Whiskey Sour
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz bourbon (or blended whiskey)
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- Garnish: Lemon or orange slice
- Garnish: Maraschino cherry
INSTRUCTIONS
Shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled sour glass. Garnish with the lemon slice and cherry.
VARIATIONS: For a Boston Sour, add an egg white and shake vigorously.
For a Double Standard Sour, use 3/4 ounce each of whiskey and and add a dash of grenadine.
For a Frisco Sour, add 1/4 ounce Bénédictine and 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice.
For a New York Sour, float 1/2 ounce dry red wine on top of a Whiskey Sour, Garnish with a lemon slice.
For a Park Lane, add 1/2 ounce sloe gin.
For a Southern Comfort Sour, substitute Southern Comfort for the bourbon, and add 1/4 ounce fresh orange juice. For a Stinger Sour, add 1 teaspoon peppermint Schnapps, garnish with a fresh mint sprig, and serve over ice in an old-fashioned glass.
VIDEO HOW-TO
NOTES
The quintessential sour is the wiskey sour, a classic cocktail dating from the mid-1800s, inspiring many variations. The key to a sublime Whiskey Sour is freshly squeezed lemon juice, and although many prefer it with bourbon, a blended whiskey or other favorite whiskey of choice is suitable. Always shaken and traditionally served in a sour glass, it can also be served in a highball glass with ice. This refreshing drink was perfectly described by Esquire's 1945 Handbook for Hosts: "This is simply a species of fortified lemonade in concentrated form."