Sour Mixer
Lemon & Simple Syrup
The Classic For Any & All Spirits!
There are few and we mean a very select group of real-deal, OG cocktails that can trace their roots back not decades but multiple centuries. Some were born in far-off lands with fanciful ingredients mixed in extravagant ways. In contrast, others, like the humble Sour, were born to celebrate spirits, ward off scurvy, and be a conduit for genuinely enjoying spirits for decades, centuries, and millennia to come.
To understand the origins of the Sour you must first understand the origins of the cocktail itself. Many historians credit the Punch as the first ever made and or recorded cocktail. A Punch is simply a libation or in some circles a concoction of spirit, citrus, sweetness, water, and spices all mixed together to make a a harmonious or sometimes deadly bevvy. Punches ruled the cocktail landscape for decades paving the road for what was termed as “Lesser Punches” or cocktails like the Fix, Daisies, Coolers, and Cobblers. These “Lesser Punches” were and are stripped-down versions of their big brother, The Punch. Instead of combining large quantities of ingredients, spices, and whatever else the mixologist had in their kitchen, the process was streamlined, scaled down, and done on a level where as an individual cocktail could be made and enjoyed. Now you might be asking yourself right now, “How did they decide to go from something so large to something so small?”… Great question!
Bring in the British Royal Navy…The British Royal Navy is credited with many things, but for this write-up, we should focus on their ration of Gunpowder Proof Rum and warding off scurvy. Before you ask, yes each sailor on a British Royal Navy vessel has a ration of Rum…what a time to be alive. We digress. Sailors on these vessels to ward of scurvy, would take limes, lemons, or oranges which were readily available onboard and mix them with rum in turn making the world's first Sour or “Grog” as they called it back in the day.
As decades went on the knowledge of a streamlined Punch, aka Sour, utilizing citrus, sweetness, and spirit was passed down from generation to generation finally finding its way, officially, to print in Jerry Thomas’ 1862 manifesto to imbibing, The Bartender’s Guide, with recipes for a Brandy, Gin, and Rum Sours. After The Professor’s, or as Uncle Jerry was known, publication, The Sour grew exponentially, embracing spirits such as Whiskey, Pisco, Tequila, Vodka, and even Amaretto and even lending itself to crossover libations such as the 1922 Fizz derivation of adding egg white to a Sour by Robert Vermeire in his book Cocktails: How to Mix Them.
No matter how you mix it or what spirit you throw at it, the Sour is one of those libations as true to cocktail history, lore, mystique, and culture as they come lending one reporter for the Atlanta Daily Constitution to sum up the Sour simply stating, “When American meet American then comes the Whiskey Sour”.
TASTING & SERVING NOTES: Leisuremann’s Sour Mixer celebrates one of the world’s oldest forms of cocktail in its truest form. On first taste, you notice a balance of citrus and sweetness complimenting but not overshadowing the subtle flavors of the spirit used. Since our Sour Mixer is a lemon-based mixer, it lends itself to being used with many base spirits such as Whiskey, Rum, Amaretto, Gin, Pisco, and even Vodka or Tequila. A Leisuremann’s Sour is best served on the rocks in a low-ball glass. Garnish with a lemon peel, rind, or swizzle. Additionally, in the spirit of Uncle Robby V, try dry shaking (no ice in your shaker just the mixture itself) your cocktail with an egg white for a frothy Fizz-style consistency. Do note that consuming raw egg whites may increase your risk of a foodborne illness. Cheers!