Classic Whiskey Sour Cocktail Recipe

A classic whiskey sour recipe is one that everyone should have in their repertoire. Sweet, tangy, and refreshing... it's been a favorite cocktail for decades  -- and with good reason. It's absolutely delicious and just as easy as the commodore cocktail.

This recipe is meant for people over 21 years old. Please drink responsibly.

Table of Contents

• Shopping list
• History
• Tips
• Equipment
• Kaffeeklatch
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Shopping list

The iconic whiskey sour is a perfect blend of sweet, sour, and an alcohol bite. If you've only ever had one made with sour mix, that commercial chemical bomb you can find in the booze aisle? Ick. Do not use that even if you are desperate. It's important to use high quality ingredients since there aren't many in this recipe.

• Whiskey (I prefer bourbon over other types for this)
• Simple syrup
• Lemon juice
• Lemon
• Maraschino cherry
• Ice

History

The first mention of the Whiskey Sour is in Wisconsin in 1862. It was published in Jerry Thomas’ How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon Vivant’s Companion then later in The Bar-Tenders Guide. 

There is some belief that the cocktail was around far longer -- perhaps from the 1700s. (Hat tip to Drink Straight Up blog.)

It's super simple and honestly there is something about serving guest a perfectly mixed Whiskey Sour that makes me feel elegant.

If you like a whiskey sour you might like the Alabama Slammer.

Tips

• You can shake it with an egg white to add extra creamy, frothy goodness.
• If you are using the egg white don’t add the ice until you’ve shaken the other ingredients briskly for about 30 seconds.
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice works best in this recipe but use what you have.
• You can make this ahead of time (except for the egg white) and keep the mix in a large, covered pitcher.
• Pour the whiskey sour in an on the rocks glass and drop in a Maraschino cherry or two to serve.

Simple Syrup

First of all, if you are going to make classic cocktails make some simple syrup. It's easy -

1. Bring two parts of sugar and  one part water to a boil.
2. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved and turn off the heat -- if it isn't cook it a little longer.
3. It will keep up to a month in the fridge so you can have it on hand.

Equipment

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If you get tired of your cocktails getting watered down by the ice you'll love these stainless steel cubes! They chill your drinks without diluting them and I think they look cleaner in cocktails than the black stones.

Kaffeeklatch

I grew up in the 1960s and it was the Age of Cocktail Parties.

My parents entertained quite a lot -- Saturday night card parties and entertaining business associates. Then there were the Christmas parties, New Years parties, Fourth of July parties -- you get the idea.

Each party had miles of appetizers made by my mother and gallons of cocktails mixed by my father.

Dean Martin and Perry Como crooned in the background and everyone dressed up -- the men in suits and ties and the women in poufy dresses. I would sit on the stairs, long past my bedtime, and watch it all as long as my mom didn't look up and give me the look.

Once that happened I had better be in bed... or else. I'd imagine how my parties would be, when I was grown up, and how I would sweep through the room looking as beautiful as my mom.

Well, the 70s hit and by the time I was an adult in the 80s entertaining had taken a more casual turn. It was more likely to be jeans, tank tops, and grilled steaks with a few friends -- maybe a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. Classic cocktails? Those were so last decade!

Sadly, I had learned how to make a perfect whiskey sour, for nothing.

📖 Recipe

First published January 3, 2015. Last updated April 5, 2020 for better images and readability.