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The Whiskey Sour is the oldest cocktail you can name without trying. It appears in Jerry Thomas’s 1862 Bartender’s Guide, the first cocktail book ever published in America, and the recipe has not meaningfully changed since. Two ounces of whiskey, three quarters of an ounce of fresh lemon juice, half an ounce of sugar, optional egg white, shake hard, serve.

The egg white version is what divides people. Half the bartenders in the world insist it is essential. The other half consider it a 1990s fancy-bar affectation. Both are correct. With egg white the drink has a soft, creamy foam on top and feels rounder. Without, it is sharper and brighter and tastes more like the whiskey.

What never changes is the lemon. Fresh lemon juice, never bottled. The Whiskey Sour is one of the great test cocktails for whether a bar takes itself seriously. If they put bottled sour mix in front of you, you are at a chain restaurant pretending to be a cocktail bar. Walk out.

There is also a thing where some bartenders top a Whiskey Sour with a float of red wine on top. That is called a Boston Sour. Different drink, also good, also from the 1880s. The whole sour family is older than most countries.

Scotty Boxa

Whiskey Sour

5 from 1 vote
Bourbon, fresh lemon, sugar, optional egg white. Shaken hard, served on the rocks or up. The simplest, oldest, and most balanced whiskey cocktail.
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Prep Time 4 minutes
Total Time 4 minutes
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 oz Bourbon (or rye)
  • 3/4 oz Fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz Simple syrup or 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 Egg white optional, for foam
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters optional, for the foam art
  • 1 Maraschino cherry to garnish
  • 1 Orange slice to garnish

Instructions
 

Dry shake (if using egg white):
  1. Add bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white to a cocktail shaker (no ice). Shake hard for 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white.
Wet shake:
  1. Open the shaker, fill with ice, close, shake again hard for 15 seconds until properly cold.
Strain and garnish:
  1. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over fresh ice (on the rocks) or into a coupe (up).
  2. If you used egg white, drop two dashes of Angostura bitters onto the foam and drag a toothpick through to make a pattern.
  3. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and an orange slice.

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1.5gSodium: 0.05mgSugar: 10g

Notes

Egg white is optional but recommended. It softens the drink and creates the classic foam top. If you do not want raw egg, use 3/4 oz of aquafaba (chickpea liquid) for the same effect, vegan and pasteurised.
Boston Sour: standard whiskey sour with red wine floated on top. Different drink, also good.
Don't skip the dry shake if you are using egg white. Skip it and the foam never forms properly.
Servings: 1 cocktail
Calories: 160

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Tips That Actually Matter

  • Dry shake first if using egg white. No ice for the first shake. That is what whips the egg into foam. Skip it and you get a thin, watery cocktail.
  • Fresh lemon juice. Same rule as every cocktail in this category. Bottled juice ruins it.
  • Bitters drag art is optional but worth the photo. Two dashes of Angostura on the foam. Drag a toothpick through to make a pattern. Looks like you tried.

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I’m Scotty Boxa. Australian author, professional bad decision maker, and the bloke responsible for the rest of this website.

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