The Cherry Amaretto Sour is a bold and sour twist on the classic Amaretto sour, featuring rich almond notes from Amaretto liqueur balanced with the tart flavor of fresh cherries and lemon. This vibrant red cocktail is smooth, slightly tangy, and effortlessly refreshing.

Cherry amaretto sour in a glass with a cherry garnish.

Looking for more delicious cocktails? Try our St. Germain Basil Cucumber Spritz.

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Twist on a Modern Cocktail

I'm a sucker for anything cherry. It's my favorite flavor in cocktails, beer, and even wine. I love the perfect balance of tart and sweet, especially in this cherry amaretto sour when it's combined with fresh lemon juice. It's bold, refreshing, and best of all, you don't need to make any fancy syrups. You just muddle, shake, and sip on this incredible cocktail.

The addition of egg whites to the amaretto sour happened in the modern era of this drink. Disaronno actually invented the cocktail and it was originally just Amaretto and sour mix. Nowadays, you wouldn't be caught dead using sour mix in a craft cocktail bar.

Ingredient Notes

Amaretto. Disaronno is the classic amaretto sour flavor and they did invent the drink. Amaretto is delicious as an after-dinner drink, but its sweet nutty flavor makes this drink so delicious.
Bourbon. You can leave out the bourbon if you want this to have less alcohol. Bourbon balances this drink out to make it less sweet and more complex in flavor.
Cherries. I use fresh cherries. Once you muddle them, you release a lot of their color which gives you this bright red cocktail. You could substitute a cherry syrup but I find that's more work.
Egg White. The egg white is what gives an amaretto sour a foamy top and silky flavor. It doesn't add any flavor so it can be left out. I promise it's worth trying.
Lemon. You can substitute sour mix, but I find that fresh lemon juice always gives a better overall flavor with a more fresh taste than a premade sour mix.

*Please see more information about the ingredients in the recipe card below.

How To Make a Cherry Amaretto Sour

Step 1: In a shaker, muddle the cherries with juice from half a lemon until the cherries are pulp. Fill the shaker with ice.

Step 2: Add the bourbon, amaretto, and egg white, then shake vigorously for 15 seconds.

Step 3: Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice and garnish with cherry halves on a toothpick

Top-Tips

Amaretto sours should always be consumed immediately if they have an egg white in them. The egg white makes the perfect foamy texture but if left to sit, the lemon will actually start to cook the egg white and you'll start seeing a stringiness in the drink.
An easy and quick way to pit your cherries is to drive a straw through the center of the cherry and pin the pit to the cutting board while you remove the cherry.

Key Tools for This Drink

You need a cocktail shaker to get the classic foamy texture associated with an amaretto sour.
Some cocktails, like margaritas, don't need to be strained and can be served with the same ice you shake them in. To get the separation of a foamy top from the egg white in this cherry amaretto sour, you need to strain it into fresh ice.

A Mocktail Variation

Want to make this drink into a non-alcoholic mocktail? Here's how:

You'll need 1 teaspoon of almond extract to substitute for amaretto. 2 oz of tart cherry juice and ½ oz of simple syrup or agave to replace the amaretto and bourbon.
Combine muddled cherries, tart cherry juice, simple syrup, lemon juice, and egg white in a shaker with ice and shake for 15 seconds. Pour over fresh ice in an old-fashioned glass.

Recipe FAQs

Do I have to use an egg white in an amaretto sour?

You can skip the egg white, but it does give you the foamy texture. Technically, the original amaretto sour didn't have egg whites, but the egg whites do provide the separation of a foamy cap to the tart and sour cocktail.

What is the difference between lemon and sour mix?

Sour mix is basically just a shelf-stable citrus that most people would agree is not as good as just using fresh citrus. If a drink calls for sour mix, you can substitute simple syrup and lemon juice. This cherry amaretto sour skips the simple syrup because we are muddling cherries, which provide plenty of sugar.

What are some similar alcohols to amaretto?

As far as nutty-flavored alcohols go, there is Frangelico and Luxardo. Probably some other similar ones. I prefer Disaronno Amaretto in an amaretto sour because it has a slightly higher ABV than the other,s which makes it taste less sweet.

What to Serve with a Cherry Amaretto Sour

I love a cocktail that pairs well with dinner and dessert. Here's the lineup I'd have if I was enjoying a meal with this cocktail. I'd start with some Italian Stuffed Baked Clamsor Homemade Shrimp Cocktail. Then for dinner, I'd move on to a delicate fish like Pistachio Crusted Fish or Pan-Seared Vermillion Snapperserved with Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe (Tuscan). For dessert, this cherry amaretto sour pairs perfectly with the nutty flavors of our Rainbow Cookie Cake!