The Best Whiskey Sour

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The whiskey sour is one of the best classic cocktails. It's easy to make—with just three essential ingredients—and the recipe is the base for the entire family of sour drinks. There are also a variety of adjustments you can make to ensure it suits your taste perfectly. The whiskey sour is such a popular drink that it has its own holiday. If you need a reason to mix one up, National Whiskey Sour Day is August 25.

The History of the Whiskey Sour

The whiskey sour made its official debut in Jerry Thomas' 1862 The Bon Vivant's Companion (or How to Mix Drinks), which was the first published bartending guide. However, you can trace the cocktail's roots to a century before that.

Sour drinks were initially created to fight off scurvy among British Navy sailors during the 1700s by adding citrus juice—a source of vitamin C—to drinks. Most often, this meant adding lime to the rum rations (inspiring drinks like the Navy Grog). Not only did these sour drinks purportedly ward off disease, the rum or gin (and sometimes whiskey) helped preserve the perishable fruit juice on long voyages.

From there, the addition of a little sugar enhanced the citrus-liquor combination. The result was a more drinkable and very tasty beverage. These eventually became known as the sour family of drinks, which have remained popular; the whiskey sour remains the most notable.

The Formula for a Perfect Whiskey Sour

As the name suggests, this cocktail is sour, thanks to fresh lemon juice. The fruit's sourness is balanced and complemented by the sweetness of whiskey and simple syrup, so it's not as tart as you might think. For this recipe, we suggest using 2 ounces of whiskey, 3/4 ounce of lemon juice, and 1/2 to 3/4 ounce of simple syrup. Try it with the ratio suggested in the recipe, give it a taste, and then adjust your next drink as needed.

What Whiskey Is Best for Sours?

The best whiskey for a sour is one that you love the flavor of, and there are many whiskey options, including excellent inexpensive whiskeys. Most sour drinkers prefer bourbon, though a good rye whiskey makes an excellent sour as well. Whatever brand or style of whiskey you choose will give the cocktail a unique flavor profile. As you switch from one whiskey to another, you may need to adjust the sweet and sour elements.

For a Frothy Cocktail, Add an Egg White

A traditional recipe for whiskey sours includes an egg white. It tends to tame the tartness and make the drink a bit smoother and gives it a nice frothy texture. When using egg, dry shake all of the ingredients without ice, then add ice and shake for at least 30 seconds to ensure it's properly mixed. It's also generally preferred to serve the drink on the rocks.

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs poses a risk of food-borne illness. For that reason, many drinkers pass on the ingredient, while others believe that the risks are minimal or worth it. If using egg, always take steps to make egg cocktails as safely as possible: Only use fresh, refrigerated eggs and be careful that the egg white does not touch the outer shell. Another option is to pasteurize eggs at home

Tips Making a Great Whiskey Sour

  • Fresh lemon juice is the key to a great whiskey sour—Bottled lemon juices are either too sweet or too tart and will significantly affect the quality of your drink.
  • Dial in the sweetness—If you use a rich (2:1) simple syrup, you'll likely want to use a little less in the whiskey sour than if you use a standard syrup made with equal parts of sugar and water.
  • Shake it well—Be sure to shake the cocktail well over ice to chill it and give it delightful frothiness.


What Is the Difference Between a Whiskey Sour and an Old Fashioned?

While both of these drinks contain whiskey and are typically garnished with a maraschino cherry, their similarities end there. A whiskey sour is made with whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup, while an old fashioned is made with whiskey, sugar, and bitters.

A whiskey sour garnished with a maraschino cherry

The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

"The whiskey sour is the father of all sours. Sometimes thought of as being too sweet or juvenile, a well-made whiskey sour is a revelation. Few cocktails are as satisfying. The key is fresh citrus juice and proper balance. No need for expensive whiskey. A great way to enjoy your whiskey in the warmer weather." —Tom Macy

Whiskey sour cocktail with a cherry garnish on a wooden surface
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces whiskey

  • 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1/2 to 3/4 ounce simple syrup, to taste

  • Maraschino cherry (or lemon peel), garnish

  • 1 large egg white (optional)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make a whiskey sour cocktail

    The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

  2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour 2 ounces whiskey, 3/4 ounce lemon juice, and 1/2 to 3/4 ounce simple syrup. (If using egg white, add all of the ingredients to a shaker without ice and dry shake for 30 seconds before adding ice.)

    A cocktail shaker with whiskey, lemon juice, ice, and simple syrup

    The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

  3. Shake well.

    A hand shaking a cocktail shaker

    The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

  4. Strain into a chilled sour glass or over fresh ice in an old-fashioned glass.

    A cocktail shaker pouring a whiskey sour into a rocks glass filled with ice

    The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

  5. Garnish with a maraschino cherry or lemon peel. Enjoy.

    A whiskey sour garnished with a maraschino cherry

    The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Use sour mix—Sometimes called sweet and sour mix, sour mix is a popular shortcut that combines the sweet and sour components into one mixer. It is an easy option, and many sour recipes suggest it, although you lose control of the final taste. If you opt for this, make a fresh sour mix for the best flavor.
  • Make it a collins—When you add club soda to this drink (or any sour), you have a collins cocktail. The whiskey version is a John Collins.
  • Make a Scotch sour—If you choose Scotch whisky, you have a Scotch Sour, which often skips the sweetener entirely.
  • Try an alluring Frisco SourThis popular variation uses Bénédictine as the sweetener, with both lemon and lime for the sour. 
  • Go for a Canadian SourCanadian whisky and a double dose of lemon juice go into this extra-citrusy sour.
  • Get a little complicated—The Old Thyme Sour is a complex variation, pairing Irish whiskey with elderberry liqueur, Green Chartreuse, cinnamon, and thyme.
  • Swap out the whiskey for another liquor—A variety of distilled spirits shine in the sour formula. Switch from whiskey to gin, rum, tequila, or vodka, and adjust the sweet and sour to suit the new liquor and your taste.
  • Make it with brandy—For brandy, flavored brandies like apricot are popular in sours. The Pisco Sour is a brandy cocktail that almost always includes the egg white.
  • Experiment with liqueurs—Liqueurs have potential as well, and it's often best to reduce or eliminate the sweetener because they're already sweetened. The most popular ones for sour drinks are amaretto, citrus liqueur, coffee liqueur, and melon liqueur.

How Strong Is a Whiskey Sour?

Assuming that you pour an 80-proof whiskey into a whiskey sour, it is a relatively mild drink. Its alcohol content falls in the range of 14 percent alcohol by volume (28 proof). That's about half the strength of a Manhattan and similar to a glass of wine.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
185 Calories
0g Fat
15g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 185
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 9mg 47%
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 44mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)