Grapefruit Amaretto Sour
An added citrusy twist to a classic, this Grapefruit Amaretto Sour can be enjoyed during the summer nights as a sweet nightcap.
As you can tell, I am still on a grapefruit kick with this Grapefruit Amaretto Sour (ie: Grapefruit Moscow Mules from last week). I was also trying to experiment with other liquors besides tequila. I rummaged around through my very small liquor collection and found Amaretto. And I bought that bottle not for drinks, but for baking. I do love Amaretto and I actually used to order mixed drinks with it all the time (hello 2-for-1 Amaretto Sours at Applebees!) but most of those drinks are on the sickly sweet side and I’d rather not deal with a sugar hangover nowadays. Whenever I get coffee from 7-11, I would always use the Amaretto coffee creamer if I saw it. It’s hard to turn down the sweet toasty almond scent & flavor.
I had all the ingredients for a classic Amaretto sour, so why not make it fun and add grapefruit? It’s incredibly easy, really delicious, not super sweet, and creamy from the egg whites. I think this would be a great after dinner, kind of a fresh dessert cocktail.
WAIT, EGG WHITES?
I know, I know, sounds scary. But if you’ve had an Amaretto sour, most likely there was egg whites in it. A classic Amaretto Sour uses egg whites to give the drink this creaminess and that white frothy top. If you don’t want to consume raw eggs or are vegan, I researched and found a few substitutions. I narrowed it down to the three that seemed the most attainable:
- Light beer. Just a small amount poured over the drink to finish it off and provide the foam factor.
- Pineapple juice. Just a splash in the cocktail shaker and shaken really well. Aerating the pineapple juice provides a great froth.
- Aquafaba. AKA the brine in canned chickpeas. It was the most popular substitution for egg whites. It provides egg white like frothing properties and the taste is pretty subtle that it won’t be noticed in the drink.
You can also just leave the egg whites out completely and shake the drink really well to get some frothiness. There won’t be much of a creamy factor but it’s delicious nonetheless.
CAN I USE BOXED/JARRED GRAPEFRUIT AND LEMON JUICE?
Although I prefer and believe fresh juice is best, you can definitely use boxed/jarred juices. Just make sure that they’re 100% juice and no added sugars, as they’re the closest tasting to freshly pressed.
CAN I SUB THE HONEY SIMPLE SYRUP?
Yup, use a cane sugar simple syrup. I use honey a lot to sweeten drinks since it’s not too sweet and even though I’m drinking alcohol, I still think I’m benefitting from honey’s rich source of antioxidants. Also, I’m not sure how true this is but I read somewhere that it beats hangovers. So why not, right?!
If you make this, let me know what you think in a comment below, through an email, or in an instagram comment. Ratings are also greatly appreciated!
Enjoy your weekend!
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GRAPEFRUIT AMARETTO SOUR
recipe for later
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker or mason jar with a lid
Ingredients
- 4 oz amaretto
- 3 oz fresh grapefruit juice
- 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- 3 tsp honey simple syrup
- 3 tsp egg white beaten, fresh or from a box, optional (see notes below)
- ice
Honey Simple Syrup
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
Honey Simple Syrup
- In a microwave safe bowl, bring the 2 tbsp of water to a boil, about 30-45 seconds.
- Stir the 2 tbsp of honey into the boiling water until completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.
Grapefruit Amaretto Sour
- Put everything but the ice in a cocktail shaker or mason jar (dry shake). Cover & shake well. Pour over ice & garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Notes
- There will be some leftover honey simple syrup. Use it to make more cocktails or refrigerate for about a week. Can also be used to sweeten coffee and hot/iced tea.
- The eggs whites are optional. A classic amaretto sour uses egg whites for added creaminess and that classic white foam.