This whiskey sour recipe is perfectly balanced and so easy to make! Garnish with an orange peel and a cocktail cherry.
Here at A Couple Cooks, we’re cocktail experts, with over 300 cocktail recipes in our library. But the first that got us hooked on cocktails was this whiskey sour recipe! The whiskey sour is a perfectly sweet tart, balanced whiskey drink that actually dates back to the 1870’s.
Our favorite way to make it is a spin with bourbon and maple syrup, and man, is it tasty! It’s become a family favorite. Here’s the classic recipe and a few riffs and variations on this famous drink!
Whiskey sour ingredients
The whiskey sour is a sour cocktail made with whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup. It’s often served with an egg white foam, in which case it’s sometimes called a Boston Sour.
The earliest mention of this classic cocktail was in the 1862 book The Bartender’s Guide: How To Mix Drinks by Jerry Thomas, so it’s been around for centuries. The ingredients for making a whiskey sour are simple. Here’s what you’ll need for this classic sour cocktail:
- 2 oz bourbon whiskey: as high quality as possible. (You can use any whiskey, but we prefer the flavor of bourbon.)
- 1 oz lemon juice
- ¾ to 1 oz simple syrup
- Orange or lemon peel and cocktail cherry, for garnish
Adjust the sweetness level in a whiskey sour to fit your tastes. A classic sour formula is 2:1:1, which means 2 oz spirit, 1 oz citrus and 1 oz sweetener. We prefer a whiskey sour with ¾ oz syrup, which lets the whiskey flavor shine. But if you prefer a sweeter cocktail, use up to 1 oz syrup.
Why make this whiskey sour recipe
I wasn’t a whiskey sour fan until the drink was introduced to our family by Alex’s step-father, Joe, who is extremely passionate about this sweet tart drink. When he’s entertaining, he’ll always ask: “Want a whiskey sour?” So over the years, this drink has become the standard for festive family get-togethers.
In honor of Joe’s birthday one year, we created this whiskey sour recipe as an alternative to the store-bought mix he usually buys. Making it with fresh lemon juice and bourbon makes for the very best whiskey sour! Joe started serving it often, and it’s become a smash hit with cousins, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles alike.
Best whiskey for whiskey sours
We recommend a mid-priced bourbon for a classic whiskey sour: a bottle in the $25 to $35 range Some bourbon brands we’d recommend are: Elijah Craig Small Batch, Four Roses Small Batch, or Woodford Reserve. A higher-end option is Bulleit 10 Year Bourbon. Spicy rye whiskey also works in a whiskey sour.
A note on the sweetener
We typically use simple syrup as our cocktail sweetener of choice. But we’ve found maple syrup is a great alterative that adds a nuance to the flavor of cocktails. It’s a natural sweetener that brings caramel flavor undertones to the whiskey sour.
In back to back taste tests, maple syrup always wins! But if you prefer the pure, straightforward taste of simple syrup, you can use that too.
Whiskey sour mix for a crowd
Let’s say you’re looking for a whiskey sour mix, but you don’t want to get one of those store bought containers with lots of sugar. You can also make this recipe as a mix to make lots of drinks at once:
- Here’s how to make a whiskey sour mix for 8 drinks: Mix 1 cup lemon juice plus ¾ cup simple syrup or maple syrup. Or, make our Sweet and Sour Mix.
- To make a single drink, measure out 3 ½ tablespoons of the mix with 4 tablespoons whiskey (see Whiskey Sour Mix).
Frequently asked questions
Why do you put egg whites in whiskey sour?
What is the 3 2 1 ratio for whiskey sours?
What’s the difference between a whiskey sour and a sour mix drink?
Do I need a special glass for a whiskey sour?
Can I make this drink ahead of time?
What is a substitute for an egg white in cocktails?
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Classic Whiskey Sour
Master the classic whiskey sour! This cocktail is easy to make at home with a few simple ingredients for a balance of sweet, tart, and boozy.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 3 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
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- 2 ounces whiskey (we prefer bourbon)
- 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 to 1 ounce simple syrup*
- Garnish: Orange peel and a cocktail cherry
- Ice, for serving
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Instructions
- Add the whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Fill with a handful of ice and shake until very cold.
- Strain the drink into a lowball or Old Fashioned glass. Serve with ice, an orange peel and a cocktail cherry.
Notes
To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons.
* Adjust the sweetness level in a whiskey sour to fit your tastes. We also like substituting maple syrup for the simple syrup, which adds subtle caramel notes to the flavor profile.
