The Whiskey Sour

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/16/21
Tested by
Tom Macy
Photo of Tom Macy
Tested by Tom Macy
Tom wears many cocktail hats. He is a professional bartender, bar owner, recipe creator, and drink writer, though he prefers the title "obsessive cocktail nerd."
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Whiskey sour with maraschino cherries
The Spruce
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
185 Calories
0g Fat
15g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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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.)

The whiskey sour is one of the best classic cocktails. It's easy to make, 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.

As the name suggests, this cocktail is sour. The flavor is balanced and complemented by the sweetness of the whiskey and simple syrup, so it's not as tart as you might think. Try it with the ratio suggested in the recipe, give it a taste, and then adjust your next drink as needed.

The whiskey sour is such a popular drink recipe that it has its own holiday. If you need a reason to mix one up, National Whiskey Sour Day is August 25.

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Click Play to See This Perfect Whiskey Sour Recipe Come Together

"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

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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

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for making a whiskey sour
    The Spruce

  2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup.

    Adding ingredients to a whiskey sour in cocktail shaker
    The Spruce

  3. Shake well.

    Ready to shake the whiskey sour in a cocktail shaker
    The Spruce

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

    Whiskey sour strained into a glass with lemon and maraschino cherries at the ready
    The Spruce

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

    Whiskey sour with maraschino cherries
    The Spruce

Tips

  • When using a rich (2:1) simple syrup, you'll likely want to use a little less in the whiskey sour. If you have a standard syrup made with equal parts of sugar and water, pour the full 3/4 ounce.
  • 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.
  • Every new style or brand of whiskey you choose will give the cocktail a unique flavor profile. Most drinkers prefer bourbon, though a good rye whiskey makes an excellent sour as well.
  • As you switch from one whiskey to another, you may need to adjust the sweet and sour elements.

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. The use of raw egg is a matter of personal choice, though. Many drinkers pass on the ingredient because there is a potential for salmonella, while others believe that the risks are minimal.

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.

Recipe Variations

  • Sour mix (sometimes called sweet and 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.
  • When you add soda to this drink (or any sour), you have a collins cocktail. The whiskey version is John Collins.
  • If you choose Scotch whisky, you have a scotch sour, which often skips the sweetener entirely.
  • The Frisco sour is a popular variation. Bénédictine is the sweetener, with both lemon and lime for the sour. 
  • The Canadian sour picks up the citrus aspect when using Canadian whisky.
  • The old thyme sour is a complex variation, pairing Irish whiskey with elderberry liqueur, Green Chartreuse, cinnamon, and thyme.
  • 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.
  • For brandy, flavored brandies like apricot are popular in sours. The pisco sour is another brandy version that almost always includes the egg white.
  • 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.

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.

In general, sour drinks were initially created to fight off scurvy among British Navy sailors during the 1700s. Most often, this meant adding lime to the rum rations (inspiring drinks like the Navy grog). Not only did it 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.

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.