Skip to main content

How to make a proper whiskey sour

So simple, so elegant — when you do it right

Whiskey sour cocktail
Dan Baker / The Manual

The whiskey sour is, hands down, a classic cocktail and one that is great both for people who love whiskey and for people who might be on the fence about whiskey (which means they haven’t tried enough good whiskey yet, and it’s your job to show them the light). The first written references to the drink come from the late 1800s, though most likely the drink itself, like many classic cocktails, had existed in some form for a time before that. We enjoy this cocktail because it has all the hallmarks of a good drink — spirit, sugar, sour, and a “weak” element (from that old saying)  — in proportions that have been dialed in over the last century plus.

If you’re nervous about using an egg white in your cocktail, you could omit it (and, technically, the first iterations of the drink did not feature an egg white), but you will not have the same creamy mouthfeel or consistency. If you still want the mouthfeel but can’t get over the egg thing, you can find a substitute for egg white in aquafaba, otherwise known as chickpea water. If you’re doing that, you’ll want to use about two tablespoons per egg white. Either way, it is up to you. For our video, we omitted the egg white.

Below, check out how to make a whiskey sour. We talked with Eddie Riddell, who worked at Trifecta Tavern in Portland, Oregon (which is now closed).

How to make a whiskey sour pour
Dan Baker / The Manual

How to make a whiskey sour

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • 1 ounce lemon juice
  • 1 ounce simple syrup
  • 1 egg white, optional*
  • Cocktail cherry (for garnish)

Method

  1. Add all ingredients except the cherry to a shaker with ice.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a rocks glass with a large cube of ice.
  4. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

*If using an egg white: Add all ingredients except the cherry to a shaker without ice. Shake well. Add ice and shake again. Strain into a rocks glass with a large cube of ice. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

This recipe features Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the winner of the Bourbon category in the 2022 Manual Spirit Awards. If you’re looking to find other cocktail videos, we recommend checking out:

Whiskey sour outside on a table
Billy's Booze Blog / Flickr

Why are egg whites in a whiskey sour?

Earlier on, we discussed that adding egg whites to your whiskey sour drinks is completely optional, but without the egg whites, the drinks lose some of their mouthfeel. But why is that? When you add an egg white to your whiskey sour and shake it up, the proteins in the egg white emulsify, trapping air pockets, which gives the drink its signature creamy texture without impacting the flavor of the other ingredients.

Using egg whites safely

Now there are probably a lot of you out there who are a little skittish about using raw egg whites in a cocktail because of the potential for health issues. As long as the eggs you’re using are pasteurized (make sure the carton clearly says the eggs are pasteurized), then it’s safe to use them in your cocktail.

When dealing with egg whites for cocktails, make sure you keep your work area clean and hygienic. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water before and after using the egg whites. When you’re done, clean any utensils or glasses that came into contact with raw eggs thoroughly and then clean your work surface with a soapy cloth before drying it completely. Then all that’s left is to enjoy your drink!

Editors' Recommendations

Nate Swanner
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nate is General Manager for all not-Digital-Trends properties at DTMG, including The Manual, Digital Trends en Espanol…
Forget wine — Beer and cheese is an unbeatable combination
Put the corkscrew away and crack open a cold one
Beer and cheese

When one hears the term cheese pairings, wine is the beverage that most often comes to mind, we'd wager. Because, of course, it is. The pairing of wine and cheese is as classic a coupling as peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, or chocolate and strawberries. They're meant to be together. But that certainly doesn't mean that wine is the only adult beverage that can dance an alluring tango alongside everyone's favorite dairy product. Beer, as humble as its reputation can be, is also a beautiful balance to cheese's immense offering of flavors. While some may think of beer as not being as multi-dimensional and varied in its palate-pleasing capabilities as wine, this is not the case - especially now that we live in a world with so many exquisite craft beers, stouts, and lagers.
Of course, another classic accompaniment to cheese is bread or crackers. Why might that be, one might ask. Is it because we're simply in need of a starchy vessel to usher the cheese into our mouths? The answer is actually a bit deeper than that. Starches like bread and crackers are made from the same yeasty ingredients as beer, so their pairing makes perfect culinary sense.
This isn't to say, though, that one can simply pick up a hunk of cheddar and crack open a Budweiser and expect culinary artistry. The science is a bit more nuanced than that, so we're here to help you find the best pairings for your favorite beers and cheeses.

How to pair beer and cheese

Read more
The Macallan, Bentley serve up a single malt Scotch whisky worth more than a car
The Macallan and Bentley mean luxury
The Macallan

When it comes to luxury, The Macallan and Bentley are two of the biggest names in the world. While one is a single malt Scotch whisky brand and one is a car company, they both carry a certain, fancy weight. It only makes sense that the two brands would collaborate for a special bottle of Scotch whisky. This is likely because a whisky-powered car is more science fiction than reality.
What does the new whisky look like?

It's called The Macallan Horizon, and its bottle was created in collaboration with British automobile brand Bentley Motors. It was designed to meld the worlds of single malt scotch whisky and the sleek, elegant car brand. The result is a horizontal (hence the name) bottle crafted with a breathtaking 180-degree twist.

Read more
The 9 best whiskeys for making a bar-worthy Old Fashioned at home
If you an Old Fashioned type of person, stock up your liquor cabinet with these whiskeys
An Old Fashioned whiskey cocktail at a bar

There are two schools of thought when it comes to the iconic Old Fashioned cocktail. The first believes the drink requires the best whiskey you can find, as with few additional ingredients, there's not much in the way of masking the spirit. The second believes the addition of sugar, bitters, and citrus and can make even the most basic or foul whiskey drinkable.

We fall somewhere in between: Thirsty for quality, but well aware that the finest whiskeys should probably be enjoyed neat. A standup Old Fashioned is informed by your whiskey selection, but not fully dependent on it stealing the show. The drink, after all, was developed in the late 19th century during mixology's simpler era. It is what its name suggests.

Read more