Whiskey Sour Recipe: Bourbon, Lemon and Egg White

Ingredients

1½ oz bourbone.g. Maker's Mark · Buffalo Trace · Woodford Reserve · Wild Turkey · Jim Beam
¾ oz lemon juice
¾ oz simple syrup
¾ oz egg white optional, for a silky foam (optional)
3 drop Angostura bitters on the foam (optional)Buy on Amazon →

Garnish: Half orange slice, cherry, Angostura drops · Ice: Ice cubes

Method

Add bourbon, lemon juice, syrup and egg white (if using) to a shaker.
Dry shake without ice for about 15 seconds to build the foam.
Add ice and shake hard again for 10 to 12 seconds.
Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, or into a chilled coupe without ice.
Garnish with half an orange slice and a cherry, and add a few drops of Angostura on the foam if you like.

Watch it made

Whiskey Sour

Taste

Balanced sweet and sour with caramel and vanilla from the bourbon and bright lemon. With egg white it becomes round, creamy and soft; without, it is sharper and lighter.

History and origin

The whiskey sour is one of the oldest drinks in the sour family, the basic formula of spirit, citrus and sugar that grew out of earlier punches. Jerry Thomas included sours in his 1862 Bar-Tender's Guide, and the whiskey version has been a fixture of American bars ever since.

Egg white was a common addition in many old sour and fizz recipes and gives the drink its creamy texture and foam, though plenty of bars serve it without. The drink went through a low phase in the late 20th century, when bottled sour mix replaced fresh lemon, but the cocktail revival brought back the fresh version. The International Bartenders Association lists the Whiskey Sour among its Unforgettables, with egg white as an option.

Bartender tips

Use very fresh eggs, or pasteurised egg white from a carton; aquafaba (chickpea water) works as a vegan alternative.
A reverse dry shake (first with ice, then strain and shake again without ice) gives an even thicker foam.
Taste your lemon: if it is very sour, add 5 ml more syrup rather than cutting the lemon.

Variations

Boston Sour: The name often used for a whiskey sour made with egg white.
New York Sour: A whiskey sour with a float of dry red wine on top.
Amaretto Sour: Amaretto in place of whiskey, often with a little bourbon for backbone.