Aperitif/Liqueur · Sour · Herbaceous
Amaro Sour Recipe
A Whiskey Sour with a bitter Italian soul. Silky, bittersweet and herbaceous, the Amaro Sour turns Amaro Nonino's honeyed spice into a foamy, citrus-bright sour — equally at home as an aperitivo opener or a lighter after-dinner pour.
- Prep Time
- 1.5 min
- Method
- Shaken
- Glass
- Coupe glass
- Strength
- Sessionable
Every recipe on Sipped Right is tested for taste and balance before it's published.
Last updated October 20, 2026
About the Amaro Sour
The Amaro Sour isn't a single historically fixed drink — it's a modern craft-cocktail template that swaps a base spirit for amaro in the classic Sour formula, popularized on bar menus over the past decade or two as bartenders explored Italian bittersweet liqueurs. Amaro Nonino is the amaro most commonly cited as the base, its honeyed, gently bitter profile softened further by a splash of bourbon, fresh lemon juice, and egg white.
Built on the same spirit-citrus-sweetener logic as a Whiskey Sour, the Amaro Sour swaps most of the base spirit for amaro: 1.5oz Amaro Nonino, 0.75oz bourbon, 1oz fresh lemon juice, 0.25oz simple syrup and 1 egg white. Because amaro already carries its own bittersweetness and herbal spice, the syrup is trimmed back so the lemon and the amaro's natural bitterness — not added sugar — do the balancing, letting its complexity lead the drink.
Ingredients
- Amaro Nonino1 ½ oz
- Bourbon¾ oz
- Fresh lemon juice1 oz
- Simple syrup¼ oz
- Egg white1
Method
- Add the Amaro Nonino, bourbon, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white to a shaker tin.
- Dry-shake without ice for 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white.
- Add ice to the shaker.
- Shake hard for 15 seconds until well chilled.
- Fine-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist and a cocktail cherry.
Glass & Garnish
Coupe glass, garnished with a lemon twist and a cocktail cherry.
Notes
A modern template that applies the Whiskey Sour structure to amaro: dry-shake first, then shake with ice, then fine-strain into a coupe. Amaro Nonino is the amaro used here; Averna works as a substitute.
Tools Used
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FAQ
- Which amaro should I use?
- Amaro Nonino is the classic choice — honeyed and gently bitter, with orange peel and baking spice that plays well with bourbon and lemon. Swap in Averna or Amaro Montenegro for a softer, sweeter pour, or Amaro Lucano for extra herbal bite. Avoid heavier, more medicinal amari like Fernet-Branca unless you want a much more bitter drink.
- Can I make it without egg white?
- Yes — omit it for a clean, spirit-forward sour, or use 0.5oz aquafaba (chickpea brine) for the same silky foam without egg. The dry-shake step still applies with aquafaba; without either, just shake once with ice and strain, skipping the foam step entirely.
- Can I batch this for a party?
- Batch the amaro, bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup ahead in a bottle (multiply each by your guest count) and refrigerate. Add egg white per drink at serving time and shake individually — egg-white foam doesn't hold up well pre-batched, so that part is always made to order.
- What's the classic garnish?
- A twist of lemon peel expressed over the foam, often paired with a cocktail cherry dropped in or perched on the rim. The oils from the twist lift the citrus and echo the amaro's orange-peel notes, while the cherry adds a small sweet contrast to the bittersweet body.
- Is the Amaro Sour a classic cocktail?
- Not a traditional classic — it's a modern bar-menu creation that applies the centuries-old Sour formula (spirit, citrus, sweetener) to amaro instead of whiskey or gin. It gained popularity as craft bartenders embraced Italian amari in the 2010s, with Amaro Nonino becoming the most frequently cited base.
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