The Whiskey Sour is a classic from the sour cocktails category. All cocktails for this category share the same basic template: A spirit base mixed with fresh lemon or lime juice and simple syrup.
Summary Top Whiskey in Whiskey Sour:
The beauty of the drink is, that you can tailor it to your liking by picking a whiskey that suits your taste. By choosing the right one, you can lift this cocktail from good to outstanding.
We put together this list of the best whiskeys for Whiskey Sour, including recommendations for whom they are suited best, to help you make your next Sour cocktail perfect.
Most Whiskey Sour recipes use bourbon as base spirit. However, we also included some excellent rye whiskey, Irish whiskeys, and even Scotch that work great in the cocktail.
Woodford's Reserve Bourbon is the first and truly a great fit. This bourbon is so smooth and rich that it works perfectly in many cocktails.
The taste is relatively mild and not too overpowering. That makes it a perfect base for an elegant and perfectly-balanced Whiskey Sour.
Woodford Reserve is a standard medium-bodied whiskey with vanilla and honey notes. When sipped neat, it might be a bit too weak. Yet, it is that mildness that complements the other components of your Whiskey Sour so well.
Its sweet notes match perfectly with the acidity of lemon juice and create a rich and tasty cocktail.
Elijah Craig Small Batch is the second bourbon on our list but results in a very different drink. In contrast to the mild and balanced Woodford Reserve, this bourbon is rich with cinnamon and wood spice notes. It also has the distinct sweetness the corn-spirit is known for, yet it's not overly pronounced.
Elijah Craig is bottled at 47% ABV and has an excellent balance of flavors and aromas. The bold flavor profile ensures you can still taste the base spirit even when used in a Whiskey Sour. Plus, the balance here is so good that you can easily forget it clocks in at a whopping 94 proof.
I recommend using an egg white when opting for this whiskey for your base. That will help balance the different flavors by adding creaminess to your cocktail.
Eagle Rare Bourbon is distilled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. The name might ring a bell with Bourbon lovers because Buffalo Trace produces some of the top Bourbons, such as Blanton's.
Eagle Rare itself is super smooth and carefully crafted. When drunk neat, you can detect flavors like coffee, leather, and underlying hints of oak.
Eagle Rare is perfect for a Whiskey Sour as it combines the strengths of the above two Bourbons.
It is mild, well-balanced, and mixes perfectly with lemon juice and syrup. But it's also strong enough in taste to cut through the acidity of the lemon and stand out.
Bulleit is better known for their bourbon expression produced at its facilities in Kentucky. However, their rye whiskey makes for an excellent Whiskey Sour and deserves a place on this list.
They outsourced the production for their Rye to MGP (Midwest Grain Products) in Indiana, which seems to work brilliantly for them. Bulleit Rye Whiskey is a beautiful spirit that works great in cocktails.
Aged for a minimum of five years, Bulleit Rye carries hints of vanilla, citrus, and oak. It is a milder and sweeter take on rye whiskey, making it approachable to non-Rye drinkers.
When used in a Sour Cocktail, Bulleit Rye is between bourbon and classic rye. Give this unusual base spirit a try, and you'll most certainly be positively surprised by its compatibility with cocktails. -Consider adding a tad less syrup to your Whiskey Sour than you normally would.
Rittenhouse Rye is a product of Heaven Hill. -The company behind Elijah Craig Bourbon and Evan Williams.
Despite its low price point, Rittenhouse is a favorite among Rye lovers. The high ABV combined with the beautiful spice makes Rittenhouse one of the best Rye options for a Whiskey Sour.
Its intense notes of caramel and cocoa blend well with spices like cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg. This boozy rye whiskey is strong enough to remain the undisputed star of the show when mixed with lemon juice and syrup.
This rye is a beautiful choice for anyone who loves their Whiskey Sour more on the dry side.
Wild Turkey 101 is another high-ABV Rye from Kentucky. Like Rittenhouse, Wild Turkey is a pretty spicy representative of its kind - even a little spicier, in fact.
The taste of Wild Turkey 101 is bold, with pronounced notes of rye and wood spice. The hint of smoke and an overall warmth tame the bite of this intense rye whiskey.
In a Whiskey Sour, the spiciness of this rye stands up strong against the acidic lemon juice and sweet sugar syrup. The result is a smooth, distinct cocktail with quite a bite.
It is a perfect choice if you want to make a spicier Whiskey Sour, but not so great if you prefer the drinks on the sweeter side.
Nikka is one of the most influential whisky producers in Japan, with a long tradition of producing exquisite whiskies.
Nikka Days also knows how to impress discerned whiskies drinkers. The whisky has a bright, floral, and fruity flavor profile combined with a surprisingly high level of smoke.
Nikka Days is a smooth and creamy spirit, perfect for sipping neat or on the rocks. But when used in cocktails, it shows its full potential.
For all fans of smokey drinks, Nikka is an excellent base in a Whiskey Sour recipe. -Even though it's not from Scotland.
Talisker 10 Years is a Single Malt distilled by the oldest distillery on the Isle of Skye, producing maritime and powerful Single Malt Scotch Whisky since 1830.
Every sip takes you to this remote island. Already in the nose, you can smell the saltiness from the sea. The complex taste, peat-smoke flavor, and peppery finish make Talisker a favorite of many discerned Scotch drinkers.
Typically, Talisker Single Malt mixes exceptionally well with strong black coffee and ginger. But it is also a brilliant choice for a Whisky Sour. It creates a quite complex take on the cocktail with many unusual nuances for this drink.
Try to make it with 1.5 oz of Talisker, 0,75 oz lime juice, 0.5 oz simple syrup, and two dashes of aromatic cocktail bitters. The addition of bitters adds a little complexity which also helps to bring out the distinct flavors of the whisky in this cocktail.
Dewar's is the most awarded blended Scotch in the world. It won more than 500 awards, far more than any other.
Dewar's 12-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky is double-aged to ensure its extra smooth consistency. The level of dedication doesn't go unnoticed and convinced even the British royal family. Since 1893, Dewar's has been the royal purveyor of whisky to the court without interruption.
For a Scotch, Dewar's 12 is relatively light on smoke. Some smoky peat flavor is still present but only slightly. Instead, the taste is a little sweet and floral, with a hint of toasted barley and almonds.
If you want to start experimenting with Scotch in your Whiskey Sour, Dewar's 12 is a great option. It brings elegant floral notes to the drink along with hints of smoke that make for an intriguing flavor profile.
Lagavulin 16 is a beautiful Islay Scotch and an absolute smoke bomb. The flavors are very intense and concentrated. When drinking it neat, you get bold peaty smokiness combined with notes of malt and Sherry.
Cocktail recipes rarely call for Lagavulin. However, I find it fantastic in a Whiskey Sour - if you're really into smoky drinks, that is.
To optimally mix a Whisky Sour with Lagavulin 16, best use a split-base approach. That means half of the base should be Lagavulin, the other half another whiskey - I recommend Dewar's 12. This split base helps to balance the strong smoky notes in the drink.
Then, use maple syrup instead of regular simple syrup, an egg white, and two dashes of Angostura bitters. The result is an intriguing and complex Whisky Sour with very pronounced peaty notes. A combination you most likely never had in any Sour Cocktail before.
Teeling is a young, up-and-coming whiskey brand from Dublin, Ireland. It is also currently one of my favorites from the Green Island.
Teeling Small Batch is aged in Rum casks and is famous for its unusual fruity flavors: apples, cherries, oranges, apple pie, chocolate, and hints of fresh-cut grass make this whiskey so unique.
It is a blend made of various whiskeys that have been aged up to six years. Grain and malt whiskeys age separately in former Bourbon barrels and then blended and age again in American Rum casks for a whole year.
When used in a Whiskey Sour, Teeling brings in a lot of fruity flavors that are atypical for a standard Whiskey Sour. This one is a personal favorite and a great choice for everyone who wants to try something new and is not into smoky whisky or rye.
Jameson is one of the most famous Irish Whiskey brands. Their whiskey is made from unmalted and malted barley and matures in former Sherry and Bourbon barrels.
Jameson has a really unique smell with sweet notes of caramel, fruity nuances of apple and vanilla, and wooden notes. While sweet aromas of vanilla, nuts, and caramel dominate the taste, you can also get a hint of sherry.
Jameson's mild and sweet taste makes it the ideal base for a Whiskey Sour. Because it is so smooth, consider increasing the whiskey ratio slightly.
In 1862, Jerry Thomas was the first one to mention the Whiskey Sour recipe in his Bartenders Guide. However, the template for sour cocktails is much older, as its roots date back to the 1700s.
To prevent sailors from scurvy, the crew mixed a spirit (often rum) with lemon or lime juice and water. This concoction tasted great, provided them with vitamin C, and kept them hydrated.
Later the sailors brought the recipe to bars where bartenders twisted the recipe using other base spirits like whiskey, brandy, and gin.
The bartender's secret to making a top Whiskey Sour cocktail consists of 4 parts:
A high-quality whiskey is the main element of the cocktail and heavily influences the flavor profile of a Whiskey Sour cocktail. -It can make or break the drink. There are excellent options in every whiskey category, from bourbon to rye, Scotch, and Irish whiskey.
You don't need to buy the most expensive bottles that aged for an extended time. Aging is important when sipping whiskey neat or when making an Old Fashioned.
For a great Whiskey Sour, you want a flavorful and full-bodied whiskey that brings sweetness, spiciness, or smokiness to your cocktail. Luckily, you can get these kind of whiskeys for as little as $30.
Technically, using egg white in a Whiskey Sour isn't necessary. However, I prefer the frothy and creamy foam egg white creates in sour cocktails, and also bartenders tend to make the cocktail with egg white.
You need to apply the right shaking technique to get a fantastic, thick, and robust foam. That means, performing a vigorous dry shake before shaking your cocktail with ice will create a much better foam.
If you don't want raw egg white in your drinks, use aquafaba instead.
Fresh lemon juice brings bright and citric flavors to the drink and is essential to make a perfect version of a Whiskey Sour. If you prefer a more mellow lemon flavor, try aging lemon juice for a few hours before using it.
To shake up a perfect Whiskey Sour, you need the right balance of sweet and sour. Typically, a regular simple syrup (1 part water to one part sugar) is part of the recipe. In rare cases, rich syrup is used (2 parts sugar to one part water). Rich syrup creates a richer mouthfeel and is also sweeter than regular syrup.
The choice and measurements depend on the whiskey base. Some whiskeys are sweeter than others, using too much rich syrup with a bourbon will most likely make your Whiskey Sour too sweet.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
There are some excellent Whiskey Sour riffs, here are some of our favorites:
Check out our Whiskey Sour recipe for a more detailed look at the various twists.
Choosing the right whiskey for a Whiskey Sour is a matter of personal taste. Some prefer sweeter options like bourbon, others more spicy rye whiskey or smoky Scotch.
My general recommendation is to choose a bold-flavored option with a slightly higher ABV. These higher-proof options contain more flavor to stand up against the acidic lemon juice and sweet notes of sugar syrup.
Now it's time to get your cocktail shaker out and mix some delicious cocktails. Cheers!
Sour cocktails are a delight - an uncomplicated and delicious mix of spirit, citrus, and simple syrup. Our New York Sour recipe includes a foamy egg white top to create a rich, creamy mouthfeel.
Quick Facts New York Sour
The New York Sour is the most popular riff on a classic Whiskey Sour recipe and a splendid cocktail. It is easy to make, well-balanced, very complex in taste, and looks sensational.
I advise using bourbon for making a New York Sour cocktail. The sweetness of the corn-based whiskey goes exceptionally well with the dryness of the red wine float.
However, you will also find many versions using Rye as a base. So if you have an open bottle of a decent Rye at hand, that will work, too. -Just, a good bourbon will be slightly better 😉
A fruity, dry red wine of good quality will deliver fantastic results - far better than an overly sweet one.
A Bordeaux-style red wine usually is a good choice, or a fruity and dry Rioja, Shiraz, Merlot, or Malbec are suitable wines for a New York Sour.
Since the red wine float is essential for this cocktail, you should not simply use any leftover red wine you have in your fridge.
In order to get a nice and firm egg white foam, I recommend performing a dry shake first.
That means shaking the drink for about 15 seconds without ice to get a thicker foam. The reason is that egg white emulsifies easier, creating a frothy and creamy foam.
If the result is still not up to your standards, you can extend the dry shaking time to approximately 20 seconds. That should be enough shaking time to create a perfect egg-white foam.
For me, a great New York Sour needs that perfect egg white foam. It tastes fantastic, creates a nice consistency, and enhances the visual presentation.
If you're not into egg white in cocktails, you can also create the foamy part with Aquafaba. For further information, please read my post about Aquafaba vs. egg white.
Following all hints available, it's likely the New York Sour recipe dates back to Chicago during the 1880s.
Early recipes of the New York Sour had been without egg white. Yet, modern recipes often use it to create a smoother mouthfeel. As a nice side effect, the egg white creates a third layer of color to the drink.
The Whiskey Sour, its predecessor, is one of the most successful cocktail creations of all time.
The drink was invented by Jerry Thomas and first printed in his "Bartenders Guide" in 1862. His creation quickly became one of America's most loved cocktails. Not only is it an ever-green cocktail, but it also led to many exciting and tasty variations, like the New York Sour.
Further, when talking about early versions of the New York Sour, I should mention that it was initially named Continental Sour or Southern Whiskey Sour. It was only in the 1900s that the name changed to New York Sour.
Now, you might have heard of the Continental Sour as a different drink. And it is indeed. Today's Continental Sour is floated with port wine, which I find equally delicious.
The New York Sour is part of an entire family of drinks comprising some of the most famous cocktails recipes out there. Other drinks that follow the same template of base spirit, citrus juice, and syrup are:
For a more comprehensive overview of this popular category of mixed drinks, check out this list of our favorite Sour Cocktails.
The Pisco Sour is a classic Sour cocktail with a long history. It is made following the classic combination of spirit, fresh citrus juice, simple syrup, and egg white.
Like with Pisco, the debate about whether this drink has roots in Peru or Chile has been going on for years with no conclusive answer as of yet. But regardless of its origin, the Pisco Sour is one delicious drink.
The recipe follows the basic template of all our favorite Sour Cocktails but adds two extra elements. The ingredients you need for the original Pisco Sour recipe are:
The process for making this drink is: Dry shake first, shake again with ice, garnish with three drops of Angostura bitters, serve, and enjoy.
It's imperative that you get the foam right. That gives the drink its characteristic silky texture and holds the bitters in place beautifully, hence the dry shake. So let's look at this more closely:
Dry shaking means, you first shake all ingredients vigorously without ice for about 20 seconds to create a nice and firm foam. Then you open the shaker, add ice cubes and shake again.
You can also reverse the process, which potentially leads to an even thicker foam. That's especially helpful if you have trouble getting this part right.
Make sure to press the shaker cups together while shaking dry because the seal is not as tight without it. Should you, in turn, have difficulties separating the tins when shaking with ice, find help here.
Strain the contents with the help of a Hawthorne Strainer into a chilled Sour glass (without ice) or into an Old Fashioned glass (over ice). The latter is larger, hence leaving enough room for ice cubes.
Finally, when garnishing your drink with three drops of Angostura bitters, use a toothpick or a cocktail pick to twirl them or turn them into a heart shape. You do that by dragging the foam with the help of the pick right through the middle of each drop.
Even if it may sound unconventional, many Peruvian bartenders blend this drink. And indeed, that delivers great results.
If you fancy trying this at home, consider adding slightly more sugar (0.75oz instead of 0.5oz) than you would for a shaken recipe. When blended, the Pisco Sour will taste much rounder and works well with a bit more sweetness.
Outside of Peru, the Pisco Sour is almost always shaken, though. That's also the version I prefer.
For most cocktails, the question is who, as in which person, invented the recipe. In the case of the Pisco Sour, it's more elementary. Peru and Chile fight passionately about who brought forth this delicious drink.
Currently, evidence points toward Peru, but nothing could be proven so far, and new stories, findings, and theories keep coming up every once in a while.
If you managed to get a decent bottle of Pisco, here are some recipes to get the most out of it:
Many cocktails are special and might not be for everyone - for instance, the Bloody Mary. However, the Trinidad Sour recipe polarizes even more and takes "not for everyone" to the next level. Still, when executed right, it is an amazing cocktail you should try at least once.
Quick Facts Trinidad Sour Cocktail
The recipe calls for one and a half ounces of Angostura bitters as a base. - You can accuse this drink of many things but certainly not of a lack of flavor. If you've had bitters in a drink before, you might know that only a few drops can drastically deepen the flavor profiles of cocktails.
Now imagine not using a few drops but 4.5 cl of it. The flavors are intense! Surprisingly enough, the result is actually very enjoyable.
The key ingredient should be evident by now: Angostura bitters - unique in taste and irreplaceable in the Trinidad Sour recipe. All other elements are more about calming the bitters down. Every element is necessary for balancing that cocktail:
There are not many recommendable variations on this cocktail recipe. Adding an egg white to create a silky texture and an additional foam on top of the drink is widely accepted, though.
If you decide to shake up your Trinidad Sour with an egg white, make sure to dry shake your drink first. By doing that, the egg white will emulsify much quicker and better, creating a thicker foam for your drink.
If you've never done a dry shake before, here's what you should do:
That's it already. And a perfect egg white foam will be your reward.
The Trinidad Sour is a modern creation that dates back to 2009. Giuseppe Gonzales, former bartender at New York's famous Clover Club Bar (named after the Clover Club Cocktail), created this flavor bomb of a cocktail.
Yet, his idea wasn't entirely new at this time. In fact, the recipe is inspired by another cocktail - The Trinidad Especial:
The inventor of the Trinidad Especial is Valentino Bolognese. He is a renowned Italian bartender from Palmoli, a small town in the Abruzzo region in central Italy.
In 2008, Valentino Bolognese decided to participate in the Angostura European Cocktail Challenge. His two contributions were the aforementioned Trinidad Especial and RI.PA. Deuxième.
The recipe of the Trinidad Especial also relies heavily on Angostura but is balanced by lime juice, orgeat syrup, and a touch of Peruvian Pisco.Â
Perhaps you already guessed it - Bolognese won the competition. That not only made him and his Trinidad Especial cocktail famous, but it also laid the ground for the Trinidad Sour.
One year later, Gonzales has taken the winning cocktail recipe and transformed it into a Sour Cocktail based on Angostura.
He increased the amount of Angostura and kept the orgeat to sweeten the drink but replaced pisco and lime juice with a more complex mix of Rye Whiskey and lemon juice.
If you like trying new things and extraordinary drinking experiences like this Trinidad Sour, we recommend giving these recipes a shot:
Pox (pronounced Posh) is still flying under the radar outside Mexico. But that should not stop you from trying it and mixing it into delicious Pox cocktails.
At this point, there are only a few known Pox cocktails. With a taste resembling a mix of whiskey and rum, it works nicely as a substitute in existing drink recipes. So, there are plenty of ways to integrate this novelty into your home bar menu.
Here's the list of our favorite cocktails with Pox. Let us know in the comments which ones you tried and how you like them.
That is a beautiful twist on a classic Negroni. Usually, I stick to using equal measures for all Negroni ingredients, but it is different with this recipe. To properly showcase the Pox, I prefer a 3:2:2 ratio.
Ingredients
1.5 oz Siglo Cero Pox
1 oz Campari
1 oz Carpano Antica Formula
Preparation
This little twist on a classic Mai-Tai is an excellent example of how Pox can work in Tiki cocktails. It replaces the white rum in the original recipe.
Ingredients
1.5 oz Pox
0.75 oz Orange Curacao
0.75 oz Lime juice
0.5 oz Orgeat
0.5 oz Dark aged rum
Preparation
The Pox Sour is a fantastic Pox cocktail. The corn syrup in the recipe picks up the slightly sweet corn taste of the Pox. Yet, if you don't have corn syrup, you can always use regular simple syrup instead.
Ingredients
1.5 oz Pox
0.75 oz Fresh lemon juice
0.75 oz corn syrup
one egg white
Preparation
This one is an original recipe from Siglo Cero Pox. I found it on their Instagram account, tried it, loved it, and it had to go on this list.
Ingredients
0.75oz Siglo Cero Pox
0.66oz (20ml) Coconut Pulp
1oz Banana smoothie
Fresh Pineapple Juice
Preparation
Here's another recipe from Siglo Cero - an intriguing mix of Pox, whiskey, and Mexican herbs.
Ingredients.
2 oz Siglo Cero Pox
0.5oz whiskey
2 tbsp Hierba yerba mate
1oz simple syrup
Preparation
I also want to include the famous "Hala Ken" Cocktail from Fifty Mils Bar in Mexico City, but I don't have their recipe and still am working on figuring out the exact measurements.
If you're up to some experimenting, it's made with:
Hoja santa is a Mexican herb that translates to "sacred leaf" and is a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine.
A good, traditional Pox has some smoky notes and a sweet corn flavor. Usually, it's served neat with a side of orange slices lightly dusted with coffee grounds plus some cacao bits.
It really is a unique liquor. Until recently, Pox was exclusively available in the Chiapas region. Thus, the people from Chiapas have by far the best knowledge about ingredients that work well with Pox.
The most popular ingredients to use with Pox among the Chiapas are
Pineapple works perfectly with rum, while citrus is a regular ingredient for many whiskey cocktails. Tamarind, in contrast, is rarely used in cocktails.
If you're new to Pox and don't know what it is, you can read more in this article about the Mayan spirit. Overall, it really is a versatile spirit and works with all sorts of ingredients.Â
The Amaretto Sour Cocktail is sweet, yet not overly sweet, and maintains the sophisticated air of a classic Sour. It also is one of the most celebrated drinks based on Amaretto, the almond-flavored liqueur from Italy. The distinctive taste makes it a brilliant and unique sip.
Quick Facts Amaretto Sour Cocktail
The recipe follows the general approach of all sour cocktails but calls for a split base for better balance.
Looking at the list of ingredients of the Amaretto Sour recipe, it is pretty straightforward. Yet, the split base (Amaretto and Bourbon) makes it a little more complex than your standard recipe:
For the perfect version of this drink, you have to perform a dry shake. That technique makes it easier for the egg white to emulsify, resulting in a thicker and stronger foam.
That means, you add all ingredients into your shaker and shake without ice for about 20 seconds. Only then do you add ice cubes and shake for another 15 seconds to chill everything properly. -Because you shake shorter with ice than you usually would, consider cooling all elements in the fridge beforehand.
If you are not quite happy with how your drink turned out, perform a reverse dry shake for an even thicker foam.
Further, stick to the approach of the split base to avoid getting an unbalanced drink. But let me explain in more detail.
Traditional Sour drinks are based on spirits. Using Amaretto makes things different. It is a liqueur and, as such, has a lower ABV and tastes a lot sweeter.
If you use the same ratio for an Amaretto Sour recipe as you do for, let's say, a Whiskey Sour, your result will definitely turn out way too sweet. Thus, you need a dry, high-proof spirit to balance the sugar and add a bit of bite.
You could also use rum to balance the almond liqueur, but Bourbon is the most common and also our preferred way to make this drink. The person who came up with this idea was Jeffrey Morgenthaler, by the way.
One of the most popular variations of the Amaretto Sour recipe is applying the formula of a Stone Sour. By adding orange juice, the cocktail gets a rich and even fruitier.
If you like the idea of oranges but don't want to bring another juice to the recipe, replace the simple syrup with homemade orange syrup. That will also bring some extra flavor but also sweetness. Definitely not our favorite variation of this recipe, but palates are different...
If you now have an open bottle of Amaretto at home and wonder what you can do with it apart from making Amaretto Sour Cocktails, try one of the following:
For a better overview, check out the 9 best Disaronno Cocktails. Also, for more inspiration, check out our favorite Sour Cocktails.
The Stone Sour Cocktail is a refreshing drink you can easily make at home. It is a twist on the classic Sour Cocktail with the additional use of orange juice and apricot. That's not covering all aspects of the drink, but it gives you an idea of its taste.
Quick Facts Stone Sour Cocktail
The Whiskey Stone Sour, the most famous version we make here, is a close relative of the Whiskey Sour. Apart from that, Amaretto, Rum, and even Tequila Stone Sours are among the more popular choices.
Following the regular Sour Cocktail template, the Stone Sour calls for a base spirit, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Additionally, you need orange juice and Apricot Brandy to make this cocktail:
Freshly squeezed orange juice is a must. Other than that, it's quite a simple and easy drink to make. That is absolutely vital, though, to get a proper craft cocktail. The same goes for the lemon juice. Bottled citrus juice is a no-go in mixology.
Apart from that, we have a few best practices for you to keep in mind when mixing:
As mentioned, other versions are also pretty famous. The Amaretto Stone Sour, for example, can be found on many bar menus. The Apricot Brandy part is left off here, making the drink even more similar to a classic sour version.
Another well-known variation would be the Tequila Stone Sour. Many recipes include orange juice as well as triple sec. The triple sec works great with Tequila - we also know that from Margarita cocktails- and, therefore, is a fantastic addition to this Stone Sour.
American bartender Tom Bullock is widely accepted as the inventor of the first version of this cocktail. His cocktail book "The Ideal Bartender" featured the first recipe with orange juice but without Apricot Brandy.
His version of a Gin Stone Sour marks the starting point of Stone Sour history. The book had been published in 1917, shortly before prohibition. No wonder the cocktail vanished for quite some time.
In the early 1970s, the Stone Sour with orange juice resurfaced in country clubs across the US. It's hard to find out how and why the recipe spread, but it did. A little later, by the 80s, the recipe was quite common and well-known.
It was mentioned in "Sardi's Bar Guide", published in 1988, which described the cocktail as a sour "with the addition of orange juice."
In the decade after that, the drink had its most triumphant time. During the 90s, in some parts of the US, the drink was so popular you were hard-pressed to find someone who didn't know it.
With the new Millennium, the popularity of the Stone Sour Cocktail declined, and it fell into oblivion again. As with most things, it likely will have a comeback at some point. However, at this point, while you can still find recipes online in all kinds of variations, the hype is not there anymore.
Tom Bullock was not only the inventor of the Stone Sour, but he was the first African American to publish a cocktail book. His book "The Ideal Bartender" gives an excellent impression of how pre-prohibition drinks looked and tasted.
What makes the book stand out even more is that Bullock did not use modified versions of existing cocktails. He made his very own, unique creations. -Something you won't find very often.
If you want to read more about Tom Bullock and his legacy, there is a brilliant article about his life as a bartender. You can find it here.
Apart from the variations of the Stone Sour mentioned above, there are countless other creative Sour Cocktail recipes you should try at least once. Three of those are:
The Rum Sour Cocktail is part of the Sour family. In fact, it's one of the first members and absolutely delicious.
In saying that, the Whiskey Sour, another member of said family, might be more popular these days. Still, the first written-down sour recipes were Gin Sour and Rum Sour (aka Santa Cruz Sour).
Both recipes had been published in Jerry Thomas' The Bartender's Guide in 1856. So now let's see how to make the best Rum Sour and what goes into the drink.
A classic Rum Sour consists of Rum, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup. You will find that this is pretty close to what a Grog would be. Yet, there are some optional elements that will lift the drink to the next level.
To get that perfect egg white foam in our Rum Sour recipe, dry shake the ingredients before shaking them with ice. Here are all the steps you should follow to make this amazing Sour cocktail.
Step 1: Put all the ingredients together in a shaker without ice and shake for 10 to 15 seconds. That helps to create a strong, foamy top for your drink.
Step 2: Next, add ice into your shaker and shake again for 10 seconds.
Step 3: Strain into a chilled sour glass (without ice) or rocks glass (over fresh ice). Then add a couple of drops of Angostura bitters, and your Rum Sour is ready to be served.
Glassware always is essential in the world of mixology. Sometimes for the taste, often for the visuals, and occasionally for both.
For Sour cocktails, there have been several suggestions over the years. Starting with Jerry Thomas' recommendation to use a "small bar glass", continuing with a claret glass, punch glass, and even a highball glass.
Today, Sour cocktails usually are served in the same type of glass, an Old Fashioned glass and on the rocks. -A few drops of Angostura bitters, and your Rum Sour is perfect.
The choice of Rum is not the only way to tweak this recipe but one of the easiest. By adding or replacing elements, you can create something entirely new. Here are some excellent riffs on the Rum Sour.
As the name suggests, this Rum Sour variation is based on Rum produced in Haiti. The best Rum for this is probably Rhum Barbancourt. The Barbancourt distillery began producing their Rhum Agricole in 1862 and is still one of the best Haitian Rum producers. You can substitute the dark Rum in our recipe and keep the measurements.
Some recipes include orange juice as an additional ingredient. That is not in the original recipe and is called a Stone Sour.
Make our festive version of a Rum Sour by adding Christmas spiced syrup. The syrup is made from a dry red wine refined with typical Christmas spices like cinnamon, oranges, cloves, etc.
All credit for inventing the Rum Sour, along with the whole Sour Cocktail family, goes to the British Navy.
First, having wanted to prevent overly drunken sailors, then to improve the taste of low-quality Rum rations and later attempting to fight scurvy and malnutrition, British sailors used to mix their spirits with lime juice.
Back then, doctors believed that the acid would help the sailors prevent scurvy. But, actually, it was the high vitamin C content of the lime. -That's also why British seafarers are called Limeys, by the way.
Anyway, while sailing in the Caribbean, Rum was the spirit that was available everywhere. Together with lime juice, it became known as Navy Grog. This creation, also reminiscent of a Daiquiri, was the origin of the Rum Sour cocktail as we know it today.
All that dates back to the 1700s. So, it took more than a century before the first Rum Sour got mentioned in a book.
The Whiskey Sour is the star of the Sour Cocktails. It is the most famous representative of this cocktail category.
And the key to a perfect Sour recipe is balancing the three ingredients: spirit, lemon juice, and sugar.
If you get this right, the result is a rich, tart, and sweet cocktail. -One that people have enjoyed for more than 150 years already.
The three components of a Whiskey Sour are Whiskey, simple syrup, and lemon juice.
A classic choice of Whiskey is Bourbon. Although, you will find many recipes that ask for other types of Whiskey.
The spirit should be of decent mid-shelf quality, but you don't need to look out for top-shelf products for your Whiskey Sour. Those would be wasted in a mixed drink.
If you look for a recommendation, check out these best Whiskeys for a Whiskey Sour.
The lemon juice has to be freshly squeezed. Also, you can consider aging it for a few hours before mixing your cocktail.
Please don't use bottled lemon juice as it has some slightly artificial notes that will definitely spoil your drink.
Don't worry, it's no problem to squeeze the fresh lemons a few hours before you will mix the drinks to make the whole procedure more efficient.
Store-bought simply syrup for your Whiskey Sour, however, is alright. On the other hand, you can easily make it at home as all you need is water and sugar.
Should you want to make your own syrup, here's the recipe for simple syrup.
The classic garnish for the Whiskey Sour is an orange twist. And, if you have them handy, also Maraschino cherries are not to miss.Â
One of the sweet cherries and a slice or peel of lemon or orange is the typical garnish for this classic cocktail.
If you use egg white, Angostura drops are a beautiful addition and improve the visuals of your Whiskey Sour nicely.
The Whiskey Sour has been around for a long time already. The recipe dates back to the 19th century when Jerry Thomas published his book The bartender's guide.
Yet, the idea of Sour Cocktails goes back way further. To a time when sailors often suffered from scurvy.
More or less by accident, the British Navy discovered that mixing citrus into spirits won't only improve its taste but also prevents the disease.
Initially, it had been Rum and lemon: To prevent sailors from getting sick, ships had lots of lemon and lime on board. Those were to be mixed with the daily Rum rations. Et voilà , the sour template was born.
The formula has been refined and optimized over time and applied to other spirits.
In England, for instance, this mainly led to a variant based on Gin - the Gin Sour. In the US, Whiskey was the preferred choice and led to what we now know as Whiskey Sour.
Today there are countless Whiskey Sour variations.
Some use a split base where Whiskey combines with another spirit. Others replace or enhance the sweet part of the drink.
There are endless possibilities to twist this classic. But, apart from the original recipe, there is just one more in the official IBA (International Bartender Association) list of cocktails - the New York Sour.Â
Other famous variations are the Boston Sour, Continental Sour, and Paris Sour.
If you add an egg white or Aquafaba to the classic Whiskey Sour recipe, you'll get a Boston Sour.Â
While some find the idea of raw egg in a drink irritating, the egg white helps the cocktail to taste even rounder and better. It smoothens the alcoholic bite and creates a better mouthfeel.
Not to forget the change of appearance: The delicate foam on top and a few drops of Angostura bitters make this variation more alluring than the classic version.
In addition to the egg white needed to make a Boston Sour, the New York Sour includes a red wine float.
Those few drops of red wine elevate the classic recipe to a whole new level.
Together with the Continental Sour, this is my favorite variation. The wine adds a complex note to an already delicious cocktail.
Thought to be invented in Berlin, this evolution of the New York Sour is one of our absolute favorites.
By substituting red wine with red port wine, the drink becomes an entirely new drinking experience.
The port adds much more sweetness than dry red wine. Consequently, you will need less syrup to get the balance right.
Adding Dubonnet to the original recipe, the Paris Sour was invented in 2005 at Match Bar in London.Â
Dubonnet is a French aperitif wine similar to Vermouth. The drink is easy to mix and very satisfying. It's a worthy variant you should try.
Here's an overview of the most influential Whiskey Sour variations. Like the classic Whiskey Sour, all variants are shaken and not stirred.
If you use egg white, don't forget to dry shake. Meaning, shake without ice first (for 15 seconds). Then add ice and shake again. That will make for a better egg white foam.
The original Whiskey Sour is made with Bourbon Whiskey and without egg white. But egg white can easily be incorporated into the recipe. Just remember to dry shake for the perfect foamy top.
Our Christmas spiced Rum Sour is a combination of dark Rum, freshly squeezed lemon juice, homemade syrup, and one egg white.
And if you get the balance of the different ingredients right, I promise once you have tried this recipe, you will want to make it again and again.
We've tasted various Christmas cocktails during the last few years. None were as delicious as this one. It is boozy, full of flavor, sweet, sour, and tastes like Christmas in a glass.
So, if you are looking for a Christmas cocktail for your next Christmas party or family gathering, you found it. Here it is, and it won't disappoint.
Perhaps you already know that Sour Cocktails are among the most popular kinds of mixed drinks. They consist of lemon juice, simple syrup, and a base spirit. - For the classic Rum Sour, that's usually aged Rum. And the same goes for this Christmas version.
Havana Club Añejo Especial is our favorite and awesome value for money. Yet, if you have another favorite brand, that works just as well. -It should be an aged expression, though, and also no spiced Rum. After all, the flavors should not overpower the Christmas syrup.
Mulled wine is delicious and one of the best things about winter. And bringing the Christmasy taste of mulled wine into a Christmas syrup is fun and super easy.
All you need is red wine, sugar, oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, a splash of Rum, and a few drops of Angostura bitters. Just follow the steps in our mulled wine syrup recipe, and you get a great ingredient with minimal effort.
Should you prefer the taste of Glögg, the Scandinavian version of mulled wine, you can also consider adding cardamom to the mix.
If you've never tried a cocktail with egg white foam, you might find the idea weird at first. But it's actually a common practice and doesn't change the taste, just the texture.
It is optional, but it really takes the cocktail to the next level. It makes the texture much creamier, which is especially perfect for the Christmas Rum Sour.
Vegans can use aquafaba instead of egg white. It is also neutral in taste and works equally well.
This Christmas Rum Sour relies on our homemade mulled wine syrup and on the warm flavors of dark Rum. Also, the lemon juice should be freshly squeezed and not a bottled version to make this cocktail perfect.
For more festive drinks, check out this overview of our favorite Christmas Cocktails.
