Vodka Sour
Vodka, lemon and sugar syrup, shaken until frothy. Clean, sharp and easy to adjust.
- Time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Strength
- 2 UK units
How to make a Vodka Sour
- Dry shake first. Add the vodka, lemon juice, syrup and egg white or aquafaba to a shaker with no ice. Shake hard for 10 seconds. You will feel it thicken as the foam builds.
- Shake again with ice. Open the shaker, fill it with ice, then shake for another 10 to 12 seconds until the tin is frosted.
- Strain over fresh ice. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh cubes. The foam should sit in a thick, pale layer on top.
- Add the bitters. Dot two dashes of Angostura on the foam, drag a cocktail stick through them if you like, and add the lemon wheel.
- Glass
- Rocks glassNo rocks glass? Any short tumbler.
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Garnish
- Lemon wheel and two dashes of Angostura on the foamOr: A lemon twist.
What you need to make a Vodka Sour
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Cocktail shakerA two-piece Boston tin is the easiest to use and clean.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
Bottles we'd use
- A decent vodkaNeutral is fine. Absolut or Smirnoff will not let you down.Find it on Amazon
- Sugar syrupOr make your own: dissolve two parts sugar into one part hot water and cool it.Find it on Amazon
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The Vodka Sour story
There is no recorded inventor. The vodka sour is a swap of vodka into the sour formula of spirit, citrus and sugar, which bartenders were writing down in the 19th century. Vodka only became a common bar spirit in the US and UK in the middle of the 20th century, so the vodka version came later.
Vodka does not add much flavour of its own, so the lemon and syrup do the work. Egg white or aquafaba gives it a soft foam and a rounder feel. Taste after shaking: too sharp, add a splash of syrup, too sweet, a squeeze more lemon.
Vodka Sour: your questions answered
What is in a Vodka Sour?
A Vodka Sour is made with 50 ml vodka, 25 ml fresh lemon juice and 15 ml sugar syrup. Garnish: lemon wheel and two dashes of Angostura on the foam.
Is a Vodka Sour shaken or stirred?
A Vodka Sour is shaken, not stirred. Shaking hard with ice chills it quickly and helps mix the juice in properly, which stirring cannot do. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold.
How strong is a Vodka Sour?
Made to this recipe, a Vodka Sour contains about 2 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Vodka Sour in?
Serve a Vodka Sour in a rocks glass over ice. No rocks glass? Any short tumbler.
