Seasons of mist and mellow sourness, not just ‘one for the ladies’, my Amaretto Sour is almost twin sibling to the Whisky Sour. Why? Finding a pure amaretto cocktail a borderline over-sweet assault, I blend both bourbon and amaretto (I use Veroni) with the usual sour suspects. If you have a major sweet tooth and you like your almond essences, go full amaretto.

The sour family is a broad church including the Daiquiri, the Sidecar and the Margarita with a seriously old school cocktail heritage, as far back as Jerry Thomas’ How to Mix Drinks circa 1862. Now, like then, classic cocktails should come in classic vessels. Old teacups? tin army mugs? Not for a traditional sour my friends. Your amaretto sour should be served in a tumbler or high-ball. Having said that I recently had a sour at The Savoy’s illustrious American Bar, that came in a champagne glass so innovation and reinvention reaches even the most rarefied of altitudes.

As well as your glass (chilled and optionally rimmed with sugar), cocktail shaker, ice, your bourbon of choice – on this occasion I’m using Jim Beam, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar syrup – just dissolve a few spoons of sugar in pre-boiing water in a pan, egg white, cocktail cherry, slice of orange.

Recipe: 1 shot bourbon, 1 shot amaretto, 1/2 shot lemon juice, 1/2 shot sugar syrup, 1/2 shot egg white.

Throw your ice in to the shaker, add all the ingredients except your garnishes, shake with gusto for 20-30 secs, strain into your glass, add  two ice cubes, the cherry, slice of orange and a cocktail straw.  If you want this a little sweeter, add a tsp of the cherry juice. Enjoy