Guides
Three Levels of Complexity: The Gin Sour
Discover which gin sour is calling for your name!
There’s always more than one way to make a cocktail. Since inception, the gin sour has been a beloved template, boasting a crowd pleasing mix of sweetness, acidity, and texture that can be made as simple or extravagant as you want! With help from our good friend Jordan Hughes at @highproofpreacher, we’ll be showing you three ways to create a gin sour, each more elevated than the last.
Jump to the recipe ahead!
Easy: For the Home Bartender
Let’s begin with the simplest and most classic! The quintessential egg white cocktail, the balanced palate of a gin sour makes it a favourite of many— from the casual sipper to even the most discerning connoisseur. This recipe uses ingredients you likely already have at home, but despite its relative minimalism, the taste is oh-so divine!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
- 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- ½ oz Honey Syrup
- 1 Egg White
- Bitters, for garnish
METHOD
Shake without ice, and then shake with ice. Double-strain and serve up. Garnish with a few drops of bitters on the foam.
Medium: For an Elevated Experience
For those wanting to add more flavour complexity, this recipe is for you! By swapping out the sweetener with orgeat, notes of candied nuts are introduced that play beautifully with the added herbal qualities from the bitter liqueur and absinthe. This version certainly has the DNA of the original, but reminds us of how we can play around with different types of ingredients to make it our own!
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
- ¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- ½ oz Orgeat
- ¼ oz Bitter Bianca
- 2-3 dashes Absinthe
- 2-3 dashes Cocktail Foamer
- Floral Sugar Blend, for garnish
METHOD
Combine ingredients and shake vigorously with ice. Double-strain and serve up. Garnish with floral sugar blend.
Challenging: For the Cocktail Expert
Ready for a showstopper of a sip? This creative take is a deconstruction of the classic, where the citrus and foam elements are combined into a delectable air! Spirit-forward, yet still zippy; a glass of this is sure to turn heads.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
- ¾ oz Lillet Blanc
- ½ oz Orange liqueur
- Orange Citrus Air, to top*
METHOD
Combine ingredients and stir with ice. Strain into a coupe and spoon on orange citrus air.
*To make the orange citrus air, whisk together 75g fresh orange juice, 10g fresh lemon juice, 15g simple syrup, and 2g sunflower lecithin. Submerge the air stone of an aquarium pump in the liquid, turn on the pump and allow foam to form.
Which one of these recipes do you think you’ll try next? From timeless and understated to contemporary and subversive, the possibilities for creating this drink are truly endless. Let us know if you’d like to see these three levels for other cocktails!
For more cocktail inspiration, be sure to check out our Instagram, Cocktail Page, or Blog!
Sip responsibly!
