Anchored by citrus, sour flavors are a key component of modern mixology, creating balanced and refreshing cocktails that are well-liked by a wide array of consumers. Sour drinks have become ubiquitous, transcending seasons and earning a spot on cocktail menus across the country. While sweet cocktails had a hot moment, sour cocktails have shown staying power and are now benefiting from creative bartenders who are playing with sharp flavors in unique ways. 

Trevor Langer, the beverage director at Union Square Hospitality Group’s Porchlight bar in New York City, touts the versatility of sour flavors, noting that savvy bartenders can make sour elements work with many spirits and liqueurs. “Sours are a pillar of classic and modern cocktails alike,” he says. “You can use a vast array of ingredients and techniques to achieve sourness. Most recognizable would be lime and lemon, but you can also acid-adjust less acidic juices like orange and pineapple, and I personally love adding citrus by means of fruits that aren’t as commonly found in our region, like yuzu.” The summer menu at Porchlight lists a Monster Island Gimlet ($18) that can be made with a base of either Fords gin or Magenta Blanco Tequila mixed with Midori liqueur, yuzu juice, and simple syrup, a drink Langer describes as a classic sour Daisy. 

There’s a full range of classic cocktails that boast a sour element as a key component, from Rickeys, Daiquiris, and Gimlets that traditionally feature lime to Collins, Smashes, and Sidecars that historically incorporate lemon. Accordingly, because of their versatility, San Diego bartender Ryan Andrews says sour drinks are often the most popular cocktail style at any given bar. Andrews is the lead bartender at San Diego speakeasy Prohibition, which offers cocktails like the Kentucky Tippler ($18), made with Old Forester 86 Proof Bourbon, R&D Bitters Co. Sarsaparilla bitters, lemon juice, and honey, shaken with a grapefruit peel, and the Samsquantch! ($18), a blend of the bar’s private barrel of Ilegal Reposado mezcal that’s been infused with chai and then mixed with R&D Smoked bitters, lemon juice, and house-made orgeat syrup.

“We primarily use fresh lemon, lime, pineapple, and grapefruit in our sour cocktails,” Andrews says. “We set out to achieve balance in every drink we create, which is why we use sour ingredients to help round out the sweeteners and bitters, and strong spirits flavors. Sour drinks are refreshing, and that’s why they’re the most popular types of drinks.”

Balance is key, of course, and bartender Natalie Sithong notes that finding the right combination of sour ingredients with sweet, herbal, and savory elements is critical to a successful cocktail menu. Sithong tends bar at San Diego restaurant Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine and says her menu routinely features two or three sour drinks year-round, in addition to a couple seasonal variations at specific times of the year. She calls on a variety of sour ingredients to flesh out her drinks, from bittersweet liqueurs to citrus juices and sour fruits like lemon, lime, grapefruit, pomegranate, and passionfruit. And to achieve balance, she calls on a range of other ingredients, including agave nectar, mint, basil, cocktail bitters, and salt.

“Customers appreciate the refreshing and tangy contrast sour drinks provide,” Sithong says. “To prevent sourness from overpowering a drink, we carefully balance it with other components to ensure it remains enjoyable and not overly tart. Sour cocktails add diversity to the menu and appeal to customers who seek a more tangy, palate-stimulating experience.”

Lionfish lists drinks like the Forbidden Fruit ($19), made with Casamigos Reposado Tequila, lemon juice, simple syrup, hibiscus purée, and egg white, and the Dante’s Peak ($19), blending Solento Organic Reposado Tequila and Del Maguey Vida mezcal with lime juice, Fee Brothers Peach bitters, and agave syrup. “A wide range of spirits can be used in sour cocktails, and each one brings its own character to interact uniquely with the sour components,” Sithong says. “Sour drinks are indeed becoming more popular, partly driven by a growing interest in balanced and complex flavor profiles and also because they appeal to consumers seeking lighter, more refreshing alternatives to heavier and sweeter drinks.”