Stockholm Sour
Average
Sweet & Sour
5 Minutes
Rocks Glass
Ingredients
The Stockholm Sour puts a Scandinavian twist on the classic New York Sour, swapping Rye Whiskey for Swedish Vodka. It’s similar to a classic Vodka Sour, however, the signature red wine float from the New York Sour adds a sweet complexity, making this drink uniquely its own.
Your new favorite sour cocktail? Who knows, it could just be!
How To Make a Stockholm SOUR Cocktail
Bar tools you’ll need
Citrus Press
Jigger
Boston Shaker
Bar Spoon
How to Mix
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Cut a Lemon in half and use a Citrus Press to extract the juice.
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Use a Fine Mesh Strainer to strain the Lemon Juice into a Glass Jug.
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Use a Jigger to measure and pour the Lemon Juice into a Cocktail Shaker.
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Measure and pour Rich Syrup into the Shaker, followed by Absolut Vodka.
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Add a dash of Aromatic Bitters.
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Crack an Egg and separate the Egg Whites from the Yolk, placing the Egg Whites into a Glass or Cup.
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Fill the Shaker with Ice Cubes and shake until chilled.
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Place a Hawthorne Strainer over the Cocktail Shaker to strain out the Ice.
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Place one large Ice piece into a Rocks Glass.
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Shake again and pour the mixture directly into a Rock Glass.
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Use the back of a Bar Spoon to carefully pour Claret directly into the Glass to create a red layer.
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Take a Peeler and peel a Lemon strip, then press it over your drink to release the oils before placing it gently into your drink.
Watch Rico show you how to make The Stockholm Sour cocktail
All about The Stockholm Sour
The Stockholm Sour was invented in 2024 by Rico. While making a New York Sour for the Absolut Drinks with Rico YouTube series, Rico tackled the question of whether the drink would work with Vodka. And the answer? Yes, it does!
To create the Stockholm Sour, Rico followed the exact same recipe as the New York Sour but swaps Rye Whiskey for Vodka. And just like that, a new cocktail was created.
Sweeten to your liking
When making sours, the rule for Simple Syrup used to be 1:1, meaning one part Sugar to one part Water. However, nowadays, it’s all down to preference. For the Stockholm Sour and New York Sour, you’ll see that Rico opts for a 2:1 ratio to create a Rich Syrup. So, play around with it. At the end of the day, it’s your drink.
Settle down and pour slow and steady
After pouring your mixture into your glass, let it settle for a few seconds before adding the Claret so you can get the Claret into the drink properly. The secret to layering is to pour slow and steady. Use the back of your Bar Spoon to pour in the Claret.
Add the Egg Whites last
When adding ingredients to your Cocktail Shaker, put the Egg Whites in last. As Rico explains, after adding the Lemon Juice, you don’t want the Eggs to start “cooking,” which could result in a strange, scrambled egg-like texture
Shake it your way
When making sours, Rico prefers using a reverse dry shake, which involves first shaking cocktail ingredients with Ice, then straining out the Ice and shaking again without it.
The reverse dry shake is especially useful for drinks with Egg Whites like the Stockholm Sour, as it creates a frothy, velvety texture, which is exactly what you want for sour drinks. Try different shaking techniques and see which you prefer.
New York Sour
The Stockholm Sour wouldn’t exist if not for the original New York Sour. In the words of Rico, “It’s possibly one of the best cocktails ever invented.” The two drinks follow the exact same recipe except the New York Sour uses Rye Whiskey.
Take a look at our New York Sour recipe.
Whiskey Sour
The original and arguably still the best. The Whiskey Sour is considered the Monarch of the Sours cocktail family, with a rich history and the inspiration for countless sour drinks.
Discover how to make a classic Whiskey Sour.
We recommend serving the Stockholm Sour in a Rocks Glass with a single large Ice Block just like the New York Sour. Why? It makes for a more elegant drinking experience. It will also make sure your drink stays colder longer and won’t dilute or become too watery.
Lemon Zest is the garnish of choice for sours, with the Stockholm Sour included. Squeeze the oils from Lemon Peel over your drink and then place the Peel directly in your Glass.
Stockholm Sour FAQ
Yes, you can. You can use Aquafaba instead. Aquafaba is essentially the liquid leftover from cooked Chickpeas. Aquafaba will give your sours that incredible frothy head just like Egg Whites.
In the video above, you’ll hear Rico also suggest making ‘super foam’. “It’s a vegan, very high-end type of foaming agent,” explains Rico. Watch this video with Kevin Kos to see how to make super foam.
It’s the same as making Simple Syrup but the ratio is 2-1 Sugar to Water. Check out this article to learn how to make Simple Syrup.
Rico, who created the drinks, lives in Stockholm, Sweden and that’s where this New York Sour variation was created.
