Whiskey Sour
Bourbon, lemon and sugar shaken with egg white for a silky foam cap. Tart, rich and balanced.
Shaken · Rocks glass · Advanced · about 3 minutes · about 14% ABV
Ingredients
- 60 ml Bourbon
- 30 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 20 ml Sugar syrup
- 1 Egg white
- Cocktail cherry (garnish)
Method
- Pour 60 ml bourbon into the shaker
- Add 30 ml fresh lemon juice
- Pour 20 ml sugar syrup into the shaker
- Add 1 egg white
- Dry shake
- Add ice
- Shake hard
- Strain
- Garnish
Tip
Skip the egg white for a sharper sour. Everything else stays the same.
About the Whiskey Sour
Sours were printed in Jerry Thomas's 1862 bar guide, and an 1870 Wisconsin newspaper mentions a whiskey sour. It became one of America's best-known drinks. Egg white, for a silky foam, is a common addition and was optional even in early recipes.
The sour family. Sours are one of the oldest mixed-drink families. Spirit, citrus and sugar go back to the punches British sailors and traders drank in the 1600s and 1700s, and Jerry Thomas printed sour recipes in the first American bartending book in 1862. Egg white came later, for a silky foam. Almost every classic with fresh citrus, from the Daiquiri to the Whiskey Sour, follows this pattern.
Whiskey Sour FAQ
What's in a Whiskey Sour?
60 ml bourbon, 30 ml fresh lemon juice, 20 ml sugar syrup, 1 egg white, garnished with cocktail cherry.
How strong is a Whiskey Sour?
About 14% ABV once mixed with ice, which is 1.9 Australian standard drinks per serve. That is about as strong as a glass of wine or lighter.
Should I shake or stir a Whiskey Sour?
Shake it. Egg needs hard shaking to foam, and citrus, juice and cream need shaking to mix properly and gain a light, lively texture.
What glass do you serve a Whiskey Sour in?
A rocks glass, about 300 ml. Serve it over ice. No rocks glass? Use any short, heavy tumbler.
