Cherry Gin Sour
I love this cherry gin sour cocktail. It’s a pretty pale pink, thanks to cherry simple syrup, with a slight tang and the right amount of sweetness. It makes a most perfect summer cocktail.
A gin sour is a timeless classic cocktail that balances sweet and tart perfectly. The ‘sour’ element is derived from lime juice or lemon juice. Typically, the drink features a white foam head made from egg white (or aquafaba as a vegan alternative). This foam layer can be topped with various decorations.
This cherry sour adds cherry simple syrup, which is made of sugar, water, frozen cherries, and a hint of almond extract. This cocktail is more on the sweeter side than a classic gin sour.
Ingredients
Check out the ingredient amounts for this cherry gin sour in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s a summary of what you’ll need.
- Cherry simple syrup. Creating your own cherry simple syrup is a breeze; you can use frozen or fresh cherries. Just prepare the sugar syrup in advance, allowing it time to cool. The syrup imparts a gorgeous red hue to the drink. This recipe uses sweet regular cherries, but you could also use sour cherries. Alternatively, try a blueberry syrup version!
- Good London Dry Gin (or your favorite gin). Use a high-quality gin where the main flavor in this gin comes from juniper berries, and no artificial colors or flavors are added.
- Fresh lemon juice or fresh lime juice. Opt for fresh rather than bottled.
- Egg whites. This ingredient gives the drink a foamy layer on top. Since raw egg whites are used, it’s recommended to choose pasteurized eggs. If you have an egg allergy or follow a vegan diet, substitute with aquafaba.
- Ice cubes.
Equipment
- A cocktail shaker or a tall jar with a lid + a strainer
- Coupe glass or cocktail glasses of your choice.
Method
Before beginning this gin cocktail, prepare the cherry syrup.
Combine cherries, a cup sugar, a cup water, lemon juice, and almond extract in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Give it a good stir and allow the sugar to dissolve. Turn up the heat to medium-high and let the sugar mixture come to a boil.
After that, reduce the heat and let it simmer for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Feel free to mash the cherries a bit as you stir.
Switch off the heat and let the cherries steep in the syrup until it reaches room temperature.
Place a fine mesh sieve or strainer over a bowl and pour the cherry mixture into it. To achieve an extra clear syrup, you can use a cloth. Let the cherry syrup drain.
Allow the cherry simple syrup to cool down to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container or mason jar for storage.
Once the syrup is ready, fill a coupe glass with ice and set it aside to chill while you create the cocktail.
Combine the gin, cherry syrup, lemon juice, and egg white in a cocktail shaker.
Secure the lid and shake for 15 seconds. This ‘dry shake’ helps mix the egg white more effectively.
Add ice and shake the mixture again until it is thoroughly chilled.
Discard the ice from the coupe glass, then strain the cocktail into the chilled glass.
Serve with a skewer speared with two cherries or a slice of lime.
More classic cocktails
Cherry Gin Sour
This cherry gin sour is a pretty pale pink, thanks to cherry simple syrup, with a slight tang and sweetness.
Ingredients
Cherry Simple Syrup
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cherries
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Cocktail
- 2oz / 60 ml London Dry Gin
- 1 oz / 30 ml Cherry Simple Syrup
- 1 oz / 30ml Fresh Lemon Juice
- ½ an egg white (or ½oz unsalted aquafaba)
- Ice
Instructions
- Syrup: Combine cherries, a cup sugar, a cup water, lemon juice, and almond extract in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Give it a good stir and allow the sugar to dissolve.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high and let the sugar mixture boil. After that, reduce the heat and let it simmer for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Feel free to mash the cherries a bit as you stir.
- Switch off the heat and let the cherries steep in the syrup until it reaches room temperature.
- Place a fine mesh sieve or strainer over a bowl and pour the cherry mixture into it. To achieve an extra clear syrup, you can use a cloth. Let the cherry syrup drain.
- Allow the cherry simple syrup to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container or mason jar for storage.
- Cocktail: Once the syrup is ready, fill a coupe glass with ice and set it aside to chill while you create the cocktail.
- Combine the gin, cherry syrup, lemon juice, and egg white in a cocktail shaker.
- Secure the lid and shake for 15 seconds. This 'dry shake' helps mix the egg white more effectively.
- Add ice and shake the mixture until it is thoroughly chilled.
- Discard the ice from the coupe glass, then strain the cocktail into the chilled glass.
- Serve with a skewer with two cherries or a slice of lime.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 194Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 30mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 0gSugar: 14gProtein: 2g