Bourbon Sour Sorbet

Hell bent on saving our ice cream maker from the fate of our bread machine, which has become a mere cobweb display case since I discovered My Bread, I've been making a lot of sorbets this summer. By far the best has been my Bourbon Sour Sorbet, which has the refreshing tang of lemon sorbet with the added benefit of, well, liquor.

I kind of guessed at the proportions, but the sorbet ended up turning out perfectly, with just the right balance of boozy and tart flavors.

Bourbon Sour Sorbet

• For the simple syrup:
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup water
• For the flavor base:
• 1 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Bourbon (or whiskey)
• A splash of lime juice to taste

1. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely. In the meantime, juice a whole mess of lemons. Maybe ten or twelve. Yes, I just counted the halves in the photo in order to give you that number.

2. Add 1/4 cup Bourbon to the lemon juice, and stir well. And, y'know, have a sip of Bourbon, too. If you like that kind of thing. And you're 21 or older. And it's after 5 p.m.

3. Once the simple syrup has cooled, add it to the Bourbon and lemon juice. Taste it, and add a little lime juice to balance out the ratio of tart to sweet (or not, if you prefer sweeter sorbets).

4. Use an ice cream maker to prepare the sorbet according to the manufacturer's instructions (or use these instructions for making sorbet without an ice cream maker), and then freeze the mixture for about an hour to let it harden. Serve in a cocktail glass, if you're feeling cheeky.


A traditional Bourbon Sour is more than just lemon, bourbon, and simple syrup, of course (and, really, who doesn't want an egg white in their cocktail?). If you're feeling adventurous, try adding a dash of bitters to the mixture to give the sorbet a little more street cred.