New York Sour Recipe With Rye Whiskey and Red Wine

A New York Sour is a whiskey sour made with rye, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and a float of dry red wine, served over ice. The wine adds a fruity, gently tannic finish, while rye brings a spicy edge to the drink’s bright sweet-and-sour balance. This cocktail is for adults of legal drinking age; please drink responsibly.

Ingredients

2 oz (60 ml) rye whiskey, preferably 90 to 100 proof for a clear whiskey flavor that stands up to the citrus and wine.
¾ oz (22 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained to remove seeds and large bits of pulp.
¾ oz (22 ml) 1:1 simple syrup, made with equal parts sugar and water by volume and cooled. Use prepared syrup for the five-minute timing.
½ oz (15 ml) dry red wine, such as a medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, or Merlot.
1 cup (about 140 g) ice for shaking, plus enough fresh ice to fill a rocks glass.
1 lemon peel, about 2 in (5 cm) long, optional, for garnish.

Rye whiskey is the defining spirit here: its peppery, grain-forward notes make a sharper contrast with lemon than the rounder, sweeter impression bourbon usually gives. Choose a rye you enjoy sipping, but there is no need to use a rare bottle. A 90- to 100-proof whiskey generally stays present after shaking and dilution; a lower-proof rye makes a softer drink.

For the wine float, choose a dry red that tastes pleasant on its own. Very sweet wine can make the top layer taste jammy, while an especially oaky or heavily tannic red may take over the drink. If you do not have the listed varieties, use another dry, medium-bodied red. The result will still work, though the fruit and tannin in the finish will shift with the wine.

Instructions

Prepare the glass and ingredients. Fill a rocks glass with fresh ice and set it aside. Measure the rye, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Juice the lemon shortly before mixing for the cleanest citrus flavor; bottled juice can taste flatter and sometimes more bitter. The recipe timing assumes that the simple syrup is already prepared and cooled.
Shake the sour. Pour the rye, lemon juice, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker. Add 1 cup (about 140 g) of ice, close the shaker securely, and shake briskly for about 10 to 12 seconds. The shaker should feel cold in your hands. This chills the drink and gives the ingredients a little controlled dilution, which softens the whiskey and brings the sweet and sour elements together.
Strain over fresh ice. Discard any melted water from the prepared glass if it has collected, then fill the glass with fresh ice. Strain the shaken mixture into the glass. A standard cocktail strainer is sufficient; a fine-mesh strainer is optional if you want to catch small bits of lemon pulp or ice chips.
Float the red wine. Measure ½ oz (15 ml) dry red wine. Pour it slowly over the back of a bar spoon held just above the drink’s surface, or trickle it gently down the inside of the glass. The spoon helps the wine spread across the top rather than plunging straight to the bottom. If the layers blur a little, the drink is still right: the float is for aroma and a gradual change in flavor, not a permanent, perfectly sharp boundary.
Garnish and serve. Twist the lemon peel over the glass to release its fragrant oils, then place it on the rim or tuck it beside the ice. Serve immediately with a straw or cocktail pick if desired. The first sip will show more wine and citrus aroma; as the drink is sipped or gently stirred, the wine blends into the rye sour.

Tips

Measure rather than free-pour. A New York Sour has only a few ingredients, so small changes are noticeable. Use a jigger or measuring spoons, especially for the syrup and wine. The stated ¾ oz (22 ml) syrup makes a balanced, moderately tart drink; you can reduce it to ½ oz (15 ml) if you prefer a drier sour.
Keep the lemon fresh. Freshly squeezed juice gives the drink a lively, clean acidity. Straining is useful if the juice has seeds or lots of pulp, but it is not necessary to remove every trace of pulp. If your lemon is unusually sharp, make the drink as written first, taste it, and adjust the next pour rather than adding syrup blindly.
Use cold, solid ice. Small, wet ice melts quickly and can dilute the cocktail before the wine float is added. Shake with plenty of ice, then strain onto fresh cubes. If you have large rocks, they melt more slowly in the serving glass, so the drink stays closer to its initial balance while you sip.
Pour the wine gently. A forceful pour can send the wine through the whole glass at once. A slow spoon pour gives a more noticeable top layer and a first sip with wine aroma. Avoid stirring before serving; guests can mix the drink themselves if they prefer an even flavor from the first sip.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the cocktail in a short rocks glass with enough ice to keep it cold without leaving the glass nearly empty. A lemon twist is the classic, practical garnish because its citrus oils echo the juice in the drink. If you prefer a fruitier aroma, a thin orange peel can be used instead, but it will make the garnish sweeter-smelling and less sharply lemony.

The New York Sour works well as a pre-dinner cocktail or alongside savory, salty snacks. Try it with marinated olives, toasted nuts, sharp cheese, or a small plate of cured meats. The acidity cuts through rich or salty bites, while the rye and wine feel at home with robust flavors. Keep the snacks modestly seasoned: very hot chile or strongly sweet food can make the drink seem more acidic or less balanced.

Offer water alongside cocktails, and make the wine float just before serving rather than letting finished drinks wait on a tray. For a small gathering, you can measure the rye, lemon juice, and syrup into a covered container in advance, keep it refrigerated, and shake individual portions with ice when guests are ready. Add each wine float in the glass so the characteristic layered pour is preserved.

Variations

Make it with bourbon. Substitute 2 oz (60 ml) bourbon for the rye. Bourbon usually tastes rounder and sweeter, so the drink may feel less peppery and more mellow. Keep the lemon and wine measurements the same to start; if the bourbon is particularly sweet, try ½ oz (15 ml) syrup on the next serving.

Adjust the wine float. The standard ½ oz (15 ml) gives a clear wine accent without turning the drink into a wine-forward cocktail. Use ¼ oz (7 ml) for a subtle aroma, or up to ¾ oz (22 ml) for a more pronounced red-wine finish. Pour slowly either way. A lighter-bodied dry red gives a softer float, while a fuller-bodied red contributes firmer tannin and darker fruit notes.

Try a foam-topped version. For a silky texture, add 1 pasteurized egg white (about 1 oz/30 ml) to the shaker with the rye, lemon, and syrup. Shake first without ice for about 10 seconds, then add ice and shake again for 10 to 12 seconds; strain over fresh ice and add the wine gently. Pasteurized eggs are safest for pregnant, elderly, or immune-compromised guests. The egg white changes the texture, not the basic sweet-sour flavor, and it is entirely optional.

Use a different citrus balance. For a slightly softer citrus note, replace up to ¼ oz (7 ml) of the lemon juice with freshly squeezed orange juice. This makes the drink less sharply tart and a little more rounded. Keep at least ½ oz (15 ml) lemon juice so the cocktail still tastes like a whiskey sour rather than a sweet whiskey-and-orange drink.

Storage and Reheating

This cocktail is best made and served immediately. Ice begins diluting it as soon as the drink is poured, and the wine float gradually blends into the sour, so a finished glass will not keep its original texture or layered appearance. There is no reheating step; warming a cocktail would spoil its chilled, fresh character.

If you have mixed the rye, lemon juice, and syrup but have not added ice or wine, cover the mixture and refrigerate it within 2 hours. For best flavor, use it within 24 hours, then shake each serving with fresh ice and add the wine in the glass. Discard a leftover drink that has been sitting out for more than 2 hours. Store unused simple syrup in a clean, sealed container in the refrigerator and use it within about 2 to 3 weeks; discard it sooner if it becomes cloudy, develops an off smell, or shows any signs of spoilage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a New York Sour different from a whiskey sour?

A New York Sour is a whiskey sour finished with a small float of dry red wine. The whiskey, lemon, and syrup make the familiar tart-and-sweet base; the wine contributes a fruity aroma and a lightly tannic top note. The wine is added after shaking rather than shaken into the base, which lets its flavor arrive gradually as you drink.

Can I use bourbon instead of rye whiskey?

Yes. Bourbon is a common, easy-to-find substitute and makes a gentler, generally sweeter-tasting version. Rye tends to bring more spice and a drier impression, so the change is noticeable but still delicious. Start with the same quantities, then reduce the syrup slightly if your bourbon makes the finished drink taste too sweet.

Which red wine is best for the float?

Choose a dry, medium-bodied red with balanced fruit and moderate tannin. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, and Merlot are useful options, but the grape name matters less than the wine’s dryness and weight. Avoid an especially sweet red or one with overpowering oak. You only need ½ oz (15 ml) per drink, so a small amount left from a bottle can be used.

Do I need a cocktail shaker?

A shaker is the easiest way to chill and dilute the whiskey, lemon, and syrup evenly. If you do not have one, use a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid, leaving room for the ice to move, then strain carefully into the glass. Do not shake a carbonated mixer in a closed container; this recipe has none, but a sour can become fizzy or unsafe to open if soda is added before shaking.

Can I make New York Sours ahead for a party?

You can premeasure the rye, lemon juice, and simple syrup and refrigerate that mixture, covered, for up to 24 hours for the best flavor. Shake each serving with ice shortly before serving, strain over fresh ice, and add its wine float individually. Avoid batching the drinks with ice in advance because melting ice dilutes the whole batch and makes it difficult to keep the wine layer distinct.

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).