Sour Flavoured Cocktails: 5 Drinks For Those With A Sour Tooth

Mixology is an art which involves dabbling with a lot of different flavours to come up with cocktails complete with layered flavour profiles. Cocktails blended using myriad fresh ingredients and syrups tend to consist of diverse flavour notes ranging from sweet to savoury to umami to even spicy.  

One of the more prominent tastes in cocktails is a tangy and sour flavour which comes from citrus fruits, syrups, juices and other ingredients containing this acidic quality that are added to cocktail blends. Such sour-forward cocktails are thus prepared with the addition of elements like fresh lime juice, orange juice, grapefruit soda, tamarind paste and many other ingredients with sour characteristics. And even as the drinks are blended to yield balanced flavour combinations, they are nonetheless sour-forward cocktails with more pronounced tangy, acidic and slightly tart notes.  

Read on below to know more about some of the cocktails that can be prepared for those who prefer drinks which contain sour-forward flavour notes: 

Pisco Sour Cocktail  

This classic cocktail is generally prepared using 30 ml of a good quality pisco, a spirit akin to brandy, with origins in Peruvian and Chilean regions. The yellowish, amber spirit has a very potent flavour and slightly sweet and sour taste which comes from the grapes that are used to ferment the liquor. Put together with the addition of about 1 tablespoon lime juice, a dash of citrus bitters and egg white foam, this cocktail is a layered mix of sour and acidic flavours that lend it a very crisp yet deep flavour note. A pisco sour is a suitable alternative for anyone with a sour tooth who also prefers the slightly tart, citrusy notes of bitters and the acidity of lime juice. 

Picante Cocktail  

This is an excellent option for a ‘sour-toothed’ cocktail connoisseur who prefers a blend of sour and spicy flavour notes. The drink can be put together by blending 30 ml Don Julio Blanco Tequila or any other premium tequila of choice with 1 tablespoon agave syrup, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 4-6 coriander leaves for their herbaceous quality. Muddling chopped red chillies into the drink infuses it with a spicy touch which nicely complements the sour notes of the lime juice. 

Classic Margarita Cocktail  

A drink prepared using 30 ml quality reposado tequila, about 2 tablespoons agave syrup and 2 tablespoons lime juice, the classic margarita cocktail is a sour-forward mix complete with tangy and acidic notes. The cocktail also contains about 20 ml of triple sec which balances out the potent flavours of the reposado and the citrus note of the lime juice and the lime wheel garnish to deliver a well-rounded drink. A serving glass with a classic salted rim serves to introduce another tasting note into the cocktail which compliments its sour qualities. 

Mojito Cocktail  

Traditionally prepared using 30 ml good quality white rum, mojitos in their contemporary renditions are also made with the addition of spirits such as 30 ml Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka or any other premium vodka of choice. What brings an acidic touch into the cocktail is about 15 ml of freshly squeezed lime juice whose tangy notes are balanced out by the subtle sweetness of 1 tablespoon of simple syrup. A mint leaf garnish introduces peppery flavours into the drink that compliment the lime’s acidity which also becomes more pronounced as a result of the herbal and sweet flavours highlighting the sour profile of the cocktail. 

Yuzu Sour Cocktail  

Citrusy yuzu has a very sour and tangy quality and bright flavours which bring a lot of acidity into any drink in which it is added. Put together a yuzu sour to highlight this flavour profile while infusing the cocktail with an elegant finish. Blend a signature yuzu sour with the addition of 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice, whose herbaceous notes balance out the tangy properties of a citrusy yuzu.