Negroni Sour
This negroni sour is a bright and refreshing take on the beloved bittersweet classic. It's a stunning drink with delicate froth and familiar flavors. Cheers to a quick and easy cocktail that takes only 5 ingredients to make!
If you love unique negroni recipes, also try our aperol negroni, white negroni, and frozen negroni slushy!
With fresh lemon juice and egg-free cocktail foamer, we turn the classic negroni into a frothy sour! It's a bright and herbal cocktail that's perfect for anyone who loves the familiar flavors of a negroni but finds a stirred version too intense.
While most negroni sour recipes call for simple syrup, we found that we preferred the taste without it. It's wonderfully refreshing and the sweet vermouth provides all the sweetness this cocktail needs. That said, if you prefer a sweeter cocktail, add a teaspoon (or two) of simple syrup to taste.
Serve it “up” in a coupe glass with a twist of orange peel for a delightful drink that goes down easy anytime!
Why you'll love it
- It's refreshing, with familiar bittersweet flavors
- It's elegant enough for special occasions
- It's quick and easy to make
- This eggless version is mess-free (and vegan)!
For another refreshing Italian cocktail, try an Aperol spritz!
Negroni sour ingredients
You only need a few bar staples, lemon juice, and cocktail foamer (or egg white) to make this negroni sour recipe. Here's everything you'll need:
- Gin – with its juniper and botanical notes, gin is the perfect spirit to balance out the sourness of this cocktail. It doesn't need to be overly fancy, just a london dry gin will do the trick.
- Campari – it's not a negroni without this classic and distinct bittersweet Italian spirit.
- Sweet vermouth – also known as Italian vermouth, this classic red fortified wine adds sweetness and a range of botanical notes.
- Lemon juice – we've said it before and we'll say it again, fresh is best when it comes to lemon juice.
- Cocktail foamer – used in place of egg whites, cocktail foamer gives that frothy mouth feel we're after without the mess.
How to make a negroni sour
A negroni sour is an impressive drink that's quick, easy, and satisfying to make at home. Here's how it comes together in just three simple steps:
- Fill your cocktail shaker or mason jar with ice, followed by all the ingredients.
- With the lid on, give it a good shake for about 30 seconds. We're looking for lots of foam!
- Strain it, and serve it in a coupe glass with an orange peel.
Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
What is cocktail foamer?
Cocktail foamer is an easy-to-use ingredient that gives cocktails a foamy head, without the mess! Just a few dashes of this egg-free solution gives this drink perfect bubbles and the frothy mouth feel we're after. We found it to be a little less foamy than using traditional egg whites, but for the convenience, we think it's worth it.
FAQS
Yes, definitely! Use one egg white in place of the cocktail foamer. If raw eggs aren't for you, pasteurized egg whites in a carton work wonderfully to make cocktails foamy.
If you love the taste of fresh orange juice, then yes, use a Ā½ ounce of orange juice and a Ā½ ounce of lemon juice.
The foamy top is a key component of this drink, so you'll want to mix it up at the moment. You can prepare the lemon juice and other ingredients ahead of time but wait until right before you serve it to mix it up so the bubbles don't disappear.
When to serve a negroni sour
Start your dinner party off with a negroni sour and easy finger foods like butternut squash pizza with roasted garlic and goat cheese or shrimp cakes with lemon aioli.
We love the deep sunset color of this negroni sour. Whether you're after a refreshing sip on warm summer evenings or looking for something to serve at a dinner party or special occasion, then you can't go wrong with this beautiful cocktail!
Appetizers that pair well with a negroni sour
More negroni recipes
Negroni Sour
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- 1 ounce lemon juice, fresh is best!
- 1 squirt cocktail foamer, see notes
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker or 3-cup mason jar halfway full with ice. Add the gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, and foamer.1 ounce gin, 1 ounce Campari, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1 ounce lemon juice, 1 squirt cocktail foamer
- Put the lid on the shaker or mason jar and shake for 30 seconds – you want to create lots of foam.
- Strain your negroni sour into a coupe glass and garnish with an orange peel.
Good looking recipe, but if I may offer one minor critique, you’ve missed a very important step in any egg white/foamed cocktail, the dry shake (shaking without ice.) A dry shake is important, especially if you’re using egg whites for your foam as it emulsifies the egg and will give you thicker and more voluminous foam. For this recipe I would do a 10-15 second dry shake, followed by a 15-20 second shake with ice. And always double strain your foamed cocktails!
Love your recipes! With more and more evidence that alcohol intake, even at moderate levels, is damaging, I would love it if you could come up with more amazing alcohol-free cocktail recipes
Thanks, Deeana! You can find all of our alcohol-free drink recipes here. And we’ve got lots more planned!