How do you make
sour mix for cocktails?

WRITTEN BY: SCOTT VAN DORT

The basic recipe for a sour cocktail includes a base spirit (e.g. Gin, Vodka, Whiskey), citrus (e.g. Lemon or Lime Juice), and sweetener (e.g. Honey, Simple Syrup, Agave etc.). 

Bitters and Egg White (or Aquafaba as an Egg White substitute) are optional but very common and enhance the texture and complexity of the drink.

Regardless of the spirit, the fundamental formula for a Sour remains the same.

Sour cocktails are a family of drinks and one of the oldest and most popular of all the drink families. And we’re pretty sure you’ve probably tried a few of them. 

As we’re going to discuss in this article, Sours all share a few things in common. But first…

What is Sour Mix for Cocktails?

First and foremost, we, here at Absolut Drinks, recommend making drinks from scratch. Why? To ensure your drinks are at their freshest and to give you control over each ingredient, allowing you to adjust the sweetness or sourness to your liking.

However, we understand that sometimes sour mixes can be handy, especially if you’re making a batch of cocktails or hosting a party and need to prepare two or three different drinks that use the same formula but perhaps different spirit bases. 

Sour mix is a convenient blend of the essential sweet and sour components needed for many cocktails, combined in the perfect ratio. This saves you the hassle of measuring each element separately when you’re ready to make a drink.

Now, there are essentially two types of sour mixes – homemade and store-bought. And let’s just say the difference is considerable. First, let’s look at store-bought sour mixes. 

“The idea behind store-bought sour mixes is that they provide your drink with the ‘perfect balance’. So, if you add Rum, it’s a Daiquiri, or if you add Tequila, it’s a Margarita… but it’s not,” says Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan, Bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador. “With store-bought sour mixes, you’re basically getting emulsifiers and e-numbers, or a powder that you add water to create a sour mix. But the truth is, they taste horrible,” he adds.

Sour mixes have evolved, especially during the 2010s, as Rico explains. “There was a bar in London that started to create drinks that didn’t require ice; they pre-made everything. Rather than making you a cocktail, they pre-batched everything and started experimenting with citric acids and malic acids. Over time, other bars began to copy this and started making their own sour mix.”

Continuing from this, in Stockholm, Sweden, an award-winning bar has taken the idea of a sour mix and created their own in-house version. “They only use Swedish ingredients, and since Sweden doesn’t grow Lemons or Limes, they use very sour Apples to create their sour mix,” shares Rico.

You see, the key to a great sour mix is making it yourself, using fresh quality ingredients.

How to make Sour Mix

“If you really dive deep into bartender law, shall we say, you can find really good recipes for a homemade sour mix,” says Rico. 

For a basic sour mix, start by making Simple Syrup and then juicing Lemons, Limes, and maybe even Oranges using a Citrus Elbow or Citrus Press. 

Begin with a ratio of two parts Lime Juice to one-part Simple Syrup. Gradually mix the Juice into the Sugar Syrup until you find a balance you like. Then, use a blender to blend the mixture to really emulsify the Lime Juice and Simple Syrup. Unsure what a cocktail part is? Check out this article where we explain how to work with parts to make cocktails.

“Taste as you go and tweak the ratio to suit your taste preference. Start with a one-to-one ratio so you have a baseline. If it’s too sweet, add more Citrus Juice. If it’s too sour, add more Simple Syrup,” recommends Rico.

“Oh! And don’t be afraid to experiment and adjust the mix to your liking. When it’s just two ingredients, it’s like a seesaw—finding the right balance is key. And the right balance is when you think it’s delicious.”

Once made, you can store your homemade sour mix in your refrigerator for 7-10 days. Now, it’s time to put that sour mix to the real test by making some drinks!

What is a Sour Cocktail?

“You’ve got the Whiskey Sour, you’ve got the Amaretto Sour, and you’ve got the Vodka Sour, but then you’ve also got the Margarita, the Daiquiri, the Cosmopolitan, and the Mojito – these are all sours,” explains Rico. “There are many sours out there that don’t have the term sour in their name, but they’re definitely Sours.”

The Whiskey Sour is one of the oldest known sour cocktails, with its first printed mention dating back to 1870. Over time, Sours have seen numerous interpretations, with some achieving contemporary classic status. Examples include the Pisco Sour, Amaretto Sour, Vodka Sour, Boston Sour, New York Sour, South Side, Margarita, Sidecar, Daiquiri, White Lady, Lemon Drop Martini, and Gimlet.

Don’t miss our Sour Cocktail Collection where we highlight 10 sours every home bartender needs to know how to make.