Whiskey Sour
- 2 oz60 ml bourbon (or rye)
- ¾ oz22 ml fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz22 ml simple syrup (1:1)
- 11 egg white (optional)
- Put the whiskey, lemon juice, syrup and egg white (if using) in a shaker.
- If you are using egg white, shake without ice for about 10 seconds to build foam.
- Add ice and shake hard until cold.
- Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass, or serve it up in a coupe, and garnish.
Garnish: orange slice and cherry, or a few drops of Angostura on the foam
The syrup
In this recipe
Classic Simple Syrup¾ oz22 ml
Simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water, heated just until the sugar dissolves.
As printed: 3/4 oz simple syrup (1:1) (Punch, Imbibe); Thomas 1887: 1 large tsp powdered sugar dissolved in seltzer
Or use
Cold-Process Simple Syrup (No Heat)¾ oz22 ml
Yes, you can make simple syrup without heat: shake equal weights of sugar and room-temperature water in a sealed jar, rest, and shake again until no crystals remain, about 15 minutes.
As printed: 3/4 oz simple syrup (1:1)
Or use
Rich Simple Syrup (2:1)½ oz15 ml
Rich simple syrup is two parts sugar to one part water by weight: 400 g sugar dissolved in 200 ml hot water.
3/4 oz 1:1 ≈ 1/2 oz 2:1.
As printed: 3/4 oz simple syrup (1:1)
Or use
Demerara Syrup½ oz15 ml
Demerara syrup is demerara sugar dissolved in water, usually rich: 2 parts sugar to 1 part water by weight.
Our demerara syrup is 2:1: use 1/2 oz for a richer, caramel-leaning sour.
As printed: 3/4 oz simple syrup (1:1)
Where it comes from
The earliest known mention of a whiskey sour is in an 1870 Wisconsin newspaper. By its 1887 edition, Jerry Thomas's bar guide printed it with sugar, lemon and bourbon or rye. With egg white added it is sometimes called a Boston sour.
Source: Jerry Thomas' Bar-Tender's Guide (How to Mix Drinks) by Jerry Thomas (1887).
Checked against: Punch – Whiskey Sour · Imbibe Magazine – Classic Whiskey Sour Recipe · VinePair – Classic Whiskey Sour Recipe · Jerry Thomas, The Bar-Tender's Guide (1887) – archive.org scan · Wikipedia – Whiskey sour (history only)
Gear for this drink
Mixology & Craft 16-Piece Cocktail Shaker Set
OXO SteeL Angled Measuring Jigger
Best for Measuring syrup into drinks
Cuisinart Fine Mesh Stainless Strainers (set of 3)
Best for Every infused or fruit syrup
Keep going