Toasting to fall

An apple-boosted spin on the amaretto sour

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In years past, when friends asked me for fall drink ideas, I’d point them to the simple apple-butter-and-bourbon situation in The One-Bottle Cocktail, or a more elaborate cranberry, oolong tea, and Scotch whisky punch that’s included in Batch Cocktails. But I’ve added a new delightfully apple-y drink to my list.

The amaretto sour is one of those cocktails that’s famously kind of bad, but still pulls my heartstrings a bit—one sip pulls me back to blurry nights out during a college-era summer job in a town that didn’t check IDs.

Maraschino cherry? Yes, please.

To be clear, I wasn’t yet in college in the era celebrated in Disco Cocktails: More than 50 Classic & Kitsch Drinks from the 70s and 80s. But the drink from 1974 lingered awhile. And as soon as I saw a variation in the new book celebrating “fluorescent and flamboyant” cocktails of the disco era, written by David T. Smith and Keli Rivers, I knew I needed to make it.

There is a straightforward amaretto sour in Disco Cocktails, alongside the Harvey Wallbanger, Blue Lagoon, and a bunch of newer plays on kitsch classics. But the one that caught my eye follows the lead of Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler, who famously makes what he calls The Best Amaretto Sour in the World.

Where the amaretto sours of my youth were probably just the almondy liqueur and sour mix, Morgenthaler changed the game by adding something stiffer—cask proof bourbon—to help curtail the sweetness of the drink. In Disco Cocktails, the authors suggest swapping that whiskey for apple brandy.

And that, my friends, is a deliciously autumnal move.

Photograph: Timothy Atkins, © Ryland Peters and Small

Shaken with egg white¹ for creamy, foamy texture, the cocktail is warmly nutty and softly sweet but still crisp and tart enough to feel like a good, cool breeze. Do you need apple cider doughnuts or a slice of pie on the side? Nope, but that would be fun.

I had Laird’s Bottled in Bond apple brandy and Caffo Amaretto in my liquor cabinet, and those made for a beautifully balanced rendition, though I can’t wait to try this recipe with the Amaretto Adriatico that Jim Meehan recommended in last week’s “Best Bottles of 2024” list.

The Improved Amaretto Sour

Adapted from Disco Cocktails: More than 50 Classic & Kitsch Drinks from the 70s and 80s by David T. Smith & Keli Rivers. Published by Ryland Peters & Small.

This apple brandy variation on the amaretto sour offers juicy, fruity apple flavors with a combination of sweet and tart notes, followed by a hint of nutty smoke. Using bourbon adds some woody maple and brown sugar that complements the amaretto.

Serves 1

1½ oz. (45 ml) amaretto

1 oz. (30 ml) apple brandy (or bourbon)

1 oz. (30 ml) fresh lemon juice

½ oz. (15 ml) simple syrup (1:1)

½ oz. (15 ml) egg white (I used aquafaba)

Apple fan or single thin slice, to garnish

1. Add 1½ oz. amaretto, 1 oz. apple brandy (or bourbon), 1 oz. fresh lemon juice, ½ oz. simple syrup (1:1), and ½ oz. egg white (or aquafaba) to a cocktail shaker.

2. Dry shake—that is, seal and shake without ice—to emulsify and form the foam.

3. Unseal shaker, fill with ice, reseal and shake until well chilled. Strain and serve up or on the rocks, garnished with an apple fan or single thin slice.

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1. The drink doesn’t suffer if you use aquafaba—the strained liquid from a can of unsalted chickpeas—instead of raw egg white. You can also buy cocktail foamer for this purpose. Or skip the foam for a slightly sharper version.