Amaretto Sweet and Sour

This is a blended, sweet, fruity drink designed for easy consumption. It’s an Amaretto Sweet and Sour, but with melon liqueur and apple juice adding layers of fruit. Expect a slushy consistency and a profile heavy on almond, apple, and melon. It’s often ordered when someone wants something cold, sweet, and low effort, typically by those who appreciate a fruit-forward, approachable cocktail with a bit of a kick.

Amaretto Sweet and Sour

4.19 from 11 votes

Prep Time: 3

Total Time: 5

Instructions

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Fill the blender with 0.75 ice. Add sweet and sour mix to the top of the ice. Add about 1" of Juice - PineJuice - Apple Juice..5" of melon liqeur. and.5 to 0.25" of amaretto. Then blend the mix until it is of margaritta consistency or thinner. This is

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Where it came from

The blended Amaretto Sweet and Sour doesn’t have a specific historical origin point or a named inventor. It’s a riff on a classic sour template, adapted for a blender. You’d find variations of this in casual bars, beach resorts, or home settings where a frosty, sweet drink is the goal, rather than a meticulously crafted classic. It’s a product of the modern blender bar era.

This drink sits in the broad family of blended sours, akin to a frozen Margarita or a blended Daiquiri. What sets it apart is the specific combination of almond liqueur, melon liqueur, and apple juice, moving it away from a simple citrus base into a more complex fruit and nut profile. It’s less about the spirit and more about the sweet, smooth texture.

You’d typically encounter an Amaretto Sweet and Sour in a high-volume bar during summer, perhaps poolside, or at a lively party. It’s a crowd-pleaser that’s easy to make in batches and designed for immediate gratification. It’s not a drink you’d find in a serious cocktail den, but it absolutely has its place.

What it tastes like

The initial hit is sweet almond from the amaretto, quickly followed by the bright, somewhat tart notes of the sweet and sour mix. Mid-palate, the melon liqueur introduces a distinct, slightly artificial but pleasant cantaloupe or honeydew flavor, rounded out by the crisp sweetness of apple juice. The finish is smooth, sweet, and lingering, with the almond and melon notes dominating the aftertaste.

Calculating precise ABV is tricky without exact volumes for the “inches” and “to the top” measurements. However, with amaretto typically around 20-28% ABV and melon liqueur around 20-23% ABV, and a significant amount of ice, sweet and sour mix, and apple juice, this drink will be relatively low in alcohol. Expect it to be comparable to a light beer or a very mild wine spritzer, definitely less potent than a standard spirit-forward cocktail.

The technique

To build this, you’re going for a blended consistency. Start by filling your blender about three-quarters full with ice. Pour in your sweet and sour mix until it just covers the ice. Then, add a generous splash of apple juice, followed by the melon liqueur and almond liqueur. Blend everything until the mixture is smooth, like a slushy, or a bit thinner depending on preference. Serve immediately in a chilled glass.

The most important technique here is getting the blend consistency right. Over-blending can make it too watery and melt the ice too quickly, diluting the flavor. Under-blending leaves chunks of ice. Aim for a smooth, homogenous texture that’s still thick enough to cling to the glass, but pourable. A quick pulse and check method works best to avoid overdoing it.

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Ingredient Spotlight

The bottles that make or break this drink.

Almond Liqueur

Use: Disaronno is the standard, but any quality amaretto will do. Look for brands with a natural almond flavor, not just sugar syrup.
Skip: Almond extracts or flavorings. They lack the depth and alcoholic backbone needed. Also, avoid anything overly cloying or artificial tasting.
Why: Amaretto is the defining flavor here, providing the sweet, nutty core that makes the drink an Amaretto Sweet and Sour. Without it, you just have a generic fruity blend.

Melon Liqueur

Use: Midori is the classic choice, known for its vibrant green color and distinct honeydew flavor. Other brands like Bols or DeKuyper also work if they offer a similar profile.
Skip: Substituting with melon juice or purees. While tasty, they don’t provide the same alcoholic kick or the specific, slightly artificial but iconic liqueur flavor.
Why: This liqueur adds a unique fruity layer and a bright color that distinguishes this drink from a simpler amaretto sour. It’s the secondary fruit note that rounds out the profile.

Three Variations

Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.

Amaretto Sour

The classic, unblended inspiration.: A simple shaken mix of amaretto, lemon juice, and simple syrup, often with an egg white for texture. It’s tart, sweet, and less fruit-forward.

Frozen Melon Sour

Focus on the melon, less on the almond.: Increase the melon liqueur and sweet and sour mix, perhaps using a neutral spirit like vodka instead of amaretto, for a purely melon-centric frozen drink.

Apple Amaretto Slush

Lean into the apple, skip the melon.: Omit the melon liqueur and increase the apple juice and amaretto, possibly adding a touch of cinnamon syrup, for a more autumnal, apple-pie inspired slushy.

What if I don't have…

Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.

No Almond Liqueur?

Try a hazelnut liqueur like Frangelico for a different but complementary nutty profile. The flavor will shift significantly.

No Melon Liqueur?

A peach schnapps or a green apple liqueur could provide a similar fruity sweetness, though the specific melon flavor will be lost.

No Apple Juice?

Pineapple juice can offer a different tropical sweetness, or white grape juice for a milder fruit base.

No Sours?

Fresh lemon and lime juice with simple syrup in a 2:1:1 ratio (lemon:lime:syrup) will make a superior mix, but requires more work.

No Blender?

This drink is specifically designed for blending. If you don’t have one, you’re making a shaken Amaretto Sweet and Sour, which will be a different drink entirely, served over crushed ice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.

What is in a Amaretto Sweet and Sour?

It contains almond liqueur, sweet and sour mix, melon liqueur, apple juice, and ice, all blended together.

Is an Amaretto Sweet and Sour strong?

No, it’s typically a relatively low ABV drink due to the significant amount of ice and non-alcoholic mixers.

What does an Amaretto Sweet and Sour taste like?

It tastes sweet and fruity, with prominent notes of almond, melon, and apple, balanced by a touch of tartness from the sweet and sour mix.

Is this drink served blended or on the rocks?

This specific recipe is for a blended, slushy consistency. A classic Amaretto Sour is served on the rocks.

Can I make an Amaretto Sweet and Sour without a blender?

You can make a shaken version, but it won’t have the same frosty, slushy texture. It will be a different drink.

What kind of glass should I use for an Amaretto Sweet and Sour?

A large hurricane glass, a highball, or a margarita glass works well for a blended drink.

Can I make a big batch of Amaretto Sweet and Sour?

Yes, you can scale up the ingredients and blend in larger batches for parties, but serve immediately to maintain consistency.

Is this a good beginner cocktail?

Yes, its sweetness, fruitiness, and low alcohol content make it very approachable for those new to cocktails.

From the Drink Lab catalogue

Drink Lab has been collecting cocktail recipes since 2013. Some we wrote ourselves, plenty came in from readers, and the rest got passed across a bar somewhere along the way.

Last updated May 8, 2026 · 1 min read