The Whiskey Sour recipe
for your table
Add all the ingredients to a shaker and first shake for 10 seconds without ice (dry shake) for a beautiful foam.
Add ice and shake vigorously for another 15 seconds.
Double strain into a tumbler with one large ice cube.
Garnish the foam with a few drops of Angostura and draw a pattern in it with a cocktail pick.
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The story
The Sour is one of the oldest cocktail families in existence: spirit, citrus and sugar, that's all there is to it. In the eighteenth century, sailors were already drinking rum with lemon juice to prevent scurvy, and when the formula came ashore, variations emerged with every spirit imaginable. The Whiskey Sour first appeared in Jerry Thomas' famous bartender's guide from 1862 and has never disappeared from menus since. The version with egg white, once called the 'Boston Sour', is now standard in better bars.
The right glass
Serve a Whiskey Sour 'on the rocks' in a low whisky glass or tumbler. Choose a model from 30 to 37 cl with enough width to leave room for a large ice cube and a generous layer of foam. A crystal-clear glass beautifully highlights the contrast between the golden-yellow cocktail and the white foam. Prefer it 'straight up'? A coupe is a stylish alternative. If you prefer to serve it straight up without ice, our champagne coupe glasses are a good fit.
RCR Any Tumbler 34 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Adagio Tumbler 35 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 65,90.
The right tools
For a Whiskey Sour, in addition to the glass, you use a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining and a bitters bottle. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 108,70.
What do you use to make a Whiskey Sour?
For a Whiskey Sour, you need whisky. Well-known bottles include Johnnie Walker and Drambuie. On every drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
A New York Sour gets a float of red wine over the foam. A spectacular color effect, and surprisingly delicious. Replace the simple syrup with honey and you get a Gold Rush. Without egg white it is crisper and fresher; with it, softer and creamier. Both schools are right. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Replace the simple syrup with maple syrup and you have an autumnal variation that works wonderfully. Aquafaba (chickpea liquid) produces the same foam as egg white, but is completely plant-based.
Good to know
The 3:2:1 ratio and how strong it is
The sour formula is 3:2:1, here 4.5 cl bourbon, 3 cl fresh lemon juice and 1.5 cl simple syrup. That ratio is a starting point, not a rule: with a sweet bourbon, 4.5 to 3 to 1 works better, while with a sharp rye, 4.5 to 2.5 to 1.5 is better. After shaking twice, you have about 12 cl in the glass with 1.8 cl of pure alcohol, or around 15 percent. Always measure the lemon juice after squeezing, because one lemon yields 3 cl and another more than 5.
The dry shake: how to get the foam
The foam forms because the proteins fold around air bubbles, and that only works without ice. So first shake all the ingredients for ten seconds without ice; the liquid will become slightly white and noticeably thicker. Only then add ice and shake for another fifteen seconds to chill and dilute. Double strain so no ice shards end up in the foam. Let the cocktail stand for half a minute after pouring before adding drops of Angostura, so the pattern stays neat.
Without egg: aquafaba as a substitute
The liquid from a can of chickpeas, aquafaba, does almost the same thing as egg white. Use 2 cl per cocktail, about two tablespoons, and shake exactly as above: first for ten seconds without ice, then for fifteen seconds with it. The foam will be slightly airier and last almost as long, and you won't taste it at all. A 400-gram can yields about 12 cl of liquid, enough for six cocktails; it keeps for three days in the refrigerator and freezes very well in an ice cube tray.
Whiskey Sour or Amaretto Sour
Both follow the same template, but the base shifts the balance. The Whiskey Sour relies on 4.5 cl bourbon with 1.5 cl syrup; the Amaretto Sour uses 4.5 cl almond liqueur, which is already quite sweet, and therefore needs hardly any syrup, plus often 1.5 cl bourbon as a counterbalance. If you are looking for a cocktail that finishes dry and warm, the whiskey version is the right choice; if you want something sweeter with a marzipan note, choose amaretto. The foam technique and glass are identical for both.
Frequently asked questions
What goes into a Whiskey Sour?
A Whiskey Sour consists of 4.5 cl bourbon, 3 cl fresh lemon juice and 1.5 cl sugar syrup, optionally with egg white for the foam. First shake for ten seconds without ice, then for fifteen seconds with ice, and garnish the foam with a few drops of Angostura bitters.
What is the best whiskey for a Whiskey Sour?
A robust bourbon gives sweet vanilla and caramel notes, while rye makes it drier and spicier. A more expensive bottle is unnecessary: a good mid-range whiskey mixes best, because lemon and sugar overpower the finest nuances anyway. Do choose one of at least forty percent ABV.
Is there a recipe for a Whiskey Sour without egg?
Yes, and that is the historical version: simply leave out the egg white and shake the bourbon, lemon juice and syrup with ice for fifteen seconds. It becomes cleaner and fresher, without a layer of foam. If you still want foam but no egg, use 2 cl aquafaba, as chickpea liquid creates the same effect.
What goes into a Sour cocktail?
Every sour follows the same template: spirits, fresh citrus and sugar, often in a 3:2:1 ratio. Replace the bourbon with amaretto, pisco or gin and you get another classic. Serve on the rocks in a low tumbler of 30 to 37 cl; see our whiskey glasses.
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