New York Sour Recipe: Whiskey Sour With a Red Wine Float

Ingredients

2 oz rye whiskey or bourbone.g. Rittenhouse · Bulleit · Sazerac · Wild Turkey · Old Overholt
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
3 drop egg white a few drops, for texture (optional)
1 oz dry red wine a fruity, dry red such as Malbec or Shiraz

Garnish: Lemon twist · Ice: Ice cubes

Method

Add whiskey, lemon juice, syrup and egg white (if using) to a shaker and dry shake for 10 seconds.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds.
Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Pour the red wine slowly over the back of a bar spoon so it floats on top.
Garnish with a lemon twist.

Watch it made

New York Sour

Taste

Tart and whiskey-driven with lemon and a light sweetness, topped by dry red fruit and a gentle tannic grip. Silky if made with egg white.

History and origin

The New York Sour is a Whiskey Sour with a float of red wine, a way of finishing sours that dates back to the late 19th century. Versions of this idea appeared under various names, and the drink is sometimes linked to Chicago rather than New York. The details of its origin and naming are not firmly documented.

What is clear is the technique: a claret or other dry red poured gently over the back of a spoon so it rests on top of the drink. After a long period of obscurity, the New York Sour returned with the classic cocktail revival, and the IBA lists it among its New Era Drinks.

Bartender tips

A fruity, medium-bodied red floats best and tastes best; very tannic or light-bodied wines work less well.
Hold the bar spoon just above the drink's surface, touching the glass, and pour very slowly for a clean layer.
Rye gives a drier, spicier drink; bourbon makes it rounder and sweeter.

Variations

Without egg white: The drink is lighter and more transparent, and the wine layer still floats well over ice.
Port float: Use ruby port instead of dry red wine for a sweeter, richer top.