Celebrate National Pisco Sour Day with our tips to perfecting the perfect sour!
Sours—a historic family of cocktails that are defined by a blend of a base spirit, acid or citrus, sugar, and occasionally egg white—are easy to make enjoyable, but difficult to perfect. A slight overpour of one element in this simple formula, and you can kiss the entire balance of your cocktail goodbye. Therefore, many cocktail critics use the Daiquiri (a rum sour) as one of the few litmus tests when evaluating a bartender’s ability to successfully execute cocktails—the sour isn’t very forgiving, and it showcases a bartender’s understanding of balance between sugar and citrus acid.
The secret to creating a perfect one is dependent on an array of factors. Some questions bartenders typically ask themselves before crafting a sour to ensure they comprehend every detail they need to strike an impeccably balanced drink are: What’s the ABV of the base spirit, and does it contain any sugar (e.g., some rums, or Cognac)? Was the syrup made in a 2:1, or 1:1 ratio? And does this sour call for egg white? If so, do I need to adjust the acid? For your sour to achieve “perfect” status, these questions must be answered; otherwise, making the sour would be like trying to solve a math equation without all the variables.
To help guide you towards crafting the perfect sour, whether it be a Margarita (technically a daisy, a subgroup within the sour family), Bee’s Knees, Gold Rush, or like, here are three key things to consider.
Understand the relationship of sugar to citrus
If there is one aspect of crafting a sour that you can’t afford to mess up, it’s understanding and measuring the balance of sweet and sour (acid).
While nobody likes a “sweet” drink, sugar is an integral part of any cocktail. Not only does it balance bitter, sour, and spicy flavors, it also enhances certain components, such as salty or umami; and from a textural standpoint, sugar also adds mouthfeel—a characteristic that can help bind together a drink, transforming it from thin and short on the finish, to a robust cocktail with a long finish.
Depending on the sweetener (e.g., agave, cane sugar, honey, demerara, brown sugar, etc.), and the ratio of sugar to water in your syrup, the level of sweetness and the mouthfeel can vary drastically. The best bars scientifically measure the sugar content (aka Brix—the percentage of dissolved sugar by weight in a solution, typically expressed in degrees) of their syrups using a refractometer to ensure consistency and accuracy for every drink made.
Once your syrup is perfected, then it’s just a matter of balancing the acid from the citrus, which is most commonly lemon or lime, unless you’re adjusting the acidity of less acidic fruits (e.g. grapefruit, pineapple, apple, etc.), to the acidity of lemon or lime juice.
In a Daiquiri, for example, which calls for rum, and a balance of lime juice and simple syrup, the ratio of sugar to acid will vary if you are using a rich simple syrup (2:1 ratio of sugar to water), or a standard (1:1) simple syrup. For the former, one ounce of lime juice to half an ounce of 2:1 syrup will be better balanced than the typical equal parts simple syrup to lime juice ratio. (Note: if the rum is also dosed with sugar, as some are, these ratios may need to be adjusted as well.)
With all these variables in mind, your best bet is to try always various ratios of citrus to sugar in a simple sour cocktail, such as a Daiquiri, Whiskey Sour, Bee’s Knees, or Tommy’s Margarita to find what best suits your palate.
Balancing the egg white sour
The egg white was a late addition to the sour formula, featuring in the Boston Sour (a whiskey sour with egg white), a cocktail which first appeared in 1892 William Schmidt’s 1892 The Flowing Bowl. Today, the egg white sour is a standard addition in most classic Whiskey Sours, and even appears in the modern version of the White Lady, revamped by ex-Savoy head bartender, Peter Dorelli during his tenure.
The egg white, which gives any sour a frothy, silky texture, rounding-out any ingredients that may be out of balance—but it also mutes elements that may be prominent in a standard sour. In an egg white sour, bumping up the sour and sweet components will typically do you well to ensure there’s still that freshness and long finish that the best sours deliver. The last detail to keep in mind is the aroma. Egg white sours give off an unpleasant aroma once they sit and warm up, so using the oils of a citrus peel, bitters, or an atomized spirit ingredient will cover any unwanted aromas that egg white cocktails bring.
Don’t skimp on the base spirit
Your sour will only be as good as its weakest link. That means using premium, fresh ingredients for every component in the recipe—especially for the base spirit.
It’s a straightforward rule, but a vital one. It’s also important to consider the ABV and general flavor of the base spirit. While 40% ABV (80-proof) is standard, sometimes those spirits can get lost in cocktails due to their lack of alcoholic strength. We recommend seeking out a bottling that’s at least 43-45% ABV, as the sour will benefit from the nuanced flavor that the spirit adds. (Note: depending on the spirit category, you shouldn’t have to spend more than $25.)
Dial-in your technique
Last, but not least, it’s impossible to make the perfect sour without proper technique. This means ensuring that when you pour one ounce, it’s truly one ounce and not three-quarters of one by under-pouring; and shaking to full dilution.
Using a jigger is the best way to ensure that each pour is accurate, and its key to always start building the sour by measuring the syrup first. (Because the syrup is viscous, some of the syrup will stick to the sides of the jigger, so measuring it first means that the other ingredients poured in the jigger afterwards will help wash the rest out.)
As for shaking technique, keep in mind whether your sour is served up, or over ice. If up, shake to full dilution; if over ice, slightly under-shaking will ensure that the sour doesn’t become over-diluted halfway through the drinking session.
For sours that require an egg white, don’t forget the vigorous dry shake (without ice) to emulsify the egg white cocktail before the wet shake (with ice). To serve, this mix should also be fine-strained to remove any overly aerated foam and ice chips. This method ensures that your egg white sour is silky smooth, perfectly diluted, and ready for sipping.
The post The Secret to Creating the Perfect Sour appeared first on Chilled Magazine.
Source: Mixology News
