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Cocktail History
The Pompelmo Sour is a modern cocktail that was created by Sarah Boisjoli at Estela in New York City, New York. The recipe, the name of which is Italian for “grapefruit,” is described as a hybrid grapefruit sour and lemon milkshake that uses gin as the base and pairs the spirit with a unique, old school-style grapefruit oleo-saccharum, lemon, a bitter amaro, egg, and botanicals.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. We used The Botanist Islay Dry Gin because it features cool mint, juniper, citrus, and herbal notes that play well with fruity ingredients. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Amaro Montenegro: This is a liqueur made in Italy with a secret blend of forty botanicals, spices, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Dr. Zero Zero ArmarNo Non-Alcoholic Amaro in place of the amaro.
Grapefruit Oleo-Saccharum: This is a citrus-flavored oil sugar made by coating grapefruit peels in an excess of white sugar.
Egg White: This is the clear liquid in an egg. We used fresh egg whites because they add a rich, silky smooth texture.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters.
Grapefruit Peel: This is the peel of a grapefruit that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
The Pompelmo Sour begins with slightly bitter grapefruit aromas and has a citrusy taste that features herbal gin and amaro at the forefront with grapefruit-tinged sourness after, all chased with a slightly spiced zing from the amaro and bitters.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Some cocktails just work well with no explanation needed, and this is one of them, in both of our opinions. While it features a lot of complexity on paper, the drinking experience couldn’t be more well-rounded yet still somewhat thought provoking. And neither of us may not find ourselves craving this one’s unique flavor profile very often especially considering the extra work it takes to make the oleo-saccharum, we can honestly say we wouldn’t change a thing about the Pompelmo Sour itself.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This drink was a sleeper hit for me with a surprising amount of grapefruit flavor coming from the oleo-saccharum and a great juxtaposition of bitterness and sweetness between said grapefruit and the amaro. It has an overall fairly sweet and citrusy flavor but with a definite undercurrent of deeper bitterness on the swallow that makes it super intriguing. I really liked this cocktail and would be happy to make it again, with absolutely no changes proposed.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Even two years into cocktail tastings, I’m still not usually big on drinks that use egg white, but I will give credit where it is due. This recipe deserves its place among modern classics! I didn’t love the bitter aroma of the grapefruit oleo-saccharum as it was being made, but its flavor works really well in this drink. The grapefruit is tart and tasty, the gin’s botanicals shine through but don’t overpower the other ingredients, and the amaro gives it great depth. Try this at least once!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
Add gin, lemon juice, Amaro Montenegro, grapefruit oleo-saccharum, egg white, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Remove ice from shaker.
Dry shake for 5-10 more seconds to emulsify egg.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with grapefruit peel.
Ingredients
Directions
Add gin, lemon juice, Amaro Montenegro, grapefruit oleo-saccharum, egg white, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Remove ice from shaker.
Dry shake for 5-10 more seconds to emulsify egg.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with grapefruit peel.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin, Dr. Zero Zero ArmarNo Non-Alcoholic Amaro in place of the amaro, and All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Grapefruit Cocktails
If you like this grapefruit-flavored cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Salted Sage Paloma: A tequila cocktail made with grapefruit juice, lime juice, salted sage syrup, soda water, and sage leaves
Blinker: A whiskey cocktail made with grapefruit juice, grenadine, and a grapefruit twist
Rosemary Gin & Tonic: A gin cocktail made with grapefruit shrub, lime juice, grapefruit tonic water, grapefruit slices, and rosemary
De Rigueur: A whisky cocktail made with pink grapefruit juice, honey syrup, and a grapefruit wedge
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