The recipe
for your table
First shake the genever, lemon juice, elderflower and egg white for 10 seconds without ice.
Add ice and shake firmly for another 15 seconds.
Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
Garnish with lemon zest or a thin slice of lemon on the foam.
The story
Genever was once the most important spirit in the world – in the nineteenth century, people in New York drank more “Holland gin” than English gin, and classics such as the Improved Holland Gin Cocktail were made with it. Later, in its own country, it was dismissed as a drink for grandfathers. In recent years, the tide has turned: Dutch bartenders are rediscovering the malty richness of oude genever, and hospitality trend reports are putting genever-based cocktails with elderflower and lemon in the spotlight. The Amsterdam Sour brings that movement together in a single glass.
The right glass
Serve this modern Dutch classic straight up in a 24 to 26 cl coupe: the wide bowl beautifully showcases the foam and gives the malty genever aromas room to breathe. To make the ritual feel even more Dutch, pour the genever at the table from a small Old Dutch roemer – a nod to the kopstoot that completes the story. Prefer a smaller stemmed glass that is less prone to sloshing? Take a look at our Nick & Nora glasses.
RCR Opera Champagne Glass / Coupe 24 cl (6 pieces)
Royal Leerdam Intermezzo Shot Glass 5 cl Old Dutch Roemer (12 pieces)
Both sets — just €82.90, free shipping from €50.
Variations & twists
With jonge jenever, it becomes lighter and more neutral; with korenwijn, deeper and more malty. Replace the elderflower with apple-syrup syrup for an autumn version with a touch of Dutch humor. A few drops of bitters on the foam complete the presentation. Looking for more inspiration? Browse all 80 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Oude jenever (with plenty of malt wine) provides the depth that jonge jenever lacks—this is the time to use the good bottle. Elderflower syrup makes it sweeter, while elderflower liqueur makes it richer; taste and choose your style.
Why jenever instead of bourbon?
A whiskey sour is built around bourbon: sweet, vanilla-forward, and strongly influenced by oak. Oude jenever brings something different, namely malt wine. It provides a grainy, slightly bready base that is less sweet and pairs better with the floral elderflower. Where bourbon overpowers the lemon, jenever lets it come through. That’s why this recipe uses 3 cl of lemon juice to 4.5 cl of jenever, making it slightly tarter than the American version. The result is drier and unmistakably Dutch—and it’s also why this sour tastes so much better with a good oude jenever than with a jonge.
Which jenever should you choose?
Oude jenever is the right choice, preferably one with a high malt-wine content. Bottles containing 20 percent or more malt wine provide the depth that carries this cocktail. Jonge jenever contains virtually no malt wine, making the sour neutral and thin—more of a lemon cocktail than a jenever cocktail. Korenwijn goes in the opposite direction, with at least 51 percent malt wine: fuller and woodier, so you can reduce the amount to 4 cl to keep it from becoming too heavy. This is the time to use a bottle you would also happily serve neat.
Egg-free: shaking with aquafaba
Replace the egg white with 2 cl of aquafaba and you’ll get exactly the same creamy foam cap. The liquid from a can of chickpeas foams thanks to the same proteins found in egg white, without adding any flavor. First shake for ten seconds without ice, then add ice and shake vigorously for another fifteen seconds. Double straining is still important, because ice chips can flatten the foam again. If it doesn’t work, the aquafaba is usually too thin; briefly reduce it until it reaches roughly the thickness of egg white, then try again.
Mixing in advance for a group
You don't want to shake six times in a row when entertaining. Mix the jenever, lemon juice, and elderflower in the right proportions in a bottle and chill it for at least two hours; allow 9.5 cl of mix per person. Add the egg white or aquafaba only when shaking, because foam like that won't last for hours. Then shake two glasses at a time, first without ice and then with it, so the dilution is right. Put the coupes in the freezer ahead of time, because an ice-cold glass keeps the foam standing noticeably longer.
Frequently asked questions
What is in an Amsterdam Sour?
An Amsterdam Sour consists of 4.5 cl oude jenever, 3 cl fresh lemon juice, 2 cl elderflower liqueur or syrup, and one egg white, garnished with lemon zest. It is the classic sour formula in which bourbon is replaced by Dutch malt wine, resulting in a softer, grainier flavor.
Which jenever do you use for an Amsterdam Sour?
Oude jenever is the right choice because it contains plenty of malt wine and provides the depth that carries this cocktail. Jonge jenever makes it lighter and more neutral, while korenwijn is fuller and maltier. This is the time to use a good bottle, because the jenever is the main flavor here.
Which glass do you use for an Amsterdam Sour?
A 24 to 26 cl coupe is ideal. The wide bowl shows off the egg-white foam and gives the malty jenever aromas room to develop. Serve straight up, without ice in the glass; see our champagne coupe glasses.
Can you make an Amsterdam Sour without egg?
Yes, replace the egg white with 2 cl of aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas. Shake it exactly the same way: first for ten seconds without ice to create the foam, then for fifteen seconds with ice. The result is just as creamy and suitable for guests who prefer not to drink raw egg.
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