Ingredients
- 2 oz Blended Whiskey
- 1/2 Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tsp Superfine Sugar
- 1 Cherry
- 1/2 Slice(s) Lemon
Instructions
- Shake blended whiskey. juice of lemon. and powdered sugar with ice and strain into a whiskey sour glass. Decorate with the half-slice of lemon. top with the cherry. and serve.
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Whiskey Sour appears in print as early as 1870 (Jerry Thomas' Bartender's Guide). Sailors used citrus to fight scurvy on long voyages and quickly figured out that lime or lemon plus sugar plus the rum or whiskey ration made a drinkable cocktail. The Whiskey Sour formalised that template.
It became one of the most ordered drinks in American bars from the 1880s through Prohibition, survived the cocktail dark age of the 1970s-80s (just), and got a craft-cocktail revival in the 2000s when bartenders started using egg white again.
What the egg white does
The egg white is texture, not flavour. Shaken hard, it whips into a soft foam that sits on top of the drink and gives every sip a silky mouthfeel. Without the egg white, a Whiskey Sour is just a tart whiskey-and-lemon, drinkable but flat.
Vegans use aquafaba (the liquid from a tin of chickpeas) at about 30ml. Foams identically, no egg flavour. Most bars now offer this option without being asked.
Bourbon vs rye vs Scotch
Bourbon is the everyday Whiskey Sour spec, sweet, round, easy. Rye makes a drier, spicier drink. Scotch turns it into a Penicillin (a different drink entirely). Most home bartenders use bourbon because most home bartenders have bourbon.
If you want to taste the difference, make two side by side, one with Maker's Mark, one with Rittenhouse Rye. The bourbon version drinks easier; the rye version is more interesting.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The whiskey
- Use
- Maker's Mark, Buffalo Trace, or Wild Turkey 101
- Try
- Rittenhouse Rye for a drier, spicier version
- Why
- Bourbon is sweeter and rounds out the lemon. Rye sharpens it.
The lemon
- Use
- Fresh-squeezed lemon juice, day-of
- Skip
- Bottled lemon juice (tastes flat and old)
- Why
- The lemon is half the drink. Fresh is non-negotiable.
The egg white
- Use
- One fresh egg white, dry-shake then wet-shake
- Try
- Aquafaba (chickpea brine) at 30ml for vegan
- Why
- Foam and texture. No egg white = a flat drink.
Variations
Other classic sours worth shaking up.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Rye whiskey works (drier, spicier). Irish whiskey works. Scotch turns it into a different drink.
Lime works at a stretch but the drink becomes more tropical, less classic. Bottled lemon is the worst option.
Aquafaba (chickpea liquid, 30ml), same foam, no egg. Or skip it entirely and accept a flatter drink.
2 tsp white sugar dissolved in the lemon juice before shaking. Caster sugar dissolves faster.
Add a 5ml float of red wine on top of the foam after pouring. Theatrical and properly named.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Whiskey Sour?
A Whiskey Sour is bourbon (or rye), fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white. Standard build is 60ml whiskey, 22ml lemon, 15ml simple syrup, 1 egg white. Dry-shaken first then wet-shaken with ice, double-strained into a coupe or rocks glass.
How do you make a Whiskey Sour?
Add 60ml bourbon, 22ml fresh lemon juice, 15ml simple syrup, and 1 egg white to a shaker (no ice). Dry-shake hard for 15 seconds to whip the egg. Add ice, shake again for 10 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry and a lemon peel.
Do I have to use egg white?
For the classic version, yes, the foam and texture are what make a Whiskey Sour different from straight whiskey-and-lemon. If you can't use egg, sub aquafaba (chickpea brine) at 30ml. It foams identically without the egg.
Bourbon or rye?
Bourbon makes a sweeter, rounder drink. Rye makes a drier, spicier drink. Both are correct. Most bars default to bourbon. Most modern craft bars offer either.
Is it safe to drink raw egg white?
The risk of salmonella from a properly stored fresh egg is very low (around 1 in 20,000). Pasteurised eggs are even safer. If you're pregnant, immunocompromised, or just cautious, use pasteurised eggs or aquafaba.
What's a Boston Sour?
A Whiskey Sour with a 5ml float of red wine on top of the foam. Adds tannin and visual contrast. Sometimes called a New York Sour.
How strong is a Whiskey Sour?
About 18-20% ABV, same general strength as a Margarita. The lemon juice and simple syrup dilute the whiskey enough that it drinks easier than the alcohol content suggests.
Why dry-shake first?
Dry-shaking (no ice) whips the egg white into a stable foam. Adding ice immediately dilutes the protein and you get less foam. The two-stage shake is non-negotiable for a proper foam.
What glass should I use?
Either a chilled coupe (more elegant) or a rocks glass with ice (more old-school American). Both are correct. Coupe shows off the foam; rocks keeps the drink colder for longer.
Can I make Whiskey Sours ahead of time?
Not with the egg white, the foam needs to be fresh. You can pre-batch the whiskey-lemon-syrup mix and add the egg white per drink at shake time.
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