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The whiskey sour has been an all-time favorite of mine for a while. It’s citrusy, slightly sweet, and boozy all at once. Most people hear ‘whiskey sour’ and have flashbacks to horrible cocktails filled with overly sweet sour mix. The drink is SO MUCH more than that when made with real ingredients—bourbon, fresh lemon juice, simple sugar, and sometimes egg white.
New York Sour vs Boston Sour
The original whiskey sour appeared in 1862 in Jerry Thomas’ How to Mix Drinks. This cocktail did not contain egg whites. Egg whites actually came a little later and is actually referred to as a Boston Sour, by some.
The New York sour is yet another twist on the whiskey sour. It’s essentially the exact same cocktail but made with a float of dry red wine to top it all off. Some make the cocktail with red wine in place of eggwhite, however, I prefer the cocktail with egg whites AND red wine. It’s a phenomenal drink and a must-try for whiskey lovers.
Shaking Egg Whites
The egg white makes the shake in the whiskey sour extremely important. First, we’ll do what’s called a dry shake. Dry shaking is shaking cocktail ingredients with no ice. This will help break down the proteins in the egg white 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. No cheating or wimping out—you need to earn your booze.
Once the egg whites are frothy, we can add ice, give the cocktail a vigorous few shakes to chill, and strain into your double old fashioned glass over a giant ice cube. The egg white will float on the surface yielding a nice foamy crown. This cocktail can also be served straight up in a coupe glass if you prefer. Bartender’s choice.
Are Raw Egg Whites in Cocktails Safe?
Not sure about using raw egg whites? I can’t make this call for you but I’ll tell you I do it all the time. Use fresh eggs at the very least. If you’re still weirded out by it, you can use pasteurized liquid egg whites sold in a carton. This will reduce the risk of food-borne illness from consuming raw egg. As always, consume at your own risk.
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New York Sour Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1
- Category: Cocktail
- Cuisine: American
Description
A classic New York sour recipe made with bourbon, lemon, simple sugar, egg white, and a red wine float. 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
- 1/2–3/4 ounce dry red wine (I used Chianti)
- luxardo cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and dry shake vigorously with NO ice for 20-30 seconds. This is to whip up the eggs and make them frothy.
- Add ice and shake for another 10 seconds and strain into a double old-fashioned glass over fresh ice. Slowly pour red wine over the back of a spoon to float it on top of the drink.
Notes
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. This will greatly reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
Any dry red wine will do, however, it’s OK to use whatever you have on hand! Heavier, sweeter wines may not float quite as well and tend to mix with the cocktail.
Keywords: New york sour
