Go Back
–+ servings
A glass of whiskey sour with a lemon wedge and jigger beside it.
Print

Whiskey Sour

Simple and delicious, this whiskey sour recipe is a must-try for bourbon lovers. Subtly sweet with a citrusy brightness, the drink is tied together with a velvety egg white topping.
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 190kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients

  • 2 oz bourbon 60mL
  • ¾ oz fresh lemon juice 22mL
  • ½ oz simple syrup 15mL
  • ½ oz egg white 14g, optional

Optional Garnish

  • lemon peel
  • maraschino cherry

Instructions

  • Pour the bourbon, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white into a cocktail shaker.
  • Close and shake vigorously.
  • Strain the drink into a coupe glass.
  • Garnish with lemon peel and maraschino cherry.

Video

Notes

  • Chill the cocktail glass. Place the glass into the freezer for about 30 minutes before you start working on your whiskey sour drink. This cocktail is great served in a coupe glass or rocks glass.
  • Peel the lemon before juicing it. It’s much easier to cut off the lemon peel while the lemon is still intact.
  • Dry shake first. This simply means that all the ingredients are added to the cocktail shaker and shaken without ice. This is an important step to combine and add air to the egg white, turning it into a foamy, silky topping for the cocktail.
  • Don’t use crushed ice. Crushed ice will melt rapidly while you shake the cocktail, watering down the other ingredients. Use ice cubes instead.
  • Make a gold rush cocktail: This is a simple twist on a classic whiskey sour that uses honey syrup instead of simple syrup. To make honey syrup, heat an equal amount of honey and water in a saucepan and stir to dissolve the honey. This variation doesn’t need an egg white, so you can skip the dry shaking step.
  • Try a New York sour: Another simple twist on the classic recipe, the New York sour has a layer of red wine carefully floated on top, adding a gorgeous visual element as well as dry, fruity flavor. This sour can be made with or without an egg white. Make the cocktail as directed. After straining the mixture into a glass, slowly pour 2 ounces of red wine over the back of a bar spoon so the wine floats in its own layer on top of the rest of the drink.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg