amaro satsuma sour.
amaro [class of bittersweet herbal liqueur] satsuma [citrus fruit, mandarin] sour [my favorite classic cocktail build]
This is my favorite of my original cocktails. It requires a citrus oleo made from orange , ideally satsuma mandarin orange, but any orange variety will do. The orange compliments the bitter, herbal, woodsy flavors of the amaro, and is brought to a state of balance via lemon juice and egg white.
let’s talk about the sour. (don’t be afraid of the eggwhite.)
the rise of cocktails dates back to 1850, so if you stick to one of the six classic cocktail builds, you have roughly 175 years of tradition on your side.
the sour adheres to the following specs.
2 oz spirit
.75 oz lemon juice
.5 simple syrup
1 eggwhite
angostura bitters
Eggwhite creates a frothy, silky foam that elevates a sour almost two-fold. The proteins in an eggwhite stretch during shaking, capturing air bubbles, expanding in size, linking together and turning white. The egg-white isn’t cooked, but these days, FDA regulations ensure chickens are vaccinated against salmonilla, which is the only thing you’d have grounds to be afraid of. Be brave.
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In this recipe, I used two types of amaro in that 2oz spirit slot, amaro averna, and amaro nonino.
F l a v o r P r o f i l e s
Amaro Averna: orange and licorice, balanced with notes of myrtle, juniper berries, rosemary, and sage. [made in Italy]
Amaro Nonino: notes of vanilla, spices, honey, and orange. [made in Italy]
In place of the simple syrup, I used a satsuma mandarin oleo saccharum. Oleo saccharum is a fancy word for an easy ingredient. Let’s talk about it.
Oleo saccharum refers to the oil extracted from citrus peels. My preferred method is 1:1 ratio of peels and sugar (by weight), heating on a stovetop, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the oil is extracted from the peels, about 15 minutes.
Example: 25g orange peel + 25g white sugar. Yields 4 ounces orange oleo.
Transfer the syrupy peels back to a storage container and let sit at room temp, for an additional hour to further infuse. Strain.
This is an amazing use for leftover orange peels that would otherwise be tossed and a common way to avoid food waste in restaurant kitchens.
Here’s the final recipe.
1 oz amaro averna
1 oz amaro nonino
.75 oz lemon juice
.5 satsuma oleo
1 eggwhite
angostura bitters, for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, for roughly 10 seconds. Strain cocktail into one side of the tin and discard the ice. Shake vigorously, without ice, for another 15 seconds. [be careful, as you will be creating pressure within the tin. shake too much and it may burst!]
Strain in to a coupe glass and let cocktail settle, a frothy, foamy, delicious layer will form. Use angostura bitters to garnish the cocktail. (Snap a photo) and enjoy.