Remember those sour mixes in your parents’ home bar? And bartenders used them too. Those mixes gave sours a bad name. We talk to Philip Greene, the author of the new book, Sours: A History of the World’s Most Storied Cocktail Style, about this and other things Sour. Phil is one of the founder’s of the Museum of the American Cocktail, and has written a number of books about the cocktail. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.

Philip Greene

You can read the story of the Lion of Baltimore cocktail on page 130 of Sours. Here is the recipe for the cocktail created by Phil Greene. Make the drink, and sip it while you read the story.

2 ounces Jamaican dark rum (such as Smith & Cross or Appleton)

1 ounce sweet vermouth (Dolin or Martini work well)

3/4 ounce fresh lime juice

1/4 ounce orgeat

2 or 3 dashes Dale DeGroff’s pimento bitters

Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.