Whiskey Sour

Whiskey Sours are part of the citrus-based cocktail family known as sours. There’s a simple structure behind this group of drinks. A spirit, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener. Common sweeteners include Triple sec, simple syrup, or grenadine. As the name suggests, it is sour. However, the sweetness of the whiskey and simple syrup balance the flavor, so it’s not as tart as you think.

The history of the whiskey sour

Ship captains used sours as far back as the 1700s to combat sea-sickness, malnutrition, and scurvy. The British preferred gin or brandy, but America used whiskey. Sailors used the whiskey sour to fight scurvy, but the recipe did not appear in print until the 1860s. First appearing in How to Mix Drinks by Jerry Thomas.

What whiskey to use for a whiskey sour?

The answer is the whiskey you like. Most whiskey sours use bourbon for its sweetness. Yet, the original most likely used rye whiskey. Not the whiskey we know today but rye that is a few months old or unaged altogether. Be adventurous and try different whiskeys, maybe even a young or unaged rye.

Our whiskey sour

There are a variety of recipes and alterations you can make to the whiskey sour. We like less tart and more whiskey, so this is our version. Try it with the ratio suggested in the recipe, give it a taste, then adjust your next drink as needed.

Ingredients

• 2.25 oz rye whiskey or bourbon

• 1 oz simple syrup

• .75 oz fresh lemon juice

Garnish options

• orange slice

• lemon slice

• cherry

How to make
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, to chill. Strain mixture into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with your preferred fruit.

We hope you enjoy this cocktail and share your version with us. You can also check out some of our other Texas Whiskey cocktails you can make at home.