Ingredients
- 1 Part(s) Almond Liqueur
- 1 Part(s) Sours
- 1 Part(s) Orange Juice
Instructions
Combine Ingredients:
- In a shaker filled with ice, combine equal parts almond liqueur, sours, and orange juice.
Shake Well:
- Shake vigorously until well chilled.
Serve:
- Strain the mixture over ice in a tall glass.
Serve:
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Amaretto Stone Sour is the orange-juice variation of the classic Amaretto Sour. The standard Amaretto Sour is amaretto plus sour mix; the Stone Sour adds orange juice as a third equal-part ingredient. The Stone version has been on bar menus since the 1970s and is the more popular of the two in casual American bars.
It sits in the sour-cocktail family with the Whiskey Sour, the Amaretto Sour and the Pisco Sour. All four lean on a spirit and a sour-and-sweet balance. The Amaretto Stone Sour picks orange juice as the third ingredient, which is what adds the Stone to the name and the fresh-fruit lift to the cocktail.
Best ordered as an afternoon cooler or a casual evening sipper. Not a craft-cocktail menu drink and not a pre-dinner aperitif. The drink is sweet enough to read as a starter cocktail and balanced enough to sip slowly.
What it tastes like
Marzipan sweetness up front, lemon-and-lime sour through the middle, fresh orange brightness on the finish. The three flavour notes balance each other; no single ingredient dominates. The amaretto carries the headline; the orange juice gives the cocktail its character.
Around 8 to 10 percent ABV in the glass once shaken and served over ice. A real one drink per glass; the sour and the orange juice keep the drink approachable. Drinks like a soft cooler with an almond backbone.
The technique
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine equal parts amaretto, sour mix and fresh orange juice. A standard pour is one and a half ounces of each, totalling four and a half ounces of liquid pre-dilution.
Shake vigorously until the tin is frosted, around ten seconds. Strain over fresh ice in a tall highball or rocks glass. Garnish with an orange slice or a maraschino cherry on a cocktail pick. Skip the cherry if you do not have one; the cocktail does not need it.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The amaretto
- Use
- Disaronno or Lazzaroni amaretto.
- Skip
- Cream of almond syrup like orgeat. Different drink.
- Why
- Amaretto is the headline. The marzipan sweetness and the apricot-pit base are what give the cocktail its name and its character. Without amaretto the cocktail is a generic citrus sour.
The sour mix
- Use
- Fresh sour mix: equal parts fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice and simple syrup.
- Skip
- Bottled sour mix. Wrong sweetener balance and flat citrus.
- Why
- Fresh sour mix is non-negotiable. The acid and the sweetener carry the cocktail across the palate. Bottled mix is sweeter and flatter and the cocktail collapses into a flat fruit punch.
The orange juice
- Use
- Fresh-squeezed Valencia or navel orange juice.
- Skip
- Cartoned orange juice. Wrong sugar curve.
- Why
- Fresh orange juice is the Stone in the Stone Sour. The brightness and the citrus oils that come off fresh juice are what give the cocktail its lift. Cartoned juice is flatter and pulls the cocktail toward soda territory.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- Amaretto Stone Sour, on the rocks
- Equal one-and-a-half-ounce pours of amaretto, sour mix and fresh orange juice, shaken with ice and served over fresh ice in a highball.
The classic Amaretto Sour
- Amaretto Sour, no orange
- Skip the orange juice and double the sour mix. The cocktail loses the Stone Sour character and becomes the simpler Amaretto Sour. Sharper, less fruity, more balanced toward the marzipan.
The whiskey build
- Amaretto Stone Sour, with bourbon
- Replace half the amaretto with bourbon. Adds whiskey warmth and pulls the cocktail toward Whiskey Sour cousin territory. A bartender's shortcut for a more spirit-forward sour.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Frangelico or hazelnut liqueur. Different flavour profile but in the same nut-liqueur family. The cocktail loses the marzipan note; gains hazelnut.
Equal parts fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice and simple syrup. The fresh-mix is better than any bottled sour anyway.
Cartoned orange juice with a small dash of orange bitters. The cocktail flattens slightly; the bitters add a lift.
Stir in a glass with ice for fifteen seconds. The cocktail is slightly less frothy but the flavour holds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in an Amaretto Stone Sour?
Equal parts amaretto, sour mix and fresh orange juice, shaken with ice and strained over fresh ice in a highball or rocks glass. Three ingredients, equal pours.
How is the Stone Sour different from the Amaretto Sour?
The standard Amaretto Sour is amaretto plus sour mix only. The Stone Sour adds orange juice as a third equal-part ingredient, which gives the cocktail a fresh-fruit lift the standard version lacks.
How strong is an Amaretto Stone Sour?
Around 8 to 10 percent ABV in the glass once shaken and served over ice. A real one drink per glass; the sour and the orange juice keep the cocktail approachable.
What does it taste like?
Marzipan sweetness up front, lemon-and-lime sour through the middle, fresh orange brightness on the finish. Balanced and sippable, with the amaretto carrying the headline.
Should I use bottled sour mix or fresh?
Fresh is non-negotiable. Bottled sour mix is sweeter and flatter and the cocktail collapses into a flat fruit punch. Fresh sour mix is equal parts fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice and simple syrup.
Can I use cartoned orange juice?
Fresh is better. Cartoned juice is flatter and pulls the cocktail toward soda territory. If you have to use cartoned, add a small dash of orange bitters to help.
Why is it called a Stone Sour?
The Stone in the name refers to the addition of orange juice to the standard Amaretto Sour. The terminology comes from American bar tradition; the Stone Sour family includes the Whiskey Stone Sour, the Brandy Stone Sour and the Amaretto Stone Sour.
What kind of glass should I serve it in?
A tall highball or a rocks glass with fresh ice. The cocktail is around four to five ounces of liquid plus ice, and works in either glass.
Can I batch it for a party?
Combine the three ingredients in equal measure in a chilled bottle. Refrigerate. Shake portions with ice as you serve, since the cocktail loses its texture if you shake the whole batch and let it sit.
What other cocktails are similar?
An Amaretto Sour, a Whiskey Sour, a Whiskey Stone Sour and a Pisco Sour. All four use a spirit with a sour-and-sweet balance; the Stone variations all add orange juice.
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