How to Make a Whiskey Sour

Happy Memorial Day to everyone!  Today, let’s take a look at a bar standard the Whiskey Sour.  Classic cocktails include a family of sours  which can range from the Lemon Drop to the Sidecar.  The root recipe of all these variations calls for a base spirit, a sour ingredient, and a sweetener.  Among the most commonly ordered is the Whiskey Sour  whose recipe is pretty straightforward.  The only variable that you will have to consider is whether to use pre-made sour mix. Many bars dispense a pre-made sour mix through a soda gun.  This mix is made up of equal parts lemon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup so no additional sweetener should be needed.   I provide both versions below.  Let’s get to it.

Grab a rocks, aka Old Fashioned, glass and fill with ice and set aside.

In a cocktail shaker filled most of the way with ice add:

For the handmade sour mix:

2 ounces of whiskey (bourbon if requested)

1 oz. of fresh lemon or lime juice

½ oz. of simple syrup

For the soda gun sour mix:

2 ounces of whiskey (bourbon if requested)

1 oz. of sour mix  off the soda gun

Shake ingredients vigorously for 12-14 seconds to create a frothy finish.  Strain into the ice-filled rocks glass you set aside earlier and garnish with a cherry and orange wedge.

Don’t look now, but you’re growing your library of drink building knowledge!  Good job and keep up the good work.