This cherry gin sour is a pretty pale pink cocktail with a silky foam top, a slight tang, and just the right amount of sweetness. It’s one of my favorites.
About this recipe
This is a gin sour made with homemade cherry syrup, fresh lemon juice, and egg white. The cherry syrup gives it a gorgeous soft pink color and a rich, slightly almond-like flavor – the syrup has a little almond extract in it which really makes it. It’s on the sweeter side compared to a classic gin sour, but the lemon keeps it balanced.
It uses the same dry shake technique as my raspberry gin sour and blueberry gin sour. You shake without ice first to emulsify the egg white, then add ice and shake again. That first dry shake is what gives you the thick, stable foam on top – don’t skip it.
You need to make the cherry syrup ahead so it has time to cool. It keeps in the fridge for two weeks, so it’s worth making a batch. It’s also great in a cherry old fashioned or a cherry daiquiri.
Key ingredients and why
- Gin: A London Dry gin works best here. The juniper botanicals pair really nicely with cherry. For more ideas, browse my gin cocktail recipes.
- Cherry syrup: The whole point of this drink. My homemade cherry syrup uses frozen or fresh cherries and a touch of almond extract, which gives it a depth that plain cherry juice doesn’t have.
- Fresh lemon juice: The sour element. Always fresh, never bottled. About half a lemon gives you an ounce.
- Egg white: Creates that silky, thick foam on top. Half an egg white per drink is all you need. For a vegan version, swap it for half an ounce of aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) – it froths up just as well.
Method
- Chill a coupe glass in the freezer or fill it with ice while you make the drink.
- Add the gin, cherry syrup, lemon juice, and egg white to a cocktail shaker without ice. Shake hard for about 15 seconds.
- Add a generous amount of ice and shake again for another 15 seconds until well chilled. Tip the ice from the coupe glass and strain the cocktail in quickly.
- Serve with a cocktail skewer speared with a cherry, or a slice of lime.
Tips
- Don’t skip the dry shake. It’s what gives you the thick, silky foam. Shaking with ice straight away dilutes the egg white before it can emulsify properly.
- Make the syrup ahead. The cherry syrup needs to be completely cool before using. It keeps in the fridge for two weeks.
- Making it as a batch for a party. Mix the gin, cherry syrup, and lemon juice ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, pour a portion into a shaker with the egg white or aquafaba, dry shake, add ice, shake again, and strain. The egg white needs to be added fresh each time to get the foam.
- Try other berries. This same method works with blueberry syrup or raspberry syrup.
- Swap gin for vodka for a cherry vodka sour.
Gin sour FAQ
Related recipes
- Raspberry Gin Sour – the same method with raspberry syrup
- Blueberry Gin Sour – deep purple and fruity
- Blackberry Gin Sour – rich and bold
- Cherry Old Fashioned – another great use for the cherry syrup
- Cherry Daiquiri – a cherry rum cocktail with a similar flavor profile
Cherry Gin Sour
A pretty pale pink gin sour with homemade cherry syrup and silky egg white foam.
Ingredients
Cocktail
- 2 oz London dry gin
- 3/4 oz lemon juice fresh
- 3/4 oz cherry simple syrup
- 1 egg white or ½ oz unsalted aquafaba
- Ice
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass in the freezer or fill with ice while you make the drink.
- Add the gin, cherry syrup, lemon juice, and egg white to a cocktail shaker without ice.
- Shake hard for 15 seconds. This is the dry shake – it emulsifies the egg white and creates the foam.
- Add a generous handful of ice and shake again for 15 seconds until well chilled.
- Tip the ice from the coupe glass and strain the cocktail in.
- Garnish with fresh cherries on a skewer.
Notes
Cherry Simple Syrup: To make the cherry syrup: combine 1½ cups cherries (pits and all), 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, ½ tbsp lemon juice, and ¼ tsp almond extract in a saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes, then steep off the heat until cool before straining. Full recipe at cherry simple syrup.
- The dry shake (without ice first) is essential for the silky foam.
- Make your cherry syrup ahead of time so it’s completely cool before using. It keeps in the fridge for two weeks.
- For a vegan version, swap the egg white for 1/2 oz (15 ml) aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas). It froths up just as well.
- To make as a batch: mix the gin, syrup, and lemon juice ahead of time and store in the fridge. Add the egg white or aquafaba fresh to each drink when shaking.
- One lemon gives you approximately 1 oz (30 ml) of juice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1drinkCalories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 2gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 38mgPotassium: 61mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
This looks great!! I hope to make it for Christmas w the aquafaba. But do you think I can premade it as a batch cocktail?
Thank you! I’m so excited you’re planning to make it for Christmas! You cann turn it into a batch cocktail. I’d recommend mixing everything except the aquafaba ahead of time and storing it in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, just pour a portion into a shaker with aquafaba, shake it up to get the foam layer, then shake again with ice and strain into a glass.
Oh thank you!!! Will do!! The frozen cherries I bought from WF today are already pitted! I was not sure that would be the case! Hooray
Made these tonight – hubby takes a sip and says “that’s perfect.” Delicious and pretty in pink!
Yasss that’s the best response! 😀