How to Make a Whiskey Sour

The whiskey sour is a classic balance of sweet and tart flavors. Making your own whiskey sour at home will only take a few minutes. If you get hooked, there are plenty of variations to try.

Ingredients

Simple Whiskey Sour

  • 1.5 oz. (45 ml.) whiskey
  • 1 oz. (30 ml.) lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. (5 g.) powdered sugar
  • 1 handful ice
  • Lemon slice

Egg White Whiskey Sour

  • 1.5 oz. (45 ml.) whiskey
  • 0.75 oz. (22 ml.) lemon juice
  • 0.5 oz. (15 ml.) simple syrup
  • Splash orange liqueur
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 handful ice
  • 1 orange twist

Double Standard Sour

  • 0.75 oz. (22 ml.) whiskey
  • 0.75 oz. (22 ml.) gin
  • 0.75 oz. (22 ml.) lemon juice
  • 0.5 oz. (15 ml.) simple syrup
  • 1 dash grenadine
  • 1 maraschino cherry
  • 1 orange slice
  • 1 handful ice

New York Sour

  • 2 oz. (60 ml.) rye whiskey
  • 0.75 oz. (22 ml.) lemon juice
  • 0.5 oz. (15 ml.) simple syrup
  • 0.5 oz. (15 ml.) dry red wine
  • 1 handful ice
  • 1 lemon slice

Dizzy Sour

  • 1.5 oz (45 ml.) whiskey
  • 0.75 oz (22 ml.) fresh egg white
  • 0.5 oz (15 ml.) lemon juice
  • 2 bar-spoons Bénédictine
  • 0.25 oz (7.5 ml. ) simple syrup
  • 0.5 oz (15 ml.) dark Jamaican rum
  • 1 handful ice
  • 1 skewered pineapple cube
Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Simple Whiskey Sour

  1. Image titled Make a Whiskey Sour Step 1
    1
    Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add 1.5 oz. (45 ml.) of whiskey, 1 oz. (30 ml.) of lemon juice, 1 tsp. (5 g.) of powdered sugar, and a handful of ice in a cocktail shaker.
    • If you don't have a cocktail shaker, use two tall glasses, one inverted inside the other. A screw-top glass jar will also do the trick.
    • Use any type of whiskey. Rye and bourbon are common options.[1]
  2. 2
    Shake. Shake the drink for at least 10 seconds to blend the ingredients fully.
    Advertisement
  3. 3
    Strain the ingredients into a glass. Pour all ingredients into the glass, except for the ice. Whiskey sours are typically served in a rocks glass (old-fashioned glass). Cocktail glasses are not unheard-of for whiskey sours without ice.
    • You may add ice to the glass before pouring ("on the rocks"), or serve the drink without ice ("straight up"). Even "straight up" drinks still place ice in the cocktail shaker, to chill the drink.
  4. Image titled Make a Whiskey Sour Step 4
    4
    Serve. Garnish the side of the glass with a lemon twist, or just a slice of lemon. If you prefer sweet flavors, garnish with a maraschino cherry instead.
    • If you think the drink is too sour or too sweet, adjust the amount of sugar or lemon juice next time. There's no single "correct" recipe; it's all up to personal preference.
    5. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Egg White Whiskey Sour

  1. 1
    Shake all of the ingredients except the ice. Shake 1.5 oz. (45 ml.) of whiskey, 0.75 oz. (22 ml.) of lemon juice, 0.5 oz. (15 ml.) of simple syrup, one splash of orange liqueur, and one egg white together in a cocktail shaker. Put the lid on the shaker, then hold it near your shoulder and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds. Then, add the ice and keep shaking until the shaker is too cold to hold comfortably—about another 30 seconds.[2]
    • Shaking the ingredients together without the ice first will help blend the egg white evenly throughout the drink. This is called dry shaking.[3]
    • Shake thoroughly, until the egg white has broken up into froth; the cocktail will be very unpleasant if it still contains globs of egg white. When properly shaken, the egg white will make the cocktail much smoother on the mouth, and soften the lemon flavor a little.
    • There is a tiny risk of salmonella infection from raw egg white. If you are concerned about this, or if you are serving the drink to an elderly or immune-compromised person, use "pasteurized shell" eggs.
  2. Image titled Make a Whiskey Sour Step 6
    2
    Add ice and shake a second time. Now, place a handful of ice into the cocktail shaker and shake the ingredients again for another ten seconds. The ice will help cool the ingredients.
  3. 3
    Strain the drink into a glass. Pour into a rocks glass or a short-stemmed sour glass. The small mouths on these glasses help maintain the distinctive foamy head from the egg white.
    • Optionally, add ice to the glass first.
  4. Image titled Make a Whiskey Sour Step 8
    4
    Garnish. Since this version contains orange liqueur, an orange twist is a thematic garnish. Enjoy the drink immediately.
    5. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Double Standard Sour

  1. 1
    Combine in a cocktail shaker. Shake 0.75 oz. (22 ml.) of whiskey, 0.75 oz. (22 ml.) of gin, 0.75 oz. (22 ml.) of lemon juice, 0.5 oz. (15 ml.) of simple syrup, and 1 dash of grenadine together for at least ten seconds to blend the flavors.
  2. 2
    Strain the ingredients into a glass. Strain the ingredients into a sour glass or an old fashioned glass filled with ice.
  3. Image titled Make a Whiskey Sour Step 11
    3
    Serve. Garnish this drink with a maraschino cherry and an orange slice and enjoy it immediately.
    4. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

New York Sour

  1. 1
    Shake together all ingredients. In a cocktail shaker or other container, shake 2 oz. of rye whiskey, 0.75 oz. (22 ml.) of lemon juice, 0.5 oz. (15 ml.) of simple syrup, and one handful of ice together in a glass for at least ten seconds.
  2. 2
    Strain the ingredients into a glass. Strain these ingredients into a sour glass, or even a wine glass.
  3. 3
    Float dry red wine over the drink. Carefully pour 0.5 oz. (15 ml.) of dry red wine over the back of a large spoon, running onto the side of a cocktail glass or large rocks glass. When poured correctly, the wine will float in a separate layer on top of the whiskey. Make sure to use a dry wine, such as a Syrah, Malbec, or Merlot.[4] A sweet red wine will make a cloying cocktail.
  4. Image titled Make a Whiskey Sour Step 15
    4
    Serve. Garnish this drink with a lemon slice and enjoy it immediately. To get the full flavor, tip back the glass and get a mouthful that contains all ingredients. Sipping at the top will leave you with
    5. Advertisement
Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Dizzy Sour

  1. 1
    Shake together everything except the rum and garnish. Shake together 1.5 oz whiskey, 0.5 oz lemon juice, 2 tsp Bénédictine, 0.25 oz simple syrup, and an egg white. Keep shaking for about 15 seconds, then add the ice and shake for another 30 seconds or so.[5]
    • Be sure the egg white breaks up completely before you add the ice.
    • If you don't have Bénédictine, try yellow Chartreuse or (in a pinch) Drambuie.[6]
  2. 2
    Strain into a glass. Serve over the rocks in a rocks glass, or straight up in a cocktail glass.
  3. 3
    Float the rum. Pour 0.5 oz dark rum over the back of a spoon, onto the side of the glass. Hopefully, this will float in its own separate layer. In practice, many rums and whiskeys are similar in density, and will mix together rapidly.[7]
    • Increase the odds of floating by chilling the ingredients and glass, and by choosing a whiskey and rum with significantly different proofs.
  4. Image titled Make a Whiskey Sour Step 19
    4
    Garnish with pineapple. Rum adds a tropical theme that pairs well with pineapple skewer.[8] You may leave out the garnish if you prefer to focus on the complex blend of ingredients.
    5. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

  • Question
    How do you shake a whiskey sour?
    Kady Richardson
    Kady Richardson
    Mixologist
    Kady Richardson is a mixologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kady has completed the Comprehensive Bartending Training Program at The Cocktail Camp in San Francisco and specializes in creating approachable, at-home recipes for cocktails. Kady holds a BA in American Studies and an MA in Sociology from Stanford University.
    Kady Richardson
    Kady Richardson
    Mixologist
    Expert Answer
    Put all of your ingredients into a shaker—your bourbon, lemon juice, syrup, and egg white. Then, shake up all of those ingredients vigorously for about 15 seconds. That ensures the egg whites get properly incorporated into the rest of the ingredients. Then, add ice and shake it for another 30 seconds, or until the shaker is too cold to comfortably hold.
  • Question
    How do I make a Manhattan?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You make a Manhattan with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters mixed in a ratio of 2:1:2.
Advertisement

Warnings

  • Avoid granulated sugar, which will leave a gritty texture in your drink. Superfine sugar or bar sugar will work fine, if you shake the drink hard enough.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Drink responsibly. 1.5 oz whiskey is a standard drink. Two or three standard drinks can seriously impair your driving.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
Advertisement

You Might Also Like

How to
Drink Tequila
How to
Make a Pitcher of Sex on the Beach Cocktails
Drink a Flaming Shot
How to
Drink a Flaming Shot
Alcohol That Doesn't Taste Like Alcohol30 Cocktails & Shots That Taste Alcohol-Free
Make a Paralyzer
How to
Make a Paralyzer
How to
Make a Black Tooth Grin
Muddle
How to
Muddle
How to
Make a Margarita
Order an Old Fashioned
How to
Order an Old Fashioned
Make Hunch Punch
How to
Make Hunch Punch
How to
Make a Cocktail
Make a Tequila Popper
How to
Make a Tequila Popper
Make a Sake Bomb
How to
Make a Sake Bomb
How to
Drink a Margarita
Advertisement

References

  1. ↑ http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/recipes/a3720/whiskey-sour-drink-recipe/
  2. ↑ Kady Richardson. Mixologist. Expert Interview. 6 August 2020.
  3. ↑ Kady Richardson. Mixologist. Expert Interview. 6 August 2020.
  4. ↑ http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/10/the-new-york-sour-drinks-cocktails-recipe.html
  5. ↑ Kady Richardson. Mixologist. Expert Interview. 6 August 2020.
  6. ↑ http://www.foodsubs.com/LiqueurHerbal.html
  7. ↑ http://aviationexpeditions.com/Drinks/AlcoholDensityChart
  8. ↑ http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/recipes/a3720/whiskey-sour-drink-recipe/
  9. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/meyer-lemon-whiskey-sour-a-sun-136152
  1. ↑ http://cold-glass.com/2011/12/21/dangerous-drinks-the-whiskey-sour/

About This Article

Kady Richardson
Co-authored by:
Kady Richardson
Mixologist
This article was co-authored by Kady Richardson. Kady Richardson is a mixologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kady has completed the Comprehensive Bartending Training Program at The Cocktail Camp in San Francisco and specializes in creating approachable, at-home recipes for cocktails. Kady holds a BA in American Studies and an MA in Sociology from Stanford University. This article has been viewed 412,448 times.
3 votes - 87%
Co-authors: 18
Updated: October 2, 2022
Views: 412,448
Categories: Cocktails
Article SummaryX

To make a whiskey sour, first pour 2 ounces (59 mL) of whiskey into a cocktail shaker. Then, add 3/4 ounce (20 mL) each of lemon juice and simple syrup. For a frothier whiskey sour, add the egg white from 1 egg to the cocktail shaker. Put the lid on the cocktail shaker and "dry-shake" the ingredients for 10 seconds. Then, fill the remainder of the cocktail shaker with ice and put the lid back on. Hold the shaker firmly and shake it vigorously for 30 more seconds until the outside of the cocktail shaker is cold. Fill an old-fashioned glass with ice, then strain the contents of the shaker into the glass. If you don't have access to a traditional cocktail shaker, you can also use a metal, insulated coffee thermos with a tight sealing lid. Finally, garnish your whiskey sour with an orange slice, maraschino cherry, or lemon rind. Keep reading the article if you want to learn more about variations on the whiskey sour you could make!

Did this summary help you?
Advertisement