Tequila Sour
A creamy, tart sour in which tequila's agave character meets a silky egg-white foam.
Ingredients
- Tequila, blanco or reposado60 ml
- Lemon juice, freshly squeezed30 ml
- Simple syrup (1:1)22 ml
- Egg white15 ml
- Aromatic bitters (Angostura)e.g. Angostura2 dashes
Method
- Pour the tequila, lemon juice, syrup, egg white and Angostura bitters into a shaker without ice.
- Shake hard for about 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white (the dry shake).
- Add ice and shake again for 30 seconds to chill and dilute the drink.
- Double strain into a chilled coupe.
About this drink
The sour family dates from the bar drinks of the 1800s, when spirit, citrus and sugar were measured in fixed ratios to create balance. As tequila gained ground outside Mexico in the 20th century, the natural next step was to put it into the same template as the whiskey sour. The egg white gives the drink its signature foam and a softer, fuller body than, say, a Margarita.
Questions and answers
Why dry shake a Tequila Sour?
Shaking without ice emulsifies the egg white into a stable foam before the ice shake chills and dilutes the drink. Skip that step and the foam never gets properly dense.
Can I leave out the egg white in a Tequila Sour?
Leave it out and shake straight with ice. The taste of tequila, lemon and bitters stays the same; you just lose the soft, creamy foam.
