As autumn descends we want drinks that feel a bit more velvety, rich, and comforting. While a classic Amaretto Sour is famous for its sweet, marzipan like almond flavour, by adding ripe late season red plums and making this Spiced Plum & Amaretto Sour it brings a gorgeous tartness and vibrant ruby colour that completely elevates the cocktail for autumn.
By muddling fresh plum straight into the shaker and adding a dash of bourbon alongside the amaretto, we cut through the heavy sugar and give the drink a cozy, warming backbone. Combined with an egg white for that signature silky foam head, this is a showstopping cocktail that tastes like luxury in a glass.
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Prep Time: 5 mins
Servings: 1
Price Range: Affordable
Difficulty: Medium
Spiced Plum & Amaretto Sour Ingredients
Alcohol
- 50 ml Amaretto (We used Disaronno)
- 15 ml Bourbon (We used Woodford Reserve)
Juices, Sodas & Syrups
- 25 ml Lemon Juice
- 10 ml x Simple Sugar Syrup
Fruit & Other
- 1/2 x Fresh Ripe Red Plum (Pitted and chopped)
- 1 x Fresh Egg White
- 1 x Thin Plum Slice for the foam head
Spiced Plum & Amaretto Sour Cocktail Recipe
Only seven steps to make the perfect Spiced Plum & Amaretto Sour!
- Add the chopped ripe plum, lemon juice, and simple syrup into the bottom of your cocktail shaker. Muddle firmly until the plum breaks down into a rich, juicy base.
- Pour in your Amaretto, Bourbon, and the egg white.
- Share the shaker vigorously for 10–15 seconds. This creates the creamy emulsion that forms the silky foam head.
- Open the shaker, and fill it 3 quarters full with ice, and shake hard again for another 10–12 seconds until the outside of the shaker feels frosty cold.
- Double strain the cocktail through a Hawthorne and a fine mesh strainer into a chilled rocks glass over a fresh ice cube.
- Place a thin slice of fresh plum gently on top of the foam.
- Serve, sip and enjoy!
Equipment
This cocktail will need the following equipment:
- Muddler
- Jigger
- Cocktail Shaker
- Rocks Glass
- Hawthorne Strainer
- Fine Strainer
Cocktail Units & Pricing
We’ve based these volumes, units and pricing off our alcohol database. Our prices are based off open Open Exchange Rates from the GBP total.
| Ingredient | Volume | Units | Price |
| Amaretto | 50 ml | 1.30 | £1.10 |
| Bourbon | 15 ml | 0.60 | £0.50 |
| Lemon Juice | 25 ml | 0.00 | £0.05 |
| Sugar Syrup | 10 ml | 0.00 | £0.25 |
| 100 ml | 1.90 | £1.90 | $2.52* | €2.23* |
FAQs
Why do I need to add bourbon to an Amaretto Sour?
Pure Amaretto can be overwhelmingly sweet on its own. Adding just a splash of bourbon introduces oak, spice that balances out the almond notes and stands up to the tartness of the muddled plum. It’s the secret trick top bartenders use to turn a basic sour into a balanced, complex drink.
What if my plums aren’t very sweet or ripe?
Late-autumn plums can sometimes be quite firm and tart. If your plum feels hard, muddle it extra thoroughly and double the simple syrup shot to balance out the extra acid.
