Tequila Sour Cocktail Recipe: 3 Tips for Making a Tequila Sour

A tequila sour is a cocktail that combines tequila with fresh citrus juice (usually lime and lemon), simple syrup, egg white, and a dash of aromatic bitters. The use of an egg white, which creates an airy foam when emulsified, is usually optional when it comes to sour cocktails, but it’s a signature part of the tequila sour.

The cocktail belongs to the family of classic sour cocktails—alongside the gin sour, whiskey sour, or amaretto sour—which typically call for two parts of a spirit, along with one- to three-quarter parts each of sweetener and citrus.

There are a few unique techniques involved with making this tequila cocktail:

1. 1. The “dry shake” is key. Shaking all of the ingredients together without ice allows the egg white to emulsify in the citrus juices without dilution from the ice.
2. 2. Make it vegan with aquafaba. To omit egg whites from the recipe, substitute 2 tablespoons of aquafaba, the liquid from canned chickpeas. This vegan substitute will foam up the same way as a standard egg.
3. 3. The double strain. For an extra refined layer of foam, double strain after shaking with ice: once through a Hawthorne strainer held against the shaker, and a second through a fine-mesh strainer held above the glassware.