Whiskey Sour Recipe

Before you start

The whiskey sour is bourbon, lemon juice and sugar, shaken and served on the rocks or up. Egg white is optional but traditional in many bars: it adds a silky body and a thick foam cap that softens the acidity. Without egg, the drink is brighter and lighter; both are classic.

If you use egg white, the technique changes. A dry shake (shaking without ice first) whips air into the egg proteins and builds a dense foam; a second shake with ice chills and dilutes. Use pasteurized eggs or pasteurized liquid egg white, since the egg is not cooked. A few drops of aromatic bitters on the foam add aroma and look striking.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) bourbon
• 22 ml (¾ oz) fresh lemon juice
• 22 ml (¾ oz) simple syrup (1:1)
• 1 (about 30 ml) egg white — optional; from a pasteurized egg, or pasteurized liquid egg white
• 3 or 4 drops Angostura bitters — for the foam, optional
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for shaking, plus more to serve
• 1 lemon peel or brandied cherry

Method

1. Chill a coupe, or fill a rocks glass with fresh ice.
2. Add the bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup to the shaker. If you are using egg white, add it now.
3. With egg white: seal the shaker without ice and dry-shake hard for 15 seconds to whip the egg. Without egg white, skip to the next step.
4. Open the shaker, fill it with ice, and shake again for 10 to 12 seconds until the tin is very cold.
5. Strain into the glass. For an egg white sour, double-strain for a smoother foam and let it settle for 30 seconds.
6. Drop the bitters onto the foam, or garnish with a lemon peel or cherry, and serve.

Tips for success

• Pasteurized liquid egg white works well and is convenient; about 30 ml equals one large egg white.
• For an even thicker foam, try a reverse dry shake: shake with ice first, strain out the ice, then shake again without ice.
• A higher-proof bourbon keeps the whiskey present under the foam.

Substitutions

Egg white

Use 22 to 30 ml aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) for a vegan foam. It foams well but can have a faint bean flavor.

Bourbon

Rye makes a spicier, drier sour. Blended Scotch is lighter and malty.

Simple syrup

Rich demerara syrup (15 ml) adds caramel and body, which suits bourbon well.

Variations

New York sour

After straining, float 15 ml of dry red wine over the back of a spoon on top of the drink.

Boston sour

This is simply the name often given to a whiskey sour made with egg white.

Troubleshooting

The foam is thin or vanishes

The dry shake was too short or the egg was very cold. Shake longer, or try the reverse dry shake.

It smells eggy

Use very fresh pasteurized egg white and add a few drops of bitters or expressed lemon oil on top.

It is too tart

Add 5 ml syrup, or reduce the lemon to 18 ml.

Storage

Serve immediately; the foam breaks down in about 10 minutes. Keep pasteurized egg products refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below and use them by the date on the package. Do not leave drinks containing egg at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Safety notes

Contains 60 ml of bourbon, about 1.5 U.S. standard drinks (one standard drink is about 14 g of pure alcohol). For adults of legal drinking age only; never drink and drive. Raw egg white can carry Salmonella; FDA advises using pasteurized shell eggs or pasteurized egg products in recipes served with raw eggs.