Whiskey Sour Recipe: Ingredients and Easy Method

The Whiskey Sour is a classic American cocktail made with whiskey, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup, shaken and served cold over ice. This version adds optional egg white for a soft, foamy top; the tart citrus and measured sweetness balance the whiskey without hiding its flavor.

Ingredients

2 oz (60 ml) bourbon or rye whiskey: Bourbon makes a rounder, slightly sweeter sour, while rye tends to taste spicier and drier. Choose a whiskey you enjoy drinking on its own; a standard 80-proof bottle works well.
¾ oz (22 ml) fresh lemon juice: Juice one lemon and strain out seeds and large pulp pieces. Fresh juice gives the drink its bright, clean acidity; bottled juice can taste muted or overly sharp.
¾ oz (22 ml) simple syrup: Use equal parts sugar and water by volume, dissolved together and cooled. This amount gives a balanced starting point, but you can adjust it slightly to suit your whiskey and lemons.
½ oz (15 ml) pasteurized egg white, optional: This creates a smooth foam and a silkier texture, not an eggy flavor. A small carton portion is convenient; check its label for any handling instructions.
2 dashes aromatic bitters (about 1 ml): Angostura-style bitters add a fragrant spice note and are traditionally dotted over the foam as a garnish. If you do not have bitters, leave them out rather than substituting a large amount of another flavoring.
1 cup (about 140 g) ice cubes: Use enough ice to fill your cocktail shaker roughly halfway to two-thirds. Fresh, solid cubes chill and dilute the drink predictably.
1 lemon wheel and 1 cocktail cherry, optional: Use the lemon wheel as a fresh garnish and add a cherry on a pick if desired. These are for serving, not essential to the sour’s balance.

Instructions

Prepare the glass and ingredients. Chill a rocks glass in the freezer for a few minutes, or fill it with ice water while you make the cocktail. Measure the whiskey, lemon juice, and syrup into a jigger or measuring cup. If using egg white, use pasteurized egg for the cocktail. Pasteurised eggs are safest for pregnant, elderly or immune-compromised guests when a recipe includes raw egg white.
Dry-shake if using egg white. Add the whiskey, lemon juice, syrup, and egg white to a cocktail shaker, but do not add ice yet. Seal the shaker and shake firmly for about 15 seconds. This first shake helps disperse the egg white and build foam. If you are skipping egg white, go directly to the next step with the other measured ingredients.
Shake with ice. Add about 1 cup (140 g) of ice to the shaker. Seal it securely and shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds, until the outside of the shaker feels very cold. This chills the drink and adds a small amount of water, which softens the sharpness of the lemon and brings the flavors together.
Strain into the glass. If you used ice water to chill the rocks glass, pour it out and add fresh ice. Strain the cocktail over the new ice. For a particularly smooth drink, use a fine-mesh strainer as well as the shaker’s built-in strainer to catch small ice chips or pulp. Without egg white, you can also serve it straight up in a chilled coupe.
Garnish and serve. Add the lemon wheel and cherry, if using. With egg white, wait a few seconds for the foam to settle, then add the two dashes of bitters on top; a toothpick can draw them into a simple pattern. Serve promptly while the foam is fresh and the drink is cold.

Tips

Adjust sweetness after tasting the first sip. Lemons vary in acidity, and some bourbons taste sweeter than others. If the drink is too tart, add a small splash of syrup and briefly stir. If it tastes too sweet, add a little lemon juice. Measure any adjustment, because a small change can shift the balance quickly.
Make simple syrup ahead. Stir equal volumes of sugar and hot water until the sugar dissolves, then cool it before mixing a drink. Store the syrup in a clean, covered container in the refrigerator and use it within about two weeks; discard it sooner if it develops an unusual smell or appearance. Do not add warm syrup to a cocktail, as it can melt the ice too quickly.
Use a substitute for egg white only if you want foam. Aquafaba, the liquid from canned chickpeas, can be used at roughly the same volume as the egg white for a vegan foam. It may add a faint bean-like note, so start with a well-drained, mild-tasting liquid. You can also omit the foam entirely; the drink will still be a proper, enjoyable whiskey sour.
Shake hard, but do not over-dilute. A weak shake may leave the drink warm and sharply acidic, while shaking long after the shaker is cold can make it watery. Use plenty of ice, shake vigorously for the stated time, and strain promptly. Avoid using crushed ice in the shaker unless you shorten the shake, since it melts faster than cubes.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the drink in a rocks glass over one large cube or several regular cubes. A large cube melts more slowly and keeps the cocktail cold with less dilution at the table; ordinary cubes work perfectly well if that is what you have. For a version served without ice, chill a coupe or small stemmed glass in advance and strain the shaken cocktail into it. The drink is best immediately after shaking, while the citrus tastes bright and any foam is still distinct.

A lemon wheel gives a fresh citrus aroma as you lift the glass. A cocktail cherry adds a familiar sweet garnish, but it is optional; the drink does not need extra fruit to taste balanced. For a small gathering, set out chilled glasses, lemon wheels, and cherries so each drink can be garnished just before serving. This is an alcoholic drink for adults of legal drinking age; drink responsibly.

Variations

Bourbon or rye: Bourbon is the usual choice for a mellow, rounded Whiskey Sour, while rye brings more peppery spice. Keep the same lemon and syrup measurements for either, then make a small sweetness adjustment only after tasting. The difference is noticeable without changing the basic method.

New York Sour: Make the recipe as written, then slowly pour about ½ oz (15 ml) dry red wine over the back of a spoon onto the finished drink. The wine floats in a thin layer and adds a fruity, lightly tannic finish. A drier red wine keeps the top layer from making the whole cocktail taste too sweet.

Maple Whiskey Sour: Replace the simple syrup with ¾ oz (22 ml) maple syrup. It gives the drink a warm, woodsy sweetness and a fuller flavor, so it pairs especially well with bourbon. Maple syrup is thicker than simple syrup; shake thoroughly and taste before adding any more.

Egg-free sour: Leave out the egg white for a leaner, clearer cocktail, or use aquafaba for a foamy alternative. With neither egg white nor aquafaba, there is no need for the initial dry shake: combine the whiskey, lemon, and syrup with ice and shake until cold. The flavor remains balanced, though the texture is less creamy.

Honey sour: Replace simple syrup with ¾ oz (22 ml) honey syrup, made by stirring one part honey with one part warm water until smooth and then cooling it. Straight honey can be difficult to mix evenly into a cold drink. Honey syrup gives a floral note and works particularly well when the whiskey has a robust flavor.

Storage and Reheating

A Whiskey Sour is best mixed and served fresh; it is not a drink to reheat. If you make a cocktail containing egg white and do not finish it, cover and refrigerate it promptly, within 2 hours of preparation, and discard it within 24 hours. The foam will deflate and the drink may separate, so shake it again with fresh ice before serving if it has been chilled briefly. Do not leave an egg-white cocktail sitting at room temperature.

For easier entertaining, combine the whiskey, lemon juice, and syrup in a covered container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then shake individual portions with ice just before serving. Keep egg white or aquafaba separate and add it only when you make each drink. A pre-mixed base can lose some of the lemon’s fresh aroma as it sits, and it should not be stored at room temperature. Discard any mixture that has been left out for more than 2 hours or shows an unusual smell or appearance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the basic ingredients in a Whiskey Sour?
A basic Whiskey Sour uses whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Egg white is an optional addition for foam and a smoother texture, while aromatic bitters and a lemon or cherry garnish are also optional. The recipe here uses 2 parts whiskey to ¾ part each lemon juice and syrup.

Should I use bourbon or rye whiskey?
Either works. Bourbon usually makes a softer, rounder drink, while rye gives a drier, spicier character. Choose based on the flavor you prefer, and use the same measurements at first so you can compare the styles fairly.

Can I make a Whiskey Sour without egg white?
Yes. Egg white is for texture and foam, not for the drink’s essential flavor. Skip it and shake the whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup directly with ice. The result is lighter in texture but still tart, sweet, and chilled.

Is bottled lemon juice okay?
Fresh lemon juice is recommended because it tastes brighter and less processed in a cocktail with so few ingredients. If bottled juice is all you have, use the same amount and taste before serving; depending on its acidity, you may want a small adjustment to the syrup.

How do I make simple syrup for one cocktail?
For a larger supply, stir equal amounts of sugar and hot water until the sugar has dissolved, then cool the syrup completely. You need only ¾ oz (22 ml) for this drink, so a batch made from ¼ cup (50 g) sugar and ¼ cup (60 ml) water will leave extra for later cocktails.

Can I batch this recipe for guests?
Yes. Multiply the whiskey, lemon juice, and syrup quantities by the number of drinks, combine them in a covered container, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Shake each serving with ice just before pouring. Add egg white separately to each cocktail rather than storing it in the batch, and garnish each glass at the end.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).