Sour cocktails are fresh, bright, and tangy, with clean—often citrusy—aromas. They make wonderful aperitifs. Their sharp flavors stimulate the appetite, letting you know that dinner will soon follow.
Sailors of the early British navy may have unknowingly originated this style of cocktail. They were given rations of lime juice to help fight off scurvy, a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C. Sailors being sailors, as the story goes, they began to mix their sour fruit rations with standard-issue rum or gin—leading to a whole range of classics, including the whiskey sour, Tom Collins, and eventually the margarita and daiquiri.
You don’t have to be a reader to know that novelist Ernest Hemingway was a man who liked to drink. It’s no wonder he tinkered with Cuba’s classic Daiquiri while he was on the island in the 1950s. It’s been said that he followed a “12-a-day rule,” mostly while he sat “working” at the bar at La Florida in Havana. According to the memoir of journalist and longtime friend A. E. Hotchner, the Papa Hemingway “was compounded of two and a half jiggers of Bacardi White Label Rum, the juice of two limes, and half a grapefruit and six drops of maraschino.” That’s way more sour and way stronger than the original—a subtle blend of lime and rum—and is befitting a man with big tastes.
2 shots / 90 ml / 3 fl oz clear rum
1-1/2 tbsp / 3/4 fl oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp / 1/2 fl oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/4 pony shot / 71/2 ml / 1/4 fl oz maraschino liqueur
1⅓ cups / 101/2-oz glassful of ice (for the frozen version)
1 lime wedge, as garnish
Shaken and strained: Add the rum, lime juice, grapefruit juice, and maraschino liqueur to a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass and garnish with a masculine hunk of lime.
Frozen: Place everything except the lime in a blender and blend thoroughly. Pour into an extra-large chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with lime.
Tip
For frozen drinks, I like the Vitamix Barboss blender. I’d blend this drink on the #3 setting.
I got the idea for this Biarritz Monk cocktail from Around the World with Jigger, Beaker, and Flask by Charles Henry Baker, Jr. (1939). His version is called Monk Buck from Biarritz. Bucks are a style of cocktail that have been slung across bars since the 1890s. Besides a base spirit and something sour, they typically include ginger ale. I love the interplay between ginger and cognac, but ginger ale is far too sweet for my taste. (And as much as I love his book, it seems I’m never wholly satisfied with his drinks as written.) So I left the “buck” out and began to experiment. By the time I was finished, I had a fragrant cocktail that’s a bit pungent and plenty sour.
1 thin slice fresh ginger
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz cognac
2 tbsp / 1 fl oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-1/2 tbsp / 3/4 fl oz ginger and black pepper agave syrup (see page 14)
1/2 pony shot / 15 ml / 1/2 fl oz yellow Chartreuse
1 large, wide lemon peel chip, as garnish
Rub the ginger slice along the rim of a big, heavy double old-fashioned glass. Drop the ginger into the glass and add an extra-large ice cube. Set aside.
In a mixing glass half-filled with ice, combine the cognac, lemon juice, ginger and black pepper agave syrup, and Chartreuse. Stir until chilled and properly diluted, about 20 seconds. Julep-strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with the lemon chip, expressing its oil onto the surface, rubbing it onto the rim of the glass, and dropping it in the drink, peel side up.
This is a more faithful interpretation of the original.
1 long, thin strip lemon peel
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz cognac
1/2 cup / 4 fl oz ginger ale
1/2 pony shot / 30 ml / 1/2 fl oz yellow Chartreuse
Place the lemon peel strip in a Collins or highball glass; fill the glass with cracked ice. Add the cognac and ginger ale; pour in the Chartreuse over a barspoon, drizzling it onto the ice.
Makes 1
Yes, this is a riff on the cocktail The Last Word (sometimes called The Final Word). Despite its on-again-off-again popularity, this is really quite a drink: sour, pungent, even a bit rich. It seems to have originated in the 1920s at the Detroit Athletic Club, where it became very popular. Then came Prohibition . . . and away went some of this country’s best cocktails, the original version of this drink among them. Luckily, it made a little comeback in 1951 when it was published in Ted Saucier’s classic cocktail book Bottoms Up! But as the clock kept ticking, the drink was lost to history again until Murray Stenson, while behind the bar at Seattle’s Zig Zag Café, brought it back to our attention. It’s currently favored in one version or another in discerning cocktail bars all over the country.
I tried to imagine what this cocktail would have been like with the older-style gin used in pre-Prohibition America. Ransom’s Old Tom gin nicely fills that niche for me. The egg white was an impulse; I think it adds a bit of textural elegance.
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz Ransom or other Old Tom gin
1/2 pony shot / 30 ml / 1/2 fl oz green Chartreuse
1/2 pony shot / 30 ml / 1/2 fl oz maraschino liqueur
1 tbsp / 1/2 fl oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small egg white (optional)
1 mint sprig, as garnish
1 lemon wheel, as garnish
Pour the gin, Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, and egg white (if using) into a cocktail shaker. Cover and vigorously “dry shake” for about 30 seconds to combine. Uncap, fill the shaker ⅔ full with medium ice cubes, and shake vigorously again until frothy, at least 30 seconds. Using a Hawthorn strainer, double-strain the cocktail through a wire-mesh sieve over one extra-large ice cube into a double old-fashioned glass. Wait a moment for the foam to rise, then garnish with the mint sprig and lemon wheel.
Makes 1
Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb—that’s not me muttering to myself, but it is fun to say. It’s especially fun when you say Rhubarb Rosemary Flip. I bet its creator, Carol Donovan, is fun, too—with her résumé of gigs singing classical music all over Chicago. I imagine her singing behind the bar when she developed this drink for Chicago restaurant The Hearty Boys.
The heart of this drink is a rhubarb and rosemary syrup, a ruby-red handmade elixir that packs a sweet and sour punch. I’m sure you know rhubarb—that tart red stalk usually associated with dessert pies and cobblers. It’s a charmingly “old-fashioned” ingredient that has somehow resisted mass-market appeal, but Carol’s syrup brings it into the modern age. It’s terrific when paired with the botanicals in gin.
1 shot / 45 ml / 1-1/2 fl oz dry gin
1-1/2 tbsp / 3/4 fl oz rhubarb rosemary syrup (see page 14), plus more for drizzling
1-1/2 tbsp / 3/4 fl oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 small egg white (optional)
1 long fresh rosemary sprig, as garnish
Pour the gin, rhubarb rosemary syrup, lime juice, and egg white (if using) into a cocktail shaker. Cover and vigorously “dry shake” for about 30 seconds to combine. Add enough medium ice cubes to nearly fill the shaker, cover, and shake as vigorously as you can until frothy, at least 30 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled tall Collins or chimney glass. Drizzle or drop another 1/4 oz (1/2 tbsp) of the rhubarb rosemary syrup over the top. Garnish with the rosemary.
Tip
Does the idea of an egg in your cocktail make you a bit queasy? Well, relax. A raw egg white helps unify flavors; what it doesn’t do is add an eggy taste or create a slimy texture. In fact, a properly shaken egg white creates a soft, silky foam that rises to the top of the cocktail.
Still, many people raise their eyebrows at the thought of raw eggs. Raw eggs have been somewhat vilified, and while it’s true that raw eggs carry some risk of salmonella, with properly stored fresh eggs the risk is very, very low. Pasteurized eggs remove the threat entirely. But if you’re still not sure, all I can say is that you’re really missing out.
My Green Tea Gimlet is the perfect party cocktail, so I like to make it by the pitcherful. You can file this under Party Planning 101 and thank me later, because serving cocktails by the pitcher to a crowd is not only convenient, it’s super-smart quality control.
1-1/2 cups / 12 fl oz dry gin, at room temperature
2 green tea bags
3/4 cup / 6 fl oz freshly squeezed lime juice
4 to 6 tbsp / 2 to 3 fl oz citrus syrup made with lemon, to taste (see page 15)
6 lime wedges, as garnish
Make the base: Pour the gin into a 3-cup or larger pitcher. Add the tea bags and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, remove the tea bags and add the lime juice and citrus syrup; stir until well combined.
Make the cocktails: For each cocktail, add about 3-1/4 ounces of the base to a cocktail shaker ⅔ filled with ice. Cover and shake vigorously; strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass. Squeeze a lime wedge over the drink and drop it in.
Makes 6
This drink was created by Stephan Berg from The Bitter Truth, a cocktail bitters company. It’s based on a classic Aviation cocktail and was created as a romantic gesture toward a woman. She was impressed by its pale blue color, saying it reminded her of the poem “Mondnacht” (Moonlit Night). Needless to say, the date was a success. Even a savory book has to have a sweet story.
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz tequila blanco
1/2 pony shot / 15 ml / 1/2 fl oz The Bitter Truth or other violet liqueur
1/2 pony shot / 15 ml / 1/2 fl oz maraschino liqueur
2 tbsp / 1 fl oz freshly squeezed lime Juice
2 or 3 dashes orange bitters
1 small egg white (optional)
Add the tequila, violet, maraschino, lime juice, bitters, and egg white (if using) to a cocktail shaker. Cover and vigorously “dry shake” for about 30 seconds to combine. Uncap the shaker and fill ⅔ full with medium ice cubes, then shake vigorously again until frothy, at least 30 seconds. Using a Hawthorn strainer, double-strain the cocktail through a wire-mesh sieve into a chilled cocktail glass.
Makes 1
Every party should have a punch, and this one has an old-fashioned appeal that’s perfect for a modern-day party. It comes from Nathan Hazard, one of my podcast partners at The Table Set.
3 cups chopped rhubarb
3 tbsp sugar
1 (750 ml) bottle dry gin
Distilled water, as needed
1 lemon, sliced into wheels
2 cups oleo-saccharum (see page 16)
2-1/2 cups / 20 fl oz freshly squeezed red grapefruit juice
1-1/2 cups / 12 fl oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-1/2 cups / 12 fl oz Lillet Rose
12 dashes Fee Brothers rhubarb bitters (available online, optional)
1 liter club soda
Peels from 3 grapefruit (use a vegetable peeler to avoid the pith)
2 or 3 fresh rosemary sprigs, as garnish
Make the infusion: Place the rhubarb and sugar in a large wide-mouth glass jar or bowl; let macerate for at least 1 hour. Add the gin, cover, and place in a cool, dark place. Let the gin infuse for about 2 weeks (or to taste), swirling the container occasionally. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a double layer of damp cheesecloth.
Prepare the ice: In a large pot, bring distilled water to a boil; you’ll need enough to fill a metal bowl or bundt pan several inches smaller in diameter than your punch bowl. Cool and chill in the refrigerator. Arrange lemon wheels and rosemary in the bottom of the bowl or bundt pan, saving some of the rosemary for garnish. Pour in chilled distilled water to cover the lemons by about 1/2 inch. Cover and freeze until set. Then fill the mold with more chilled distilled water so that it comes to 1 inch below the rim. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
Make the punch: Combine the oleo-saccharum, rhubarb-infused gin, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, Lillet Rose, rhubarb bitters (if using), and grapefruit peels in a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
When ready to serve, dip the bottom of the ice mold into a bowl of hot water to loosen it, then transfer the ice into your punch bowl, lemon side up. Pour in the chilled punch; add the club soda and garnish with grapefruit peels and remaining rosemary.
Makes about 20 cups
For this Yuzu Sour I propose pisco, a brandy blended from several different grape varieties common to South America. Both Peru and Chile produce excellent piscos. While either of these would work well for this recipe, I’ve styled the drink after Peru’s full-bodied, tangy citrus Pisco Sour—undoubtedly their iconic national cocktail. My version features yuzu, a super-sour citrus that gives it a decidedly Japanese flair. This may seem globally out of sync, but in truth Peru was the first nation to establish diplomatic relations with Japan. As a result, there is a long history of Japanese immigration to that South American country.
2 shots / 90 ml / 3 fl oz pisco
2 tbsp / 1 fl oz yuzu juice, freshly squeezed or bottled*
1/2 pony shot / 15 ml / 1/2 fl oz ginger liqueur
1 small egg white (optional)
4 drops Miracle Mile yuzu bitters (available online, optional)
* Lime juice may be substituted for yuzu juice. For more information about yuzu, see the Golden Ale recipe on “Golden Ale” on page 36.
Combine the pisco, yuzu juice, ginger liqueur, and egg white (if using) in a cocktail shaker. Cover and vigorously “dry shake” for about 30 seconds to combine. Don’t skip this step—it really helps build structure. In fact, the longer and more vigorously you shake, the more lift you’ll get from the foam that’s created. Uncap the shaker and fill with medium ice cubes ⅔ full; shake vigorously again until frothy, at least 30 seconds. Using a Hawthorn strainer, double-strain the cocktail through a wire-mesh sieve into a chilled old-fashioned glass. Wait a moment for the foam to rise and then place 4 drops of bitters (if using) in a circle on top. Use the tip of a skewer to connect the dots.
Makes 1
Riffs are modern cocktails inspired by classics. Gabriella Mlynarczyk, from Chef Michael Voltaggio’s Ink restaurant in Los Angeles, presents one here that can be best described as a Belgian Michelada or a spicy take on a Shandy.
1 lemon wedge
Sea salt as needed, preferably smoked
1 scant barspoon hot sauce
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz vodka
1/2 pony shot / 15 ml / 1/2 fl oz elderflower liqueur
1/2 fl oz yuzu juice, freshly squeezed or bottled*
1 tbsp / 1/2 fl oz lemon juice
1 tbsp / 1/2 oz honey syrup (honey and warm water in a 1:1 ratio)
4 to 6 tbsp / 2 to 3 fl oz Belgian-style golden ale
* Yuzu is a very aromatic sour citrus fruit that originated in East Asia. It’s typical in Japanese cooking and integral to ponzu sauce. Yuzu can be found in-season at many Asian markets, or it can be purchased as bottled juice in Asian markets or online. Lime juice can be substituted.
Use the lemon wedge to lightly moisten the rim of a highball glass. Pour the salt onto a small saucer, spreading it out in a thin, even layer. Press the rim into the salt, cookie-cutter style, twisting it back and forth to get an evenly coated rim. Fill the glass with medium ice cubes; set aside.
To a cocktail shaker ⅔ filled with ice, add the hot sauce, vodka, elderflower liqueur, yuzu juice, lemon juice, and honey syrup. Cover and shake. Strain into the prepared glass and top with ale.
Makes 1