Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Sours 2

“Give me the coffee to deal with the things I can control, give me alcohol to deal with the things I can’t”

I heard that phrase late last week. While I find it amusing, it also serves as a reminder that there are, in fact, a lot of things that are beyond our control. I keep telling myself that every few days or so, just to make sure I stay somewhat sane. So far it seems to be working rather well.

Enough seriousness, now on to better things. This week I did some searching to find more simplistic drinks, mainly to ensure that the liqueurs and other mixers I currently have in bar last as long as they can, keeping restocking trips to the liquor store to a minimum. I came across an article in New York Magazine  espousing the simplicity of the sour ratio. Before you go there, yes, I have done a sour before. However this week we’re going in a slightly different direction. I’m switching the base spirit to gin, and omitting the egg. The latter because I feel like I should probably save those for breakfasts and the like. Anyway, here is the Gin Sour:

2 oz. Gin

.75 oz. Lemon juice

.75 oz. Simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Strain into a “cocktail glass (or rocks glass or jelly jar or whatever the hell you’ve got in the cupboard.)”

Good to see the author has reached the “glassware no longer matters” phase of lockdown. Anyway, to the drink! Right off the bat, there is no discernible aroma to speak of, and the look is a bit cloudy from the shaking emulsifying the acid and the sugar mixers into the base.

The taste is very smooth. The sour hits you up front, but the gin takes over and mellows the sour, while the lemon doesn’t let the flavors of the gin get out of hand. Meanwhile the simple syrup adds a touch of underlying sweetness throughout the sip. No flavor particularly dominates, which is a good thing.

A noticeable difference between the whiskey sour I made before, and this gin sour is the lack of egg. The froth that the egg white adds might be a bit too much to this. I like how light the whole thing turns out to be. The only additive I would add is a few drops of angostura bitters. Which, coincidentally turns the gin sour into a Fitzgerald.

Stay healthy, stay sane, and make some sours.

(Banner image found here)