I think the search for a better Amaretto Sour might’ve been the beginning of my deep dive into the craft cocktail world. The ones I keep getting were too sweet, too hazelnut forward, not well-balanced–although, I wouldn’t know it then, or too something. I’ve never been a fan of whiskey so whiskey sours we’re just out of the question. Then I stumbled onto the Morgenthaler Amaretto Sour. Jeffrey adds in just enough cask-proof bourbon to the usual amaretto to make the drink more balanced and have more depth and more tasting notes. Just more of everything.
But I don’t like bourbon. And what I don’t like about bourbon is doubly present in over-proof bourbon.
Still, I made them the Morgenthaler way for years. That is until I discovered Japanese whiskey. They oak they use makes Japanese whiskey sweeter to me. The Mizunara oak imparts a taste not present in any other whiskey. And I love it.
My recipe for an Amaretto Sour is:
- 2 oz amaretto
- .5 oz cask-proof Japanese whiskey
- .5 oz Suntory Toki whiskey
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 tsp enriched simple syrup (2:1)
- .5 oz egg white
Shake in a shaker. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cherry. Or three.
The Morgenthaler Amaretto Sour was a huge improvement over the regular one. But I think I’ve taken it to the next level with my substitution of Japanese whiskey for bourbon. And because I don’t like the boozy forward-ness over over-proof whiskeys, I did a mix instead. It’s damn near perfect when cherries are added to the mix. Luxardo cherries, to be exact. They are my favorite as well. And I’ve tried a LOT of cocktail cherries.
It’s been a few years since I perfected my Amaretto Sour recipe, well, perfect for me. And in that time, I’ve made a few more drinks. And then, I fell down the rabbit-hole of craft cocktails. And now my home bar has more bitters than most commercial ones.
I’m not sad about it. At. All.
