Wednesday, January 9, 2019

The Eastern Sour Cocktail

The Eastern Sour Cocktail

A bourbon-fueled Tiki classic from Trader Vic

It’s a new year, so time to discover a new drink. Allow us to present the Eastern Sour Cocktail.

This one is a tasty mix of bourbon, orange juice, lemon juice, and orgeat syrup. Which makes it perfect for winter, we think. All that citrus has to be great for combating colds and flu.

To your health!



The Eastern Sour Cocktail

Recipe: The Eastern Sour Cocktail

Tiki drinks tend to be rum based. But when Polynesian-themed restaurants were reaching the height of their popularity after World War II, most drinkers in the US preferred whiskey and gin. So Tiki bars always included some drinks featuring those spirits. Hence, the Eastern Sour Cocktail.

This recipe takes about 5 minutes to prepare, and serves one.

Ingredients
  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • 2 ounces orange juice (fresh squeezed is best, but bottled works)
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ ounce orgeat syrup
  • ¼ ounce Simple Syrup 
  • garnish of orange or lemon wedge/twist (optional)
Procedure
  1. Place all ingredients (except garnish) in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Cover and shake hard until the contents are well chilled (about 20 seconds).
  2. Strain into an ice-filled rocks (Old-Fashioned) glass or a cocktail glass. Add garnish, if desired, and serve.
The Eastern Sour Cocktail

Notes
  • Many drinkers like to serve the Eastern Sour in a cocktail glass. We prefer it on the rocks. But feel free to try it both ways.
  • You can use any decent brand of bourbon for this drink. 
  • Fresh-squeezed lemon juice tastes way better than bottled, so we always recommend it.
  • Fresh-squeezed OJ tastes better than the commercial stuff, too. But bottled works fine in this drink.
  • Some versions of this drink substitute lime juice for lemon. We prefer lemon, but you may want to try the lime option.
  • You can use more or less OJ than we call for (+/- ½ ounce or so). Feel free to experiment.
  • You can buy bottled simple syrup, but it’s really easy to make your own Homemade Simple Syrup. And it costs only pennies, rather than dollars. 
  • Trader Vic (Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr) founded a chain of Polynesian-themed restaurants bearing his name. He and his great competitor, Donn Beach (founder of Don the Beachcomber restaurants), created most of the Tiki drinks we know today.
The Eastern Sour Cocktail

The picture of health

“Big drink,” said Mrs. Kitchen Riffs. “I’d call this one healthy pour.”

“Yup,” I said. “We’re getting our quotient of Vitamin C.”

“This should ward off colds until next year,” said Mrs K R.

“And it’s much tastier than a kale smoothie,” I said. “My kind of health drink.”

“Maybe you should refill my prescription for this,” said Mrs K R, handing me her glass.

Glad to! It’s just what the witch doctor ordered.

You may also enjoy reading about:
Simple Syrup
Royal Hawaiian Cocktail
Mai Tai Cocktail
Paradise Cooler Cocktail
Planter's Punch Cocktail
Singapore Sling Cocktail
Vicious Virgin Cocktail
Cocktal Basics
Or check out the index for more

82 comments:

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Whoa,so gorgeous! And with those health benefits, who I'm I to refuse ;)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Liz, we all want to be healthy this year, right? :D Thanks for the comment.

Tricia | Saving Room for Dessert said...

Oh yes! I love the bright flavors but I'm not familiar with orgeat syrup - doing to look that one up. Hope you enjoyed a wonderful holiday season.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Tricia, orgeat syrup has an almond flavor that's really enticing -- worth getting to know. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Gerlinde de Broekert said...

I wasn’t familiar with oreageat syrup either but I like anything almond flavored , I will have to get it. But what I do remember are the Trader Vic restaurants and their tiki drinks. Prost!

Valentina said...

I want to come to cocktail hour at your place! Beautiful drink. I used to go to Trader Vic's in LA. Was always a good time. :-)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Gerlinde, Trader Vic restaurants still exist, but mainly overseas. There are only 3 left in the US, whereas Dubai alone has 3! Weird. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Mae Travels said...

Your obviously awesome liquor cabinet (including mixers etc) is rivaled only by your equally awesome supply of puns and gags. Nice post -- as always it ALMOST makes me want to switch from wine to cocktails.

best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Valentina, you'd be very welcome. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Mae, although we certainly enjoy the flavor of cocktails, it's really the history and stories about them that we really enjoy. That's our story, and we're sticking to it! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Angie's Recipes said...

Awesome! To your healthy, John!

Pam said...

I love bourbon but not so crazy about orange juice, but this looks good. It would be a great way to get some Vitamin C! :-)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Angie, our New Year's resolution is to become healthier. :D Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Pam, OJ actually makes a pretty good cocktail ingredient. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Terry / Blue Kitchen said...

In all my tippling, I'd never heard of orgeat syrup either. You're keeping me on my toes, John.

Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen said...

Hahaha! I'll take this over a kale smoothie any day :). Love all that citrusy flavor!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Terry, orgeat is good stuff, and often used in Tiki drinks. Worth getting to know. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Kelsie, yup, kale smoothies are overrated. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Chef Mimi said...

I actually own orgeat syrup, so I can make this! However, may I switch out the bourbon for gin?

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Mimi, I haven't used gin in this drink, but it'd probably work (totally different flavor, but good, I think). It's certainly worth an experiment -- let me know how it turns out! Thanks for the comment.

Emma @ Bake Then Eat said...

This sounds like a great way to beat off the winter blues and keep the sniffles at bay!

Healthy World Cuisine said...

We definitely do not want to get scurvy so here is a toast to the delicious high in vitamin C Eastern Sour. Looks stunning!

Abbe@This is How I Cook said...

I love orgeat. I use it in fruit salads, in addition to drinks. This sounds like something I could use at this moment! Happy New Year John!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Emma, gotta fight the sniffles! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Bobbi, fighting scurvy is job 1, isn't it? Or something like that. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Abbe, orgeat has such nice flavor! Love the stuff. Havne't used it in a salad -- need to try that. Thanks for the comment.

Velva said...

Happy New Year! Love a good cocktail. You nailed it again. I was not familiar with "orgeat syrup" had to Google it. Very interesting. I don't believe I have come across this flavored syrup.
Looking forward to following your blog this year.
All the best,
Velva

Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes said...

Now this is a drink I need in my life! I’ve never had orgeat before!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Velva, orgeat is great -- you'll like. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Ashley, you DO need this in your life! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Natalia said...

Amazing color ☺

Dahn @savorthebest said...

Lovely winter drink. Happy New Year to you and best wishes for a great one!!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Natalia, and great flavor! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Dahn, isn't it nice? Happy New Year, and thanks for the comment.

Evelyne CulturEatz said...

I LOVE this one, big bourbon fan as you say, got the drink lots to prevent colds and flus :-) Happy New year to you and the Mrs.

Lydia from Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen said...

Happy New Year! I think the Eastern Sour would go over well in our house.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Evelyne, preventing colds and flu is a priority at hour house! :-) Thanks for the comment, and Happy New Year!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Lydia, this has wonderful flavor -- definitely worth a try. Happy New Year, and thanks for the comment.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

John, yes, I really do need to take better care of my "health" this winter! I will make this strictly for medicinal purposes, of course.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Jean, we're looking out for your "health!" :-) Thanks for the comment.

Amy (Savory Moments) said...

This looks delicious and refreshing! I love fresh citrus flavors this time of year.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Amy, yup, we definitely crave citrus in the winter -- it's SO good! Thanks for the comment.

mjskit said...

This looks like a fabulous starter for a Sunday brunch. Not a big champagne drinker so mimosas usually don't appeal to me, but I love bourbon and orange juice. Had to look up orgeat syrup which made this drink even more appealing. Nice cocktail John!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi MJ, this WOULD make a great brunch cocktail. Good idea. :-) Thanks for the comment.

sherry said...

ooh this looks and sounds very refreshing. perfect on a hot brisbane summer night:) cheers sherry

Cocoa and Lavender said...

I happen to have all the ingredients for this! And, guess what? It’s Friday! And you know what that means? Cocktails after work… (I generally see if cocktails for the weekend… It’s a way to make them more special.) I should check your blog for more recipes that use orgeat syrup. I just bought a new bottle because my old bottle had gone bad. I don’t want that to happen again… I guess I need to drink more cocktails during the week!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Sherry, this is a nice drink for us because citrus is in peak season, but a wonderful one for you because this is a great way to beat the heat. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi David, we usually do cocktails only on weekends too. Otherwise, that would be the path for madness! Probably our favorite cocktail that uses orgeat is the Mai Tai -- a wonderful drink. Thanks for the comment.

Deb|EastofEdenCooking said...

Everything citrus really brightens the winter months. What a fabulous way to enjoy the season.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Deb, it's snowing here today, so we need one of these to brighten the day! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Rocquie said...

This looks like a delicious cocktail and as usual I love your beautiful photography. --Rocquie

Laura Dembowski said...

I have been reading all about how whiskey is practically a cure all, and my grandfather always believed it, so it was instilled in me even before it became a trend. This cocktail is quite the pretty color.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Rocquie, it IS delicious. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Laura, whiskey IS a cure-all. Until it isn't. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Vicki Bensinger said...

Wow how beautiful is this! Yes I'm sure it would help ward off any colds and the flu. I love those glasses who makes them?

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Vicki, not sure who makes those glasses, but you can get them at Amazon (at least you could last year). They're fun, aren't they? Thanks for the comment.

amira said...

Wow, the color is so bright , makes me feel happy :).

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Amra, cool color, huh? :-) Thanks for the comment.

Denise Browning said...

Beautiful like a sunshine!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Denise, both beautiful and tasty -- perfect combo. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Debra Eliotseats said...

My kind of health drink as well. We are starting to prefer bourbon and whiskey based cocktails over here and I know this will be on the menu for cocktail hour soon! Cheers!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Debra, bourbon is a wonderful liquor for cocktails! Rye, too. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Fran @ Gday Souffle said...

I just had a Margarita in Borrego Springs, Calif. It was blended with ice and turned out like a giant 'slushie.' Looks like I should have ordered an 'Eastern Sour', instead!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Fran, this drink is actually served as a kind of "slushie" too -- often it's poured from the shaker without straining, so the ice used to chill the drink becomes the ice in the glass. We prefer fresh ice for the glass, though. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Ron said...

Such memories your post invoke. Business Lunches at Trader Vic's in Seattle were a weekly thing for me back in the eighties and many of a tiki umbrella I did purchase. But, I don't remember this one. Love bourbon and OJ so this works for me. As winter is blowing here, the thought of a beach and tiki drink sounds awfully good.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Ron, Trader Vic's was a hoot! Great drinks. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Food Gal said...

Now that's a sip of sunshine in the dreary days of winter. Salute!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Carolyn, we had about a foot of snow this weekend, so we NEED sunshine! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Merryn@merrynsmenu said...

This HAS to be good for you with so much healthy citrus juice. Another great cocktail creation with a decent dose of bourbon, very nice indeed :)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Merryn, tastes good, and good for you -- winner! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Marcelle said...

I'll agree that this cocktail must taste better than a kale smoothie :) I've had citrus with vodka, but never bourbon. This sounds like a nice drink and I will have to give it try, John!

Sippity Sup said...

Orgeat added to a whiskey sour is an example of Tiki bars knowing their customers and staying true to their brand. I'm sure this was a hit in its day and I'm glad you rediscovered it for us. GREG

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Marcelle, bourbon is a great mixer -- a wonderful cocktail ingredient. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Greg, Tiki drinks are so interesting, aren't they? Don Beach and Trader Vic were SO GOOD at figuring ut new drinks. Thanks for the comment.

lisa is cooking said...

I love sours, and this cocktail has all of my favorite ingredients in it! What a great way to start the year. Happy 2019!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Lisa, sours are good, aren't they? Thanks for the comment, and Happy New Year~

Juliana said...

I love the idea of using this cocktail to fight the flu with all the citrus in it...sounds an looks delicious John...thanks for the recipe.
Have a wonderful week!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Juliana, flu fighting is very important. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Debra Eliotseats said...

So, I couldn't find orgeat syrup so we subbed in sour orange. Pretty tasty still...

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Debra, orgeat can be hard to find sometimes. Sour orange sounds good. You could use almond syrup, too. Glad you liked it!

Jeff the Chef said...

Where has the eastern sour been all my life? It sounds fantastic.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Jeff, it IS fantastic. Enjoy. :-) Thanks for the comment.