Metaxa Sour Cocktail Recipe
Greek brandy with lemon and honey — softer and more raisin-sweet than a cognac sour.
- Category: Popular
- Glass: Coupe glass
- ABV: 19%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Metaxa50 ml (1.7 oz)
- Fresh lemon juice25 ml (0.8 oz)
- Honey syrup20 ml (0.7 oz)
- Angostura bitters2 dash
How to Make It
- Shake all ingredients with ice.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Express a lemon twist over the surface.
- Drop the twist into the glass.
Garnish
Lemon twist
What it tastes like
The citrus acidity leads, the sweetness is pronounced and it smells of lemon and lime peel.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A stemmed, shallow coupe. The stem keeps your hand's warmth away from the drink, and the wide bowl carries the aroma to your nose. Served without ice.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon; one lemon gives 30-40 ml. It can swap with lime, but lemon is softer and less aromatic, so use a touch more.
- Honey syrup
- Three parts honey to one part warm water. Neat honey seizes up in a cold drink, which is why it gets loosened first. Heavier and more aromatic than simple syrup.
- Angostura bitters
- The salt of the cocktail world. Measured in dashes, not millilitres: a few of them cut the sweetness and add spice. One bottle lasts years.
The Story
Metaxa is brandy blended with Muscat wine and a botanical infusion, which is why it never quite behaves like cognac in a drink.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Metaxa Sour mixed?
- It is shaken and served in a coupe.
- How strong is a Metaxa Sour?
- Roughly 19% ABV as served — in fortified-wine territory — plan it as a single drink.
- Can a Metaxa Sour be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Metaxa Sour hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.