The key to the best whiskey sour cocktail recipe? Getting the balance just right: Bright lemon juice, warming bourbon, and simple syrup deliver an invigorating drink that’s neither too cloying nor too bracing. Using fresh-squeezed lemon juice is essential—the stuff that comes out of fruit-shaped yellow bottles doesn’t even compare.
Wondering about using egg white in your whiskey sour recipe? Some versions rely on this fourth ingredient to give the drink body and a frothy cap. We find that it has the effect of drying out the mouth, making the drink less refreshing in summer weather. Try it both ways and see what you like best: Use 1 egg white for every two drinks, and be sure to give it a dry shake (without ice) before chilling. (Note: Raw egg is not recommended for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems…or people who don’t like raw eggs.)
Serve your whiskey sour on the rocks with an orange (or lemon) wheel and a maraschino cherry arranged neatly on a cocktail pick and enjoy. Cheers!
Want to transform your drink into a New York Sour? All it takes is a red wine float. Looking for a drink for fall? Trade the sweetener for maple syrup and add a dash of Angostura bitters.
