The Whiskey Sour is a classic American cocktail. Striking the perfect balance between sweet and sour, the cocktail is light, tart, and easy-drinking. You will find the concoction on almost every cocktail bar menu in the United States, and the drink also has a huge fanbase across the rest of the world.
Discussing the history, recipe, and variations of this timeless cocktail, this is the ultimate guide to the Whiskey Sour.
Interested in learning about the history of The Manhattan and the best whiskeys to use? Click here.
The History of Sour Cocktails
The combination of a distilled spirit, water, citrus, and sugar serves as the basis for the Sour family of cocktails. It is thought that this combination originates from the British Navy. When the Navy was conducting voyages in the Caribbean in the 16 and 1700s they found themselves a plentiful supply of rum. With a much longer shelf life than beer, rum became the sailors’ first choice of tipple.
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These sailors, at sea for months at a time with very little food, water, or nutrition, began adding lime or lemon juice to their rum in order to prevent scurvy. The practice, enacted by the Royal Navy, meant that it would be unusual to find a British ship that didn’t have a huge store of citrus fruits aboard. American sailors, disbelieving in the treatment, began calling British sailors ‘limeys’.
The rum and lemon/lime juice concoction became known as ‘Grog’. If the sailors drank too much Grog, they might have found themselves feeling ‘groggy’ in the morning. Essentially, hungover. You will still hear the Brits using this expression today. The first written reference to the word ‘groggy’ dates back to 1770, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The sour cocktail would have reached English shores around this time and eventually made its way to America.
The first written recipe for a Sour cocktail dates back to 1862 in The Bartender’s Guide by Jerry Thomas. In this book, Thomas states the recipes for a Brandy Sour and a Gin Sour. These cocktails have three ingredients in common: water, lemon juice, and sugar.
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The History of The Whiskey Sour
The Whiskey Sour itself was first mentioned in writing in the Waukesha Plain Dealer newspaper in Wisconsin in 1870. It was referred to simply in the manner of somebody ordering a “whisky sour”. It is safe to assume, then, that by this time the cocktail was popular enough that it needed no introduction.
As with most cocktails, there is no concrete answer as to where it originated. However, there are more conflicting reports about where the variations on the Whiskey Sour came from. One such variation was the addition of a red wine float, for which an unnamed bartender in Chicago claimed credit in 1883. This, of course, is disputed.
Another variation is the addition of egg whites. The first reference to this was written in 1922 in Cocktails: How to Mix Them by Robert Vermiere.
The Whiskey Sour surged in popularity during Prohibition, which is as ironic as the publishing of a cocktail recipe book in 1922. The Prohibition era in the USA saw the creation of many cocktails. As bars were pushed underground and speakeasies became the norm, so did experimentation. Many consumers found themselves drinking inferior spirits that needed to be made drinkable. This, then, might explain the numerous reports surrounding the variations on the Whiskey Sour.
Suffice it to say that, today, The Whiskey Sour in its many forms remains one of the world’s most popular cocktails.
How To Make A Whiskey Sour
As mentioned above, there are many variations on a Whiskey Sour, and these variations are not limited to red wine or egg whites. To keep this simple, I am going to use the recipe given by the International Bartenders Association (IBA).
A standard Whiskey Sour consists of just four ingredients: 45ml of Bourbon whiskey, 25ml of fresh lemon juice, 20ml of sugar syrup, and 20ml of egg white (optional).
Method:
- Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice
- Shake well
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- If using egg whites, more vigorous shaking will help the egg whites become foamy and silky smooth
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- Strain into a cobbler glass
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- If serving ‘on the rocks’ an Old Fashioned glass will work best
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- Garnish with an orange slice, a maraschino cherry, and orange zest
- Serve and enjoy!
What Kind of Whiskey Is Best For A Whiskey Sour?
If you are following the IBA recipe for a Whiskey Sour, then bourbon would be the best choice. The sweet vanilla notes often found in bourbon nicely complement the sourness of the lemon juice and ensure easy drinking.
The alcoholic strength of said bourbon is, of course, up to you. However, you may wish to use something above the standard 40% ABV to ensure that the bourbon profile still comes through in the cocktail.
With that being said, you really can use any whiskey you desire to make your Whiskey Sour. Add some single malt scotch to make it a Scotch Sour. Or, if you are a fan of spice, use a rye whiskey or a high-rye bourbon.
The world of spirits is your oyster. And, unless you are making your Whiskey Sour for a cocktail class, you are free to do as you wish.
Boston Sour vs. New York Sour
The most common variations of the Whiskey Sour are the Boston Sour and the New York Sour, one of which has a particularly confusing history.
Technically speaking, a Whiskey Sour becomes a Boston Sour as soon as egg whites are added to the mix. However, many bars will serve a Whiskey Sour with egg whites as standard. The two terms are somewhat interchangeable.
The New York Sour sees the addition of a red wine float to the mix. For much of its history, this variation went by a few different names: Chicago Sour, Continental Sour, and Southern Whiskey Sour. Egg whites were not part of the equation until the late 20th century when, according to Difford’s Guide, Che Bar in London began using both and created the modern New York Sour.
Today, the IBA lists the ingredients of a New York Sour as: “60ml rye whiskey or bourbon, 22.5ml simple syrup, 30ml fresh lemon juice, few drops of egg white, 15ml of red wine (Shiraz or Malbec)”.
Is The Whiskey Sour Vegan?
If you are vegan and still wish to enjoy a Whiskey Sour, you can do so. The egg white, of course, is optional. Simply remove it from the equation and you are good to go.
Alternatively, if you enjoy the mouthfeel of the silky foam, you can substitute the egg whites for aquafaba (chickpea water), or a vegan cocktail foamer.
Can You Make A Sour Cocktail With A Different Spirit?
Yes. The Sour cocktail family does not just consist of varying types of whiskey (scotch, bourbon, rye, Irish, etc…). You can make sour cocktails with other distilled spirits such as brandy, rum, and gin.
The essentials remain the same: lemon juice, water, and sugar. Switch out your spirit and try different versions of the Sour until you find your favorite.
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