The Amaretto Stone Sour has been around since at least 1934, but it’s only recently that people have started using it as a drinkable beverage rather than just a garnish.
What Is The Difference Between Amaretto And Other Liqueurs?
There are two main types of liqueur — distilled spirits and fruit brandies.
Fruit brandies are made from fermented fruits and can be either sweet (like port) or dry (like sherry).
Distilled spirits are made by distillation, which involves heating up an alcoholic solution until all of its alcohol evaporates into steam.
This means that the resulting product will be much stronger in flavor than most fruit brandies.
Amaretto is one of the strongest of these fruit brandy products.
It comes from almonds, so it contains some almond oil along with the actual nut itself.
The final alcohol content of this liqueur is about 42% ABV, or approximately twice that of whisky.
Other similar products include crème de noyer, which is French for “nose of blackthorn.” This kind of liqueur was originally used to cure coughs, because it contains tannic acid, which helps to reduce inflammation.
Other examples of liqueurs that contain tannins are cherry brandy, peach brandy, and red wine.
If you want something more milder, try crème de cassis instead.
Crème de cassis comes from blackcurrants and is also known as kirschwasser in Germany.
Liqueurs like this tend to have lower alcohol contents than others, making them less potent overall.
In addition to being strong, fruit brandies tend to be quite expensive compared to their distilled counterparts.
For example, while a bottle of whiskey might cost $20-$40, a bottle of rum typically costs $10-$15.
Another advantage of buying a bottle of liqueur over straight liquor is that you don’t need to worry about storing it properly.
What Is The Difference Between A Stone Sour And A Regular Sour?
A stone sour is an alcoholic cocktail made with lime juice, sugar syrup (or simple syrup), and some sort of spirit like bourbon, whiskey, vodka, rum, tequila, brandy, etc…
The key ingredient in this type of cocktail is the addition of “stones” which are usually small rocks, such as pebbles or marbles.
Stones can be added to the glass before serving so they are visible on the rim when you pour your drink.
Some stones will also add additional flavor to the cocktail by adding herbs or spices while others might contain crushed ice.
When making a stone sour, you want to keep everything cold because warm ingredients could make the cocktail too sweet.
You should always serve your stone sours straight up instead of mixing them with club soda or ginger ale.
Stone sours can include multiple spirits depending on what kind of cocktail it is.
For example, a Bourbon stone sour would use bourbon instead of a base liquor, whereas a gin stone sour uses gin.
Some examples of popular stone sours include a classic Amaretto stone sour, a margarita stone sour (which includes both lemonade and silver tequila), and a blueberry stone sour (made with tequila).
If you enjoy drinking traditional cocktails, then there are plenty of options available out there.
You don’t need to start creating new drinks from scratch though if you prefer something more unique – especially if you’re looking for a refreshing alternative to a standard iced tea or coffee.
That’s where the Amaretto Stone Sour comes into play.
It’s easy enough to make a basic Amaretto Stone Sour recipe and customize it however you see fit.
To learn how to create one of these tasty drinks yourself, read on below!
What Is The Alcohol Content Of Amaretto?
Amaretto is an Italian liqueur with an ABV (Alcohol by Volume) rating of 10%.
If you are looking for a low calorie option, try one of these other drinks instead.
- Cocktail – The Cocktail Recipe Book
- Bourbon Old Fashioned – How To Make A Bourbon Old Fashioned With No Sugar Added
- Irish Whiskey Sour – The Best Irish Whiskey Sours Ever
- Margarita Limeade – Margaritas Are Always Better When They’re Made From Fresh Ingredients
- Sparkling Lemonade – Sparkling Lemonade Is Easy And Delicious
If you want something stronger, try this whiskey infused vodka.
What Is The Best Way To Serve Amaretto?
Amaretto is traditionally served in small shot glasses (about 3/4 ounces) and drunk straight from the glass.
The flavor will be lost if you pour it over ice so this is not recommended unless you are having an event where everyone can share drinks together.
Amaretto on the rocks
The most common way to enjoy amaretto is on the rocks.
Pour about 1 ounce of the liquor into each side of a double old fashioned glass.
Fill with crushed ice until the glass is half full and stir to mix the ice with the liquid.
Serve immediately, without delay.
You may add a splash of soda water for extra refreshment.
Amaretto martini
For a more refined version of the classic Amaretto Martini, use one ounce of amaretto instead of two.
Add three dashes of Angostura bitters to the glass before adding the other ingredients.
If your bartender does not provide these, then you should ask them why they don’t include them in their cocktails.
To prepare the drink, fill the glass just under halfway with crushed ice.
Then add 2 tablespoons of sweet vermouth.
Stir well to blend all the ingredients together.
Finally, top off the glass with the remaining amaretto and finish by pouring the olive oil carefully across the surface of the drink.
Serve immediately.
How Do You Make A Stone Sour?
A Stone Sour combines two classic cocktails – the Amaretto and the Margarita – together with lime juice, simple syrup, and bitters.
The result is an intensely sweet yet tart cocktail that works well when served over ice.
There are many different variations of the Stone Sour out there, so don’t be afraid to experiment with your own version if you like this one.
Here are some tips on how to put together a great Stone Sour:
- Add limes instead of lemons
- Use orange liqueur in place of Triple Sec (or use both)
- Try substituting ginger beer for club soda
- Replace the grenadine with raspberry syrup
What Are The Ingredients In A Stone Sour?
Stone sours can be made with almost anything that will produce an alcoholic product of some kind.
The most popular combination seems to be vodka (or another spirit), lime juice, simple syrup, fresh fruit juices, and bitters.
In general, this means about 1 part alcohol to 2 parts other liquid.
You might also see recipes calling for rum or tequila instead of vodka.
These variations all add their own unique flavors, so feel free to experiment if you want to try something new.
You may notice that many stone sour recipes call for both sugar and orange liqueur (like Cointreau).
Many bartenders believe that adding these two ingredients helps balance out the tartness created by the citrus juice.
If you don’t care for the extra sweetness, you can always cut back on the amount of simple syrup used.
Or, you could substitute honey for sugar in your stone sour recipe.
What Is The Difference Between A Stone Sour And A Regular Sour Mix?
A traditional stone sour is made with lemon juice, sugar syrup (or simple syrup), egg white, and bourbon whiskey.
A modern version of this cocktail can be found on your local bar menu by simply substituting vodka for the whiskey.
The most common variation, however, uses lime juice instead of lemon juice to balance out the tartness of the limes and add a refreshing citrus flavor.
Another key ingredient in both versions is angostura bitters.
These bitters contain orange oil which adds a bit more depth to the taste and makes for a much better alternative to the overly sweet grenadine used in the original recipe.
Angostura bitters were originally created in 1824 in Trinidad in response to the lack of natural ingredients available there at the time.
When making either type of stone sour, you will need to use a highball glass so you can pour the liquid over the ice without overflowing onto the table below.
You should also use fresh lemons and try to avoid adding too many slices because they tend to break up easily when trying to stir them into the rest of the ingredients.
How Do You Make An Amaretto Stone Sour?
A simple way to make this tasty cocktail is by following these steps below.
If you want to know how to make a classic Amaretto Sour Cocktail on your own, then check out our guide here.
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice cubes (except amaretto). Shake vigorously until well combined.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.
- Add 1oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice over top of the crushed ice, followed by 2 oz of fresh lime juice.
- Pour 1oz of amaretto over the top of the lemon/lime mixture.
- Garnish with an orange twist and serve immediately.
If you don’t like making cocktails, there are also many places online where you can buy premade versions of this cocktail.
They tend to be quite expensive, though, so if you want to try making one yourself, we recommend doing so before buying them from elsewhere.
Some people prefer their amaretto stone sour without the ‘stone’ part of the name, which leads us onto the question – what is the difference between a stone sour and a regular sour mix?
What Is The Difference Between An Amaretto Sour And A Stone Sour?
Amaretto stone sours are made with Amaretto (or other brandy) instead of bourbon whiskey.
They also use orange liqueur in place of lemon juice.
Stone sours differ from their cousins by being served chilled on the rocks.
The addition of ice to an Amaretto stone sour makes it slightly more refreshing.
And because they are generally sweeter, they can be mixed into cocktails like the daiquiri and margarita without overpowering them.
If you enjoy drinking these drinks, then you should know exactly what differentiates one from another.
1. When did the Amaretto Stone Sour come into existence?
In 1934, Harry MacElroy published his first book called “The Bar Book.”
In this volume he included recipes for several popular alcoholic beverages including the Amaretto Stone Sour.
At the time, this was an obscure drink that wasn’t often found outside of speakeasies and bars.
Over the next few decades, the popularity of this drink grew slowly until it became part of the standard mixology repertoire.
Today, almost everyone knows how to order one from a bartender.
2. What ingredients go into making an Amaretto Stone Sour?
To create an authentic Amaretto Stone Sour, you will need two ounces of Amaretto, three ounces each of sweetened lime and orange juices, half ounce of grenadine syrup, and a teaspoon of simple syrup.
For those who don’t want to bother with all of the steps involved in creating a traditional Amaretto Stone Sour, there are many online resources available that offer ready-made versions of the drink.
These include premade syrups from Amazon, which can be added directly to your favorite spirits.
3. How much alcohol does an Amaretto Stone Sour contain?
While it may seem counterintuitive, most bartenders recommend starting with less liquor when mixing up an Amaretto Stone Sour.
If you start out too strong, the citrus flavors won’t balance well against the sweetness of the Amaretto.
It’s important not to add extra sugar either.
While you might think that adding a little more would help balance things out, it actually adds an unpleasant aftertaste if used excessively.
4. Is there anything I can substitute for Amaretto?
As far as substituting spirits for Amaretto, the same rule applies.
You shouldn’t replace it with something stronger, such as vodka, unless you really want to taste the effects of the booze.
But if you prefer something lighter, try replacing it with Cognac or Armagnac.
Another option is tequila.
For example, if you wanted to serve a Mexican version of the Amaretto Stone Sour, you could substitute tequila for Amaretto and add some fresh mint leaves to give it a bit more flavor.
5. Where is the name Amaretto derived from?
The word ‘Amaretti’ refers to small cookies traditionally eaten during Italian Christmas celebrations.
However, the term ‘Amaretto’ comes from the Italian words ‘amara’ meaning bitter or acrid, and ‘etto’ meaning small amount.
This means that the original drink was bittersweet and extremely small in quantity.
As the drink evolved over the years, its size increased while bitterness decreased until today we see large bottles of the stuff sitting in our refrigerators.
What Is The Best Amaretto?
Amaretto is made from almonds (or almond extract) and bitter Alizé liqueur, which is sweetened with sugar.
The result of this combination is a light, creamy, smooth spirit with a distinct taste of almonds and vanilla.
It’s said to be derived from the Italian name “amaro,” meaning bitter, because of its intense flavor.
However, like all spirits, there are many different types of amari.
For example, some varieties include dulce de leche and other flavors.
In fact, you can find amaros in recipes ranging from cocktails to desserts.
If you want to make your own version of the Amaretto Stone Sour, then we recommend taking a look at our guide on how to mix drinks.
You can also check out our other articles about mixing alcoholic beverages, including recipes for margaritas and daiquiris.
Equipment
- 1 cocktail glass
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Sour Soda such as Squirt
- 2 ounces Amaretto
- 1-2 tablespoon Splash of Orange Juice
- Ice
Optional Garnish
- Cherries
- 1 slice Orange
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail glass halfway with ice.
- Pour in the amaretto, followed by the soda, leaving room for a splash of orange juice on top.
- Optional: Garnish with cherries and orange slices or twists of orange.
Video
Nutrition
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