Gin, lemon and a proper foam top — the drink that proves a shaker earns its keep.
beClink Editorial·April 13, 2026
Time
5 min
Serves
1
Base
Gin
Glass
Coupe glass
A sour is a texture as much as a flavour. Get the foam right and you have something that looks like it came from a bar; skip it and you have gin and lemonade. Aquafaba does the job as well as egg white ever did, and it's already in your cupboard.
Add non-alcoholic gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, elderflower, and aquafaba to a shaker without ice.
Dry shake (without ice) for about 10–15 seconds to build foam.
Add ice and shake again for 10–15 seconds until chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Let the foam settle, then optionally add 1–2 drops of bitters on top.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
Shop the Recipe
Everything you need to pour this
What we reached for, and what else works. Everything here is in stock — swap freely.
Non-alcoholic gin
We used Ritual Gin.
Non-alcoholic elderflower liqueur
We used Giffard Elderflower Liqueur.
Aromatic bitters
We used All The Bitters – Aromatic Bitters.
From your kitchen: fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, aquafaba (or egg white alternative), ice cubes, lemon twist.
In this glass
Mix & Match: any 2–5 items save 5% · 6–23 save 7% · 24+ save 10%, applied automatically in your cart — and ground shipping is free on every order in the contiguous US, no minimum.
Make it yours
Bitters on top
Three drops on the foam, dragged through with a cocktail stick. Two seconds, looks like ten minutes.
Herbal
A few thyme leaves in the shaker. Picks up the elderflower beautifully.
No foam
Skip the aquafaba, serve over ice in a rocks glass. Faster, and still very good.
How to serve & pair
Serve this Herbal Gin Sour well chilled in a coupe glass to highlight its silky texture and aromatic profile.
This alcohol-free cocktail pairs beautifully with:
light appetizers
herb-forward dishes
seafood
citrus-based desserts
fresh salads
Perfect for cocktail hour, entertaining guests, or showcasing a premium alcohol free cocktail experience.
Common Questions
What is aquafaba?
The liquid from a tin of chickpeas. It foams almost exactly like egg white and tastes of nothing once it's shaken.
Why won't my foam hold?
Almost always the dry shake. Shake everything without ice first for ten seconds, then again with ice — that first pass builds the foam.
Can I use egg white instead?
Yes, one fresh white. Aquafaba is here because it's vegan, keeps longer, and behaves just as well.
Is elderflower essential?
No, but it stops the drink being purely sharp. Without it, add a touch more syrup.
Gin & Botanical
