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Classic, bright, and perfectly balanced — just three ingredients and a good shake are all you need to make the perfect vodka sour for your next at-home happy hour! Who knew vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup (plus an optional egg white if you want a frothy top) could taste this good??
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Is The Ultimate Vodka Sour
- The ratio is everything mixing the perfect sour. 2 : ¾ : ¾ is the traditional sour template — spirit, citrus, sweet. I’ve followed it for a perfectly balanced drink, but if sours often don’t taste right to you it’s simplicity means it is easily adjustable. Taste before shaking and adjust: more lemon if your syrup runs sweet, a touch more syrup if your lemons are especially tart.
- I’ve made egg white in my sour optional if you don’t want to use raw egg in your drink, but gives it that classic silky, frothy top that will make your drink feel like you’ve ordered it in a fancy cocktail bar.
- I’ve also written this recipe to serve one so it is easily scaled. I can usually fit up to four drinks in my cocktail shaker at one time, but if you do this only use one egg white per two drinks.
What I Learned Testing This Recipe
- You can buy bottled simple syrup for ease, but it is so much cheaper to make your own by heating a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water until the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow it to cool completely before using in a cocktail. Leftover syrup will keep in a clean jar in the fridge for up to a month.
- Don’t skip the dry shake with the egg white before adding the ice. I’ve found this step helps make a more stable egg white foam which stays silky right until you’ve finished the drink!
- If you have one of those fancy ice cube trays that makes one big ice cube (usually received as a novelty gift I know!), use it here. It will keep your drink nice and cold with minimal dilution.
Ingredients
Vodka – Use your favorite here, brand doesn’t matter as long as it is at least mid-range. Don’t use a cheap vodka as you’ll be able to taste it! Gin and silver tequila can also be used with this recipe to make a gin sour or a tequila sour. Use whiskey to make a whiskey sour. You get the general idea!
Fresh lemon juice – Please only use fresh lemon juice here instead of bottled; it’s essential for the success of this drink. One medium lemon typically yields 2–3 tablespoons of juice, enough for one cocktail.
Simple syrup – This adds sweetness to the lemon juice and balances the drink. You can buy this from bar supply stores (though look out for additives and stabalisers), or make your own.
Egg white – This is optional, but how you get that signature foam on top of the drink. Omit if you’re immune-compromised.
Cocktail cherry – Again this is the optional, but this is the classic garnish for a vodka sour and adds a wonderful pop of color to the glass!
Frequently Asked Questions
They’re both fresh lemon juice and vodka cocktails, but they have very different flavor profiles. A vodka sour focuses on the, well, sour element making a tart drink. A lemon drop martini tends to lean sweeter with a sugar rim and sometimes added triple sec.
Yes, shake 1 tablespoon of liquid from a can of chickpeas in place of a single egg white.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Classic Vodka Sour
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker with built in strainer
- Rocks glass or coupe
Ingredients
For the cocktail
- 2 oz vodka
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz simple syrup
- 1 egg white optional, for froth
To serve
- Ice
- Lemon wheel and / or cocktail cherry for garnish
Instructions
- If using the egg white, combine the vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker without ice. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds to build the foam before the ice dilutes it.
- Add the ice and shake hard for another 15–20 seconds until the outside of the shaker is very cold. If you're not using the egg white, just shake the cocktail ingredients with the ice.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, or into a coupe straight up. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cocktail cherry, if desired!
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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