Whiskey Sour
Average
Sour
4 Minutes
Rocks Glass
Ingredients
“The Whiskey Sour is considered the Monarch of the Sours cocktail family, with a rich history and countless variations,” explains Michael Bergström, Drink Expert from Bartenders’ Choice Awards.
Whiskey Sours were popular during Prohibition-era and remain one of the most popular cocktails in the family of Sour drinks today, so much so that National Whiskey Sour Day is celebrated annually in the United States.
We say this cocktail deserves all the celebration, not only because it’s an originator but because, well, it’s so damn good!
How To Make a whiskey sour Cocktail
Bar tools you’ll need
Fine Strainer
Jigger
Knife
Boston Shaker
How to Mix
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Use a Jigger to measure and pour Egg White (or Aquafaba) into the smaller tin of your Boston Shaker, followed by Simple Syrup.
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Cut a Lemon in half and use a Citrus Elbow to extract the juice into the Jigger, then pour the correct measurement into your Shaker.
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Measure and pour Bourbon Whiskey into the Shaker.
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Fill the Shaker with Ice Cubes and shake until chilled.
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Separate the Boston Shaker and place a Hawthorne Strainer over the larger tin to strain out the Ice into the smaller tin. Discard the Ice.
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Reassemble the Boston Shaker and shake again, this time without Ice.
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Pour the mixture directly into a Rocks Glass.
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Take a Peeler and peel a Lemon Zest, then press the Peel over your drink to release the oils before placing it gently into your drink.
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Place one Fresh Cherry on a Cocktail Pick, then lay it across your Glass.
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Add a couple of dashes of Angostura Bitters.
Watch Rico show how to make a Whiskey Sour!
All about the Whiskey Sour
The Whiskey Sour is a classic cocktail and pioneer that has inspired countless other “Sours”. More than 150 years old, the Whiskey Sour remains one of the most popular drinks around today.
While the preferred choice of whiskey is bourbon, you can find many Whiskey Sour variations that opt for other whiskey types, including rye whiskey.
The Whiskey Sour is an incredible and unique mix of sour, bitter, and sweet flavors. There’s the rich and smooth caramel, vanilla, and oak flavors from the bourbon, which marry perfectly with the tart, fresh squeezed lemon juice, which is then sweetened and balanced out by the simple syrup.
An originator and a game changer, the Whiskey Sour is truly one of the best cocktails you’ll ever taste.
The first written mention of a Whiskey Sour appeared in a Wisconsin newspaper in 1870, but it’s believed that sailors may have consumed it before that.
On long sea journeys in the 1880s, clean water was difficult to come by. This mixture not only made the water safer to drink by killing off bacteria but also provided vitamin C that helped prevent the dreaded scurvy.
The first record of a Sour cocktail appears in 1856, with the Whiskey Sour being one of the earliest. Sours are cocktails that include a base liquor, Lemon or Lime Juice, and a sweetener like Simple Syrup. Some sours, like the Whiskey Sour, also incorporate Egg Whites.
“There’s a reason people are still drinking it today. Because it’s fantastic. One of the best variations of a sour you can get” says Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan, Bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador.
Over time, the “Sour family of cocktails” has seen numerous interpretations, with some achieving contemporary classic status. Examples include the Pisco Sour, Amaretto Sour, Vodka Sour, Boston Sour, New York Sour, South Side, Margarita, Sidecar, Daiquiri, White Lady, Lemon Drop Martini, and Gimlet.
The original recipe for the Whiskey Sour featured Whiskey, Simple Syrup, and Lemon Juice. The addition of Egg White dates back to before 1922, when the author of a cocktail book published that year said that Egg Whites improves all Sours.
Make your own Aquafaba
If you decide to make your Whiskey Sour with Aquafaba instead of Egg Whites like Rico does in this recipe, we recommend making your own Aquafaba. Why? Because when you make anything fresh and from scratch, it’s generally always better. And yes, it’s easy to make.
“You’ll need to soak them (Raw Chickpeas) in water overnight, which is going to hydrate them. Once you’ve let these soak overnight, get rid of all the water,” explains Rico. “Next you want to cook your chickpeas. Once they’re done, you want to strain the Chickpeas and that’s going to leave you with the cooking liquid. Put that cooking liquid back on heat and you want to reduce it by half, then you’re going to have Aquafaba.”
Boom! Now you’ve got Aquafaba.
Wet shake followed by a dry shake
Rico recommends doing a reverse dry shake when making a Whiskey Sour. This technique involves first doing a ‘wet shake’ by shaking the cocktail ingredients with Ice, then straining out the Ice and shaking again without it. This method is particularly effective for drinks with Egg Whites or Aquafaba, creating a wonderfully frothy, velvety texture.
“You really want to emulsify the proteins to get that texture really velvety, thick, creamy, and with a nice head,” Rico explains.
By doing a wet shake followed by a dry shake, you also eliminate the need to fine-strain since you’ve already removed all the Ice.
New York Sour
Even though the New York Sour is a classic cocktail in its own right, it was also inspired by and can be considered a variation of the Whiskey Sour. A New York Sour follows the same recipe as above but adds a float of Dry Red Wine. When we asked Rico about the New York Sour, he described it as “possibly one of the best cocktails ever invented.” Now if that doesn’t entice, we don’t know what will.
Learn how to make a New York Sour.
Boston Sour
Here’s another example of a fantastic cocktail that stands on its own feet yet is a Whiskey Sour variation. The Boston Sour has the same ingredients as a Whiskey Sour, except the measurements are different and, most notably, it uses one whole Egg White and does not have any garnish or Bitters.
See how to make a Boston Sour.
Whiskey Sour in the Rough
This delicious Whiskey Sour variation mixes Whiskey, Lemon Juice, Orange Juice and Simple Syrup resulting in a drink that’s zesty, citrusy, sweet, and smooth. The addition of Orange Juice works incredibly well with the Bourbon. Try and see it!
Discover our Whiskey Sour in the Rough recipe.
“There are many ways to serve a Whiskey Sour – some people like it straight-up, some people like it on the rocks,” says Rico.
Rico recommends using a Rocks Glass filled with Ice or a Coupe Glass without any Ice. When it’s on the rocks, Rico suggests garnishing with Lemon Zest and a Fresh Cherry. Tasty, playful, and elegant. Other people prefer garnishing with an Orange Wedge. It’s up to you!
“Bartenders love adding a couple of dashes of Bitters on the frothy head, more as decoration rather than garnish. It also adds a great elevated flavor experience drinking through it,” explains Michael Bergström.
You’ll notice that Rico opts not to use Bitters for the Rocks Version but does for the Coupe Glass version. Bitters are fairly standard for Whiskey Sours, so do what works best for you.
Speaking of glassware, check out this article on the different types of cocktail glassware.
Sometimes life gives you lemons and you make Whiskey Sours, so don't stress about it. It's one of the best variations of a sour you can get.
Bartender and Global Brand Ambassador
Whiskey Sour FAQ
Firstly, there are many types of Whiskey, and Bourbon is just one of them. You see, all Bourbon is Whiskey, but not all Whiskey is Bourbon. While all Whiskeys are made from a fermented mash of grains, Bourbon is primarily made from corn.
What are the different Whiskey types? To avoid overcomplicating things, there are essentially seven different types of Whiskey. They are: Bourbon Whiskey, Rye Whiskey, Irish Whiskey, Scotch Whisky, Japanese Whisky, Canadian Whisky, and Tennessee Whiskey.
OK, so, let’s ask Michael Bergström what the best Whiskey is for a Whiskey Sour. “Any Whiskey will make a delicious Sour. However, traditionally, and according to old drink books, Whiskey Sours are made with Irish Whiskey,” he says.
“These days, Bourbon Whiskey is the most common choice, but any Whiskey will make a great sour, so choose according to personal preference,” he adds.
In the video on this page, you’ll see that Rico uses Jamesons Irish Whiskey.
Experiment. Mix it up and see which you prefer.
You’ll also notice that Whiskies from Japan, Canada, and Scotland are spelled without the ‘e’ (i.e., Whisky instead of Whiskey). The difference in spelling is said to originate from the 19th century when Irish distillers began adding an ‘e’ to “Whiskey” to distinguish their products from Scotch. Since Japanese Whisky is made similarly to Scotch Whisky, it also uses this spelling.
Yes, you can. You won’t get that nice fluffy head on your drink but it’ll still taste like a Whiskey Sour.
However, if you want to create that nice fluffy head but don’t want to use Egg White you can use Aquafaba, which is an Egg White substitute. In fact, as you’ll see in the video on this very page, Rico uses Aquafaba to make his Whiskey Sour. And it works every bit as good as Egg White.
So, how does Aquafaba work in a Whiskey Sour and what does it taste like? Let’s hand it over to Rico. “The Aquafaba gives the drink a good, heavy body. The Whiskey is perfectly blended with the Sugar and with the Lemon Juice to mellow out all the flavors so you can sip it slowly,” he says.
Check out our article on how to use Aquafaba to make cocktails.
It’s called Simple Syrup for a reason. Boil 1 part Sugar to 1 part Water until the Sugar Granules have dissolved. And voila! Watch this video to see how to make Simple Syrup.
