How to Make Sour Mix from Scratch

Shake up your own mixed drinks with homemade sour mix.

Many mixed drinks, from the whiskey sour to the Long Island iced tea, call for sour mix in their recipes. Bottled sour mixes contain preservatives and other unnecessary ingredients. Fresh homemade sour mix has a livelier flavor, and you can tweak it to suit your own taste.

Things You'll Need

• White granulated sugar
• Filtered or spring water
• Pitcher with a tight-fitting cover
• Lemon juice
• Lime juice
• Egg whites (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine one part sugar and one part water in the pitcher. Cover the pitcher tightly and shake until the sugar is completely dissolved.

2. Add one part lime juice and one part lemon juice to the sugar syrup. Cover and shake again.

3. Refrigerate the mixture until you are ready to use it. When chilled, fresh sour mix will keep for up to one week.

4. Add two egg whites for every quart of mix if you want to give your finished drinks a foamy top. Drop the egg whites into the mixture just before using it. Use a cocktail shaker and blend vigorously to whip the drink into a froth.

Tips & Warnings

• Add sugar if you like your drinks sweeter.

• Add lemon juice for more tartness in your drink.

• Raw eggs may contain salmonella. Use them with caution.

• Discard leftover sour mix that contains egg whites.

References

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Bartending; Amy Zavatto