Updated March 2026.
A whiskey sour and an amaretto sour share lemon and sugar. They do not share a TTB class. The IBA Whiskey Sour is 45 ml bourbon (40%+), 25 ml lemon, and 20 ml sugar syrup. Amaretto is an almond-style liqueur — Disaronno’s common US bottle is 28% ABV. The same 45 ml of 28% amaretto is 0.70 of a standard drink, not one. This is math, not a 2023 flavor contest.
IBA does not make the amaretto sour the same drink as the whiskey sour. Related: bourbon for a whiskey sour, IBA specs.
Same sour shape, different ethanol
| Whiskey sour (IBA) | Amaretto sour | |
|---|---|---|
| Base | 45 ml bourbon (≥40%) | Amaretto liqueur (often 21–28%) |
| Acid / sugar | 25 ml lemon + 20 ml syrup | Same idea; recipes vary. No IBA card fetched |
| 1 × 45 ml base | 1.00 drink at 40%; 1.25 at 50% | ~0.70 at 28% |
| Class | Whiskey (27 CFR 5.143) | Liqueur — sugar is the class, not a mash bill |
Four IBA whiskey sours are four drinks from the bourbon. Four 45 ml Disaronno pours are about 2.8. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Read the amaretto neck — not every brand is 28%.
Sources
- IBA Whiskey Sour (fetched 2026): 45 / 25 / 20, optional egg white.
- Disaronno 28% is the common US label. Other amarettos differ.
- NIAAA (December 2025). No tasting winner.