works well.
A cocktail cherry is another classic option.
If you have a foam layer, a couple of drops or dashes of bitters across the surface add aroma as well as visual contrast.
What is an Amaretto Sour?
An Amaretto Sour is a member of the sour family of cocktails, where sweetness and acidity are balanced around a base spirit or liqueur.
At its simplest, the drink combines amaretto and lemon juice.
More modern versions often add:
- a small amount of bourbon for dryness and structure
- egg white or aquafaba for foam and texture
- simple syrup only when additional sweetness is needed
There is no need to treat one version as the only correct Amaretto Sour. They simply produce different styles of the drink.
Why add bourbon to an Amaretto Sour?
Amaretto is naturally sweet and soft in character.
A small measure of bourbon can make the cocktail feel more structured by introducing stronger spirit character, oak, spice and dryness.
It also prevents the cocktail from relying entirely on the sweetness of the amaretto.
Bourbon is optional, though.
If you want a softer, more almond-forward drink, you can leave it out.
Amaretto Sour with bourbon vs without
| Characteristic | With Bourbon | Without Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Overall style | Drier and more structured | Softer and sweeter |
| Spirit character | More pronounced | Amaretto-led |
| Complexity | More whiskey depth | Simpler |
| Best for | Balanced modern sour | Sweet, almond-forward drink |
Neither is automatically better. Start with the bourbon version if you want more balance, then compare it with the simpler build.
Do you need egg white in an Amaretto Sour?
No.
Egg white or aquafaba changes the texture and presentation more than the core flavour of the drink.
With a foaming ingredient, you can get:
- a soft foam head
- a silkier mouthfeel
- a slightly softer perception of acidity
Without it, the cocktail is lighter and simpler.
Both versions are completely workable.
Can you use aquafaba instead of egg white?
Yes.
Aquafaba is commonly used as an egg-free foaming alternative in cocktails.
Use roughly the same amount as the egg white in the recipe and follow the same dry-shake technique.
Results can vary slightly depending on the aquafaba, so adjust as needed.
How to dry shake an Amaretto Sour
If you are using egg white or aquafaba:
- Add the cocktail ingredients to the shaker without ice.
- Shake vigorously.
- Add ice.
- Shake again until thoroughly chilled.
- Double strain into the serving glass.
The first stage focuses on aeration. The second stage chills and dilutes the drink.
Our complete guide on dry shaking cocktails covers standard dry shaking, reverse dry shaking and foam troubleshooting.
How to get better Amaretto Sour foam
Shake vigorously
Aeration requires energy, so a weak shake usually produces weaker foam.
Use an appropriate amount of egg white or aquafaba
More does not automatically mean better.
Around 15 ml is a useful starting point for one drink.
Leave room in the shaker
Do not fill the shaker so high that the liquid has very little space to move.
Use plenty of cold ice for the second shake
The second stage still needs to properly chill and dilute the cocktail.
Our guide on how much ice you should use in a cocktail explains this in more detail.
Strain promptly
Once the drink is finished, strain and serve rather than leaving it sitting in the shaker.
Remember that foam is only one part of the drink. Balance matters more than creating the tallest possible head.
What amaretto should you use?
You do not need a specific brand to make a good Amaretto Sour.
Different amarettos vary in sweetness, alcohol strength and almond-like flavour intensity, so changing bottles may require small recipe adjustments.
Disaronno is one of the best-known options and is a common reference point for Amaretto Sour recipes.
If your amaretto tastes particularly sweet, you may need less simple syrup.
If it is drier or more intense, you may prefer a small increase in sweetness.
How much lemon juice should you use?
Around 20 ml fresh lemon juice with 45 ml amaretto is a useful starting point.
From there:
- if the drink is too sweet or flat, increase the lemon slightly
- if it tastes too sharp, reduce the lemon or add a small amount of sweetness
Lemons vary, so exact measurements should always be treated as a starting point rather than an absolute rule.
Do you need simple syrup?
Not necessarily.
Amaretto already contributes considerable sweetness.
This is why I recommend starting with only a small amount of syrup, or even making the first drink without it if your amaretto is particularly sweet.
You are more likely to need additional syrup when:
- using more bourbon
- using more lemon
- working with a less sweet amaretto
Our guide on what simple syrup is and how to make it explains standard and rich syrup ratios.
Should you use sour mix?
You can, but fresh lemon juice and separately measured syrup give you more control.
With fresh lemon and syrup, you can independently change:
- acidity
- sweetness
A bottled sour mix combines those variables into one ingredient, which can make troubleshooting harder.
For a beginner learning cocktail balance, fresh lemon is the more useful option.
How to make an Amaretto Sour less sweet
Start by reducing or removing the simple syrup.
If it still tastes too sweet:
- add slightly more fresh lemon juice
- increase the bourbon slightly
- check whether your amaretto is particularly sweet
Change one thing at a time so you know which adjustment actually improved the drink.
How to make an Amaretto Sour less sour
Reduce the lemon slightly.
You can also add a small amount of syrup or amaretto to restore balance.
Small changes matter in sour cocktails, so adjust by only a few millilitres at a time.
How to make an Amaretto Sour stronger
Increase the bourbon rather than simply adding more amaretto.
More amaretto brings additional sweetness as well as alcohol, while bourbon gives you extra spirit strength with a drier profile.
What ice should you use?
For shaking, use plenty of cold, solid cubes.
If serving the cocktail over ice, one large cube or several normal cubes work well.
Avoid heavily melted ice, which makes dilution harder to control.
Our guide on how much ice to use in a cocktail goes deeper into chilling and dilution.
How to garnish an Amaretto Sour
Good options include:
- expressed lemon peel
- expressed orange peel
- cocktail cherry
- aromatic bitters on the foam
You do not need all of them.
Pick one or two that support the version you are making.
Amaretto Sour vs Whiskey Sour
The two drinks share the same broad sour structure but emphasise different ingredients.
Amaretto Sour:
- amaretto-led
- sweeter
- almond-forward
- bourbon may be used as a supporting spirit
Whiskey Sour:
- whiskey-led
- drier and more spirit-forward
- sweetener plays a supporting role
If you enjoy an Amaretto Sour but want something less sweet and more whiskey-forward, a Whiskey Sour is a natural next drink to explore.
Can you make an Amaretto Sour without egg white?
Yes.
Leave out the egg white or aquafaba and skip the dry shake.
Shake the remaining ingredients once with plenty of ice and strain.
The drink will not have the same foam or silky texture, but the core flavour remains.
Can you make an Amaretto Sour without bourbon?
Yes.
You can increase the amaretto to compensate for the missing volume, but remember that this will also increase sweetness.
Start with less or no simple syrup and adjust the lemon to suit.
Can you make one without a cocktail shaker?
A clean jar with a secure lid can work in a pinch.
The important part is having a vessel that seals properly and allows vigorous shaking.
A cocktail shaker is easier and safer to handle regularly, but it is not required for your first attempt.
Can you batch Amaretto Sours?
Partly.
You can pre-batch:
- amaretto
- bourbon
- simple syrup
Add fresh lemon close to serving for the best flavour.
If you are using egg white or aquafaba, add it to each individual serve and shake that cocktail fresh rather than attempting to create one large foam batch.
This gives you much more consistent texture and makes the serving process easier to control.
Common Amaretto Sour mistakes
Adding too much syrup
Amaretto is already sweet, so additional sugar should be used deliberately.
Using too little lemon
Without enough acidity, the drink becomes flat and overly sweet.
Assuming bourbon is mandatory
It improves structure for many palates, but simpler versions are completely legitimate.
Shaking too gently
This matters particularly when using egg white or aquafaba.
Skipping the second shake after a dry shake
The ice shake is what properly chills and dilutes the cocktail.
Using too little ice
Give the cocktail enough cold ice to chill efficiently.
Using excessive egg white
More foam is not automatically better.
Trying to fix everything at once
Adjust one variable per drink so you learn what sweetness, acidity, dilution and spirit strength are actually doing.
Learn the balance behind the sour
An Amaretto Sour is a very useful cocktail for learning balance because the effects of sweetness and acidity are easy to taste.
Once you understand what the amaretto, lemon, bourbon and dilution are contributing, you can adjust the drink deliberately rather than simply copying measurements.
Cocktail Playbook's beginner cocktail course teaches those fundamentals through classic cocktails, including shaking, dilution and balance, so you can make consistently good drinks at home.
Frequently asked questions
What is in an Amaretto Sour?
At minimum, amaretto and lemon juice. Many modern versions add bourbon for structure and egg white or aquafaba for foam and texture.
Does an Amaretto Sour need bourbon?
No. Bourbon creates a drier, more structured version, but it is optional.
Does an Amaretto Sour need egg white?
No. Egg white or aquafaba adds foam and texture but is not required for the flavour of the cocktail.
Can I use aquafaba instead of egg white?
Yes. Aquafaba is commonly used as an egg-free alternative for creating cocktail foam.
How much lemon juice should I use?
Around 20 ml with 45 ml amaretto is a useful starting point. Adjust according to the sweetness of the amaretto and acidity of your lemon.
Do I need simple syrup?
Not always. Amaretto already provides sweetness, so additional syrup should be added only if the drink needs it.
Can I use sour mix?
Yes, but fresh lemon and separately measured syrup give you greater control over acidity and sweetness.
Why is my Amaretto Sour too sweet?
Start by reducing the simple syrup. You can then add slightly more lemon or increase the bourbon if the drink still feels too soft.
Why does my Amaretto Sour have no foam?
Possible causes include weak shaking, an unsuitable amount of foaming ingredient or poor overall aeration. A proper dry shake followed by a vigorous shake with ice is a good starting technique.
Do you dry shake an Amaretto Sour?
If you are using egg white or aquafaba, a dry shake is a useful technique for building foam before the drink is chilled with ice.
Can you batch Amaretto Sours?
You can batch the spirits and syrup ahead of time, then add fresh lemon and any foaming ingredient close to serving and shake individual drinks.
