This strawberry gin sour is fruity, tart, and has that beautiful silky foam on top that makes a sour feel like a proper cocktail. It’s made with gin, homemade strawberry syrup, fresh lemon, and egg white, and it’s a really good summer drink.

A pink Strawberry Gin Sour with a frothy top is served in a coupe glass, garnished with strawberry slices on a cocktail pick. Fresh strawberries are placed around the glass on a stone coaster and a light-colored surface.

About this recipe

This is a gin sour made with homemade strawberry syrup in place of simple syrup. The strawberry gives the drink a gorgeous pink color and a fruity sweetness that pairs really well with the botanical notes in gin. It’s sweet and tart with that thick silky foam on top from the egg white.
It uses the same dry shake technique as my raspberry gin sour and cherry gin sour. You shake everything without ice first to emulsify the egg white, then add ice and shake again. That first shake without ice is what gives you the thick, stable foam on top.
You need to make the strawberry syrup ahead so it has time to cool. It keeps in the fridge for two weeks so it’s worth making a batch. For more gin cocktail ideas, browse my gin cocktail recipes.

Key ingredients and why

Gin: A London Dry gin works best here. The juniper botanicals complement the strawberry without competing with it.
Strawberry syrup: Where all the fruity flavor and color comes from. My homemade strawberry syrup is quick to make and keeps in the fridge for two weeks.
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. For a vegan version, swap it for half an ounce of aquafaba.

Instructions

Chill a coupe glass in the freezer or fill it with ice while you make the drink.

A hand pours a red liquid for a Strawberry Gin Sour from a metal jigger into a stainless steel cocktail shaker on a light textured surface, with the shaker’s lid resting nearby.

Add the gin, strawberry syrup, lemon juice, and egg white to a cocktail shaker without ice. Shake hard for about 15 seconds. This is the dry shake and it’s what creates the thick foam.

A hand pours a creamy pink Strawberry Gin Sour from a metal shaker into a stemmed glass on a speckled, light-colored surface.

Add a generous amount of ice and shake again for 15 seconds until well chilled. Tip the ice from the coupe glass and strain the cocktail in quickly.

Garnish with fresh strawberry slices

A pink, frothy Strawberry Gin Sour in a coupe glass, garnished with sliced strawberry on a cocktail pick. Fresh strawberries are placed beside the glass on a gray stone coaster.

Tips

The dry shake is what creates the foam. Shaking with ice straight away dilutes the egg white before it can emulsify properly.
Make the syrup ahead. The strawberry syrup needs to be completely cool before using. It keeps in the fridge for two weeks.
Strain it fast. The froth settles quickly so get it into the glass straight after shaking.
Try other berries. This same method works beautifully with blueberry syrup, raspberry syrup, or cherry syrup.
Strawberry sugar rim. For something a bit extra, run a lemon wedge around the rim and dip the glass into a mix of sugar and freeze-dried strawberry powder.
Swap gin for vodka for a strawberry vodka sour.