Not Whiskey: This Sour Cocktail Alternative Is Perfect For Sipping On Patios

Sour cocktails are the darlings of bold concoctions, bringing a variety of flavors and sensations, from tart to sweet, zesty, deep, and surprisingly refreshing all at the same time. The whiskey sour is the grandaddy of them all, first appearing in a bartender guidebook in 1862. But it's certainly not the only sour contender in today's cocktail lounge, and it's not necessarily the ideal choice for warm summer days. 

For some ideas on sour cocktail alternatives for patio sipping, we tapped sommelier and mixologist Cody Nicoll who is the owner of Hospitable Nicoll, co-owner of Bar Ocelli, and managing partner of Ember Live Fire Grill. He confirmed that whiskey isn't the only game in town when it comes to creating spirited riffs on sour-style concoctions. In particular, he considers tequila sours a refreshing substitute when entertaining in the warmer months. 

"Everybody loves a good margarita in the summertime," Nicoll says. "That being said, a margarita is essentially a variation of a sour cocktail known as a Daisy. A Daisy cocktail is typically a sour-style cocktail that incorporates an orange liqueur element into the cocktail. The cosmopolitan would be another example of a daisy cocktail variation." 

"The fun thing about a sour is that the possibilities are endless," Nicoll says. "The sour cocktail is the ultimate versatile cocktail, allowing for bartenders to 'plug-and-play' various styles of spirits with various components of acid and sweetness." He personally advocates paying attention to the seasons as well. 

"I tend to lean towards flavors and types of spirits that align with seasonality of ingredients and popularity trends," he says. "Tequila sours in particular are a great variation for patio season, when guests tend to lean towards refreshing summer cocktail variations." Further discussing this warm-weather tendency for refreshing cocktails, Nicoll also suggests gin or vodka as an alternative for those who don't particularly care for tequila. Another possibility is to use rum for daiquiri sour cocktails or for making pineapple rum sours, which involves ingredients such as spiced rum, pineapple juice, lemon juice, ginger beer, and simple syrup.

Regarding other potential upgrades, Nicoll suggests making substitutions to standard recipes to find you own unique combinations. He also shares some ideas from his own menus: "We currently have a cocktail on our menu named the Del Santo Sour, using a Blanco Tequila, Espadin Mezcal, Luxardo Del Santo, and a melon liqueur. Egg whites and Angostura bitters are a must, and this cocktail comes out tasting like a refreshing, smoky cantaloupe cocktail."

In that vein, you can try subbing in a different spirit for this classic frothy whiskey sour recipe. To really go out on a limb, consider this smoky liquor that deserves the sour treatment.