Nowadays, recipes for whiskey sours often omit the egg white. But I think it is a necessary ingredient in this cocktail for both taste and looks. Not only does it look pretty, foaming atop the cocktail, but it also adds a creamy texture. For more easy cocktail recipes, try my negroni recipe, martini recipe, and cosmopolitan.
What you need to make this recipe
Whiskey — whiskey sours are typically made with bourbon whiskey, a sweeter whiskey. If you enjoy a spicy, drier flavor profile, you could use rye whiskey instead. Lemon juice — fresh lemon juice is a must in this cocktail recipe! And don’t forget to peel the lemon first so you have the garnish ready. Sweetener — simple syrup is a sweetener with a neutral flavor that won’t compete with the other whiskey sour ingredients. For more caramel undertones to complement the bourbon, you could use an equal amount of maple syrup instead. Egg white — this might seem like an odd ingredient, but it’s common for a classic drink recipe. The raw egg whites form a frothy, creamy topping that takes whiskey sours to a whole new level of deliciousness. That said, you can skip them if you prefer, but keep in mind that your cocktail will lose its decadent silky mouthfeel.
How to make a whiskey sour
- Cut a strip of lemon zest off a fresh lemon and set the lemon peel aside to garnish the glass later.
- Halve and juice the lemon into a fine-mesh strainer to catch the seeds.
- Pour the bourbon into a cocktail shaker.
- Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Drop in the egg white.
- Add simple syrup. Close the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds to aerate the egg white. If you opted to not use the egg, skip the dry shake and move on to the next step.
- Fill the shaker halfway with ice.
- Close and shake again for about 30 seconds or until the outside is frosty.
- Strain the drink into a chilled cocktail glass or a glass filled with fresh ice.
- Garnish with the lemon peel and a maraschino cherry.
Pro tips for making this recipe
Chill the cocktail glass. Place the glass into the freezer for about 30 minutes before you start working on your whiskey sour drink. This cocktail is great served in a coupe glass or rocks glass. Peel the lemon before juicing it. It’s much easier to cut off the lemon peel while the lemon is still intact. Dry shake first. This simply means that all the ingredients are added to the cocktail shaker and shaken without ice. This is an important step to combine and add air to the egg white, turning it into a foamy, silky topping for the cocktail. Don’t use crushed ice. Crushed ice will melt rapidly while you shake the cocktail, watering down the other ingredients. Use ice cubes instead. Make a gold rush cocktail: This is a simple twist on a classic whiskey sour that uses honey syrup instead of simple syrup. To make honey syrup, heat an equal amount of honey and water in a saucepan and stir to dissolve the honey. This variation doesn’t need an egg white, so you can skip the dry shaking step. Try a New York sour: Another simple twist on the classic recipe, the New York sour has a layer of red wine carefully floated on top, adding a gorgeous visual element as well as dry, fruity flavor. This sour can be made with or without an egg white. Make the cocktail as directed. After straining the mixture into a glass, slowly pour 2 ounces of red wine over the back of a bar spoon so the wine floats in its own layer on top of the rest of the drink.
Frequently asked questions
If you’ve tried this whiskey sour recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
