The Whiskey Sour has been an all-time favorite of mine for a while. It’s citrusy, slightly sweet, and boozy all at once. While common bartending shortcuts have given the cocktail a bad wrap, the drink is fantastic when classically made with fresh ingredients.
I know I’m not the only one to fall victim to a sickly sweet rendition of this classic cocktail made with sour mix. An authentic Whiskey Sour made with good bourbon, fresh citrus, balanced sweetness, and a frothy twist will leave you craving sip after sip.
Cocktail History
The Whiskey Sour made its debut in 1862, within the pages of Jerry Thomas’ influential cocktail book, “How to Mix Drinks.” The recipe consisted of bourbon, fresh lemon juice, and simple sugar. Initially, it did not include egg whites. However, over time, the addition of egg whites became popular, leading to variations like the Boston Sour or New York Sour.
For the purpose of this blog post, we’ll focus on the version with egg white, as it offers an undeniable frothy texture and adds so much character to the cocktail.
Ingredients
- Bourbon: I really like Elijah Craig or Larceny for this cocktail.
- Fresh lemon juice: Always use fresh over concentrate. If you don’t have fresh lemons, I prefer ReaLemon juice.
- Simple syrup: A 50-50 blend of dissolved sugar and water.
- Egg white or pasteurized liquid egg whites: Fresh eggs work best but pasteurized liquid egg whites work if you’re concerned with consuming raw eggs.
- Luxardo cherry and orange wedge for garnish
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
How to Make a Whiskey Sour
Step 1.
Begin with a “dry shake”: In a Boston shaker, combine bourbon, lemon, egg white, and sugar without ice and vigorously shake for 30 seconds. This dry shake helps break down the proteins in the egg white, resulting in a creamier and smoother texture. It prevents dilution that may occur if ice is added right away.
Step 2.
Shake with ice: After the dry shake, add a cup of ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for an additional 20 seconds. This is the chilling process.
Step 3.
Strain and serve: Double strain the mixture into a double old-fashioned glass over fresh ice or serve it straight up in a coupe glass. The egg white will create a beautiful foam crown on the surface, enhancing the visual appeal and texture of your cocktail. Garnish with an orange wedge and cherry.
Dry Shaking Egg Whites
Dry shaking is a technique of shaking cocktail ingredients with no ice. Dry shaking egg white will help break down the proteins in the egg and make them foamier and silky smooth. If you shake with ice first and only, it tends to dilute the egg whites and makes them more watery.
Any cocktail with egg white should be shaken aggressively for a solid 20-30 seconds to really whip up the egg, otherwise, it defeats the purpose.
Once the egg whites are frothy, add ice, give the cocktail a vigorous few shakes to chill, and strain into your glass over ice. The egg white will float on the surface yielding a nice foamy crown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Consuming raw eggs always poses a risk for foodborne illness. If you’re concerned, you can use pasteurized liquid egg whites sold in a carton or aquafaba. At a minimum, always use fresh eggs.
You absolutely can. The egg white adds texture but does not necessarily add flavor. Follow the same process and just omit the egg/egg-related steps.
Buffalo Trace
Larceny
Elijah Craig
Michter’s
Henry McKenna Single Barrel
Four Roses Single Barrel
Woodford Reserve
Knob Creek
Maker’s Mark
The New York Sour is a variation that typically floats red wine on top in place of egg white.
More Whiskey Cocktails
- New York Sour
- Bourbon Smash
- Manhattan
- Old Fashioned
- Sazerac
- Improved Whiskey Cocktail
- Brooklyn
- Sidecar
- Scofflaw
- Paper Plane
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this cocktail, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
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Whiskey Sour Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cocktail
- Cuisine: American
Description
A classic Whiskey Sour cocktail recipe made with bourbon, lemon, simple sugar, and egg white. Frothy, citrusy, and refreshing.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2–3/4 ounce simple syrup
- 1 egg white or 1 ounce liquid egg whites
- Luxardo cherry and orange wedge for garnish
Instructions
-
Begin with a “dry shake”: In a Boston shaker, combine bourbon, lemon, egg white, and sugar without ice and vigorously shake for 30 seconds. This dry shake helps break down the proteins in the egg white, resulting in a creamier and smoother texture. It prevents dilution that may occur if ice is added right away.
-
Shake with ice: After the dry shake, add a cup of ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for an additional 20 seconds. This is the chilling process.
-
Strain and serve: Double strain the mixture into a double old-fashioned glass over fresh ice or serve it straight up in a coupe glass. The egg white will create a beautiful foam crown on the surface, enhancing the visual appeal and texture of your cocktail. Garnish with an orange wedge and cherry.
Notes
Always use fresh eggs at the very least. If you’re unsure about using raw egg white, you can use pasteurized liquid egg whites sold in a carton or aquafaba.
Always double-strain shaken cocktails through a fine mesh strainer. This removes tiny ice chips and also aerates the egg whites.
Chill your glasses ahead of time in the freezer to keep your drinks cooler for longer. This is one of my favorite tricks in the summer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 221
- Sugar: 0.7g
- Sodium: 53mg
- Fat: 0.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 18.5g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 3.8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: classic whiskey sour, how to make a whiskey sour
Love this cocktail but I found that within the first 10-15 seconds of rigorous shake, it wanted to explode out of my shaker! I tried both the egg white and liquid egg white with the same result. But, I’d say I prefer the egg white right out of the shell, the liquid egg white made the cocktail more cloudy. Is there a trick to not have it push itself out of the shaker before you’re done shaking?
This is inevitable unfortunately. A very tight fitting lid helps. You can also shake the egg white alone and then add the remaining ingredients and shake to mix.