sour

A sour is a traditional family of mixed drinks. Sours belong to one of the old families of original cocktails and are described by Jerry Thomas in his 1862 book How to Mix Drinks. Sours are mixed drinks containing a base liquor, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener (simple syrup or orgeat syrup). Egg whites are also included in some sours. Types of sours Gin sour The gin sour is a traditional mixed cocktail that predates Prohibition in the United States. It is a simple combination of gin, lemon juice, and sugar. Adding carbonated water to this turns it into a gin fizz.