Whiskey Sour (With Video and Step by Step)

Servings:

1

This whiskey sour is a smooth, balanced variation of the classic bourbon cocktail. Martha supplements the usual lemon juice with freshly squeezed orange juice, rims the rocks glass with turbinado sugar, and garnishes the drink with a slice of oven-dried orange rather than the usual fresh orange slice or maraschino cherry.

Using freshly squeezed juice is the secret to making a stellar whiskey sour. Skip the store-bought sour mix and the shelf-stable citrus juice, and shake up this four-ingredient cocktail to enjoy the fresh flavor of a time-honored favorite.

two whiskey sours and bottle of whiskey on wooden cutting board — Rachel Marek

What Is a Sour?

A sour is a type of cocktail that has three main ingredients: liquor, citrus (the "sour" part), and a sweetener. Though sour cocktails contain a sour element, it's matched by a sweet element, so the drink is smooth and balanced.

Sours are endlessly versatile; you can make one with any type of spirit, but whiskey is the most popular. The sour comes from citrus juice, most often lemon juice, but also orange (as Martha uses in this cocktail recipe), and you could use grapefruit or other types of citrus as well. The sweet ingredient balances the sour; sugar or simple syrup are often used, but sours can be made with maple syrup, agave, or honey.

How to Serve a Whiskey Sour

There are two main ways to serve a sour cocktail, strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, or in a coupe glass without ice.

Garnishes

The drink is often garnished simply with a slice of fresh orange or a maraschino cherry, sometimes with both. For her take on the whiskey sour, Martha dries orange slices in the oven. You can also purchase dried orange slices to use as a garnish.

Directions

metal cocktail shaker, whiskey and cocktail ingredients on wooden cutting board — Rachel Marek

Rim glass with lemon:

Rub the lemon wedge around the rim of a 12-ounce rocks glass.

Rachel Marek
Dip glass in sugar:

Place turbinado sugar in a shallow dish. Dip the rim of the glass in the sugar to coat; set aside.

Rachel Marek
Shake bourbon, citrus juices, sugar, and ice:

In a large cocktail shaker, combine bourbon, orange juice, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and ice. Cover, and shake vigorously until all ingredients are well combined and cold.

Rachel Marek
Strain into glass:

Pour into prepared glass, and garnish with orange slice.

Rachel Marek

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in a whiskey sour?

Typically, a whiskey sour is made with whiskey, often bourbon, plus freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup or sugar, and perhaps an egg white.
Why do you put egg whites in whiskey sour?

Some recipes use egg white in whiskey sours, but we don’t! The egg white makes the drink a bit smoother and gives it a nice frothy texture. When making a whiskey sour with egg white, the egg white is shaken with the other ingredients, then ice is added and the drink shaken again briefly.
What is the difference between a whiskey sour and an old fashioned?

There are several differences between a whiskey sour and an old fashioned cocktail. Both are classic drinks that start with bourbon whiskey, but the whiskey sour is a type of cocktail that has a tart or sour note via the addition of lemon juice or other citrus juice, and balances that tartness with sugar or another sweetener. The old-fashioned is a stronger, more spirit-forward drink made with bitters and a sugar cube