Limoncello + Olive Oil Sours

My signature move for vacations is bringing a signature cocktail to the trip. If we’re packing up the car + driving to our end destination, I’m preparing a go bag with weekend cocktail supplies. Just enough for one carefully crafted cocktail that fits the vibe of the trip. We just took our boys (meaning our dogs) on their Summer vacay to the beach, and the cocktail that we enjoyed beachside were these Limoncello + Olive Oil Sours. Light, herby, and citrusy. An ideal Summer cocktail, and for us the perfect little treat to enjoy during our happy hours on the Oregon coast.

 
 

Full disclosure - I tried to whip this one up for Jordan & I for a little Thursday night happy hour, and boy was it a big time disaster. The punchline - the pressure in the shaker built up, I did nothing to mitigate it, and the drink essentially exploded all over me + our kitchen. Between the combination of lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white that landed in my hair, on my cute outfit, our kitchen ceiling, I really did a number with this one. The saddest part was I literally had just enough gin to make one batch of these cocktails. Just enough for the two of us to enjoy for a little patio hang, so there was no chance to recreate on the spot. Needless to say I was eager to give these another try on vacation.

They delivered on all the right notes. Not super sweet, but really lemon-y + bright. The basil + all the citrus add such a fun flavor to a Summer cocktail, and the whole olive oil situation is so fun! It just blends right into the drink, and the vigorous shaking once the olive oil gets added in give a creamy, velvety texture to the drink. Sipping on these while sitting on the deck of our sweet Airbnb, dogs napping on our laps, and the signature Oregon wind keeping curled up under blankets will be a core memory of the Summer.

For the sours (makes 2)

  • 4 oz. gin

  • 1 oz. simple syrup

  • 1 oz. lemon juice

  • juice of 1 lemon

  • 5-6 basil leaves

  • 1 egg white

  • 2 bar spoons of olive oil

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker without ice, & shake vigorously. Pop open the shaker, add the ice, and shake again until the shaker is totally frosty. Strain + serve in your favorite cocktail glasses, or over a large ice cube if you like. Garnish with a little extra basil.

Lesley ZehnerComment