Gin Sour cocktail recipe

The Gin Sour is a light, refreshing drink with a slightly retro feel. It’s a great go-to for cocktail parties, dinner parties or late night drinks. Part of the Sour cocktail family, it’s made using a combination of base spirit, citrus, sweetener and optionally a dash of eggwhite. Like many classic cocktails, the exact origins of the Gin Sour are unknown, but it is believed to have come into being in the mid-1800s. 

A direct descendant of Punch, considered to be the earliest form of cocktail, the basic Sour forms the template for a host of modern drinks. The British Navy is credited for popularising, if not inventing, the Sour. Rum, the official libation of the Navy, was readily available around the Caribbean and didn’t go off during long voyages. Combined with the need to combat scurvy and malnutrition, sailors often mixed their rum rations with lime juice to make ‘Grog’ – something of a forerunner for the classic Daiquiri. 

The first official record of a Sour can be traced back to 1856, as part of a hand-written list of 107 mixed drinks then offered at the Mart Ackermann’s Saloon in Toronto, Canada. However, the first formal recipe for a Sour appeared six years later in Jerry Thomas’ 1862 The Bartender’s Guide, which had recipes for a Brandy Sour, a Santa Cruz (rum sour) and a Gin Sour. 

The Sour’s simple three-ingredient construction – base spirit, citrus and sweetener, plus ice – is replicated in countless cocktail recipes. Indeed, it’s this simple composition that has confirmed this cocktail as a classic and which can truly test a bartender’s craftsmanship and mastery of balance.

The Gin Sour is the foundation of several classic gin-based cocktails. Its simple construction makes it incredibly versatile and well-suited to experimentation and adaptation. 

But first, an important consideration is whether to include egg whites or not as many Sour recipes call for egg white. This is an optional addition that has been used by bartenders since the 1860s to help create a frothy texture and a rich, creamy flavour. If you do choose to include some egg white, we recommend first doing a dry shake – shaking the ingredients together in the cocktail tin before adding ice – to achieve the best consistency. Then follow that by adding ice and giving it a second shake. And for a more vegan friendly option, try substituting the egg white with two tablespoons of aquafaba – the liquid from a cheap and cheerful can of chickpeas.

Whether you want that extra froth or prefer to go without the egg white, there are still plenty of interesting variations on the Gin Sour. In fact, many of the classics stem from the Gin Sour recipe. For a Gin Fizz, simply add soda water. You can also substitute your chosen gin for a sloe gin to create a Sloe Gin Fizz, which has a fruitier, more robust flavour profile. For a Gimlet, use lime instead of lemon and ditch the egg white. To make a Clover Club, use raspberry syrup instead of simple syrup. Or if you’re after something a little stronger in flavour, try swapping the simple syrup for triple sec to make a White Lady.