The Whiskey Sour is a cocktail that’s always sweet.
When it comes to the classic cocktail categories, the Sour category is definitely one of the oldest. The category first popped up around the 1860s and outlined drinks that combined liquor, citrus juice, sweetener, and usually an egg white.
And with so much history in the bartending world, the Sour family has created more than a few famous drinks – The Amaretto Sour, Midori Sour, Tequila Sour, Gin Sour, and the Rum Sour also known as a Daiquiri. Plus, the Whiskey Sour even has a few spin-offs including the New York Sour or the Bourbon Sour Sunrise. Now we may be biased, but the most famous Sour of them all? The Whiskey Sour of course.
The first printed mention of the Whiskey Sour appears in 1862, but it’s suspected that it was served decades before that. How else would it have become popular enough to print? Well, one rumour claims that Abraham Lincoln himself enjoyed the cocktail, which could have given it a boost in popularity. That would certainly explain it, if only it wasn’t so hard to prove exactly what a president drank 150 years ago.
The classic version of the Whiskey Sour calls for a dry shaken egg white for a silky, frothy flavor that cuts through the sharp citrus. Today though, you may receive your cocktail simply over ice, sans-egg white or with an egg white substitute.
But fact or fiction, egg white or no egg white, the Whiskey Sour is a cocktail that has stood the test of time and for that we’ll always raise a glass.
Whiskey Sour
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Cocktail Glass or Rocks Glass
Ingredients
Classic Whiskey Sour
- 2 ounces Bourbon
- ¾ ounce Lemon Juice
- ¾ ounce Simple Syrup
- 1 Egg White
- 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
No Egg White Whiskey Sour
- 2 ounces Bourbon
- ¾ ounce Lemon Juice
- ¾ ounce Simple Syrup
- 1 wheel Orange (garnish)
Instructions
Classic Whiskey Sour
- To an empty cocktail shaker, add 2 ounces of Bourbon, ¾ ounce of lemon juice, an egg white, and ¾ ounce of simple syrup.
- Dry shake the mixture until frothy.
- Add ice and then shake again very chilled.
- Strain into a Cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a few dashes of Angostura Bitters.
No Egg White Whiskey Sour
- To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 2 ounces of Bourbon, ¾ ounce of lemon juice, and ¾ ounce of simple syrup.
- Shake the mixture until very chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
- Garnish with an orange wheel.
Notes
- Not feeling raw egg whites? If egg whites aren’t your thing, but you’re still dying for that frothy texture, try using aquafaba instead. Aquafaba is the juice from cooked chickpeas or the liquid gold found inside a can of chickpeas. Simply dry shake the aquafaba until it’s whipped up and resembles frothed egg whites.
