Have you ever ordered a lemonade from Chick-fil-a? Depending on the day and the location, the lemonade can range from extremely sweet to a tart batch that makes your mouth pucker. We love that tart batch and that is what these cocktails invoke, a spiked lemonade.
For the Trader Vic's Sour, I opted for bourbon and completely omitted the simple syrup. I find the orgeat syrup to be sweet enough that additional sweetness is not needed. As I've mentioned several times, this is a personal preference. If you don't like the pucker then add more sweetness. Too sweet? Then add more lemon. In this instance though, I don't know if I would add more orgeat. I think the almond flavor would over power the other flavors of this cocktail. At the end of the day, you are looking for a nice balance of sweet, tart and savory.
Cocktails are meant to be savored and enjoyed. Think of the original recipe as training wheels. Try it once or twice. Become confident in what you're tasting and experiencing. Change what you don't like and voila, you've ditched the training wheels and created a new cocktail!
His Cocktail - Trader Vic's Sour
2 oz Scotch, Bourbon, or Brandy
3/4 oz Fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Simple syrup
Lemon wheel garnish
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add all the ingredients. Shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish.
Her Cocktail - Improved Japanese Cocktail
2 oz Brandy
1 oz Fresh lemon juice
1 oz Orgeat
3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add all the ingredients. Shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled glass.
Happy drinking!