Whiskey Sour Recipe IBA: Classic Ratios and Method

A whiskey sour is an American classic made with whiskey, fresh lemon juice, and sugar syrup, shaken and served cold over ice. This IBA-style version keeps the balance bright and spirit-forward, with optional egg white for a soft, foamy top.

This cocktail is for adults of legal drinking age; enjoy it responsibly.

Ingredients

1½ oz (45 ml) bourbon whiskey. Bourbon gives the drink its familiar vanilla and caramel notes; rye whiskey is also a good choice if you prefer a drier, spicier sour.
¾ oz plus 1 tsp (25 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained to remove seeds and large bits of pulp. A medium lemon usually yields enough, but yield varies, so measure the juice.
⅔ oz (20 ml) simple syrup. A standard 1:1 syrup is made by dissolving equal parts granulated sugar and water by volume, then cooling it.
⅔ oz (20 ml) pasteurized egg white, optional. This makes a creamy foam without adding a strong flavor. Use pasteurized egg white from a carton or a pasteurized shell egg when possible.
About 1 cup (140 g) ice cubes for shaking, plus 1 cup (140 g) for the serving glass. Larger, solid cubes melt more slowly in the glass.
1 half-wheel of orange and 1 maraschino cherry, optional, for the classic garnish.

Instructions

Prepare the juice and garnish. Squeeze the lemon and measure 25 ml (¾ oz plus 1 tsp) into a small measuring cup. Strain out seeds, then cut a thin half-wheel of orange. Measuring matters: lemon size and tartness vary, and an unmeasured pour can make the finished drink sharply sour or overly sweet.
Add the cocktail ingredients to a shaker. Pour in the bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup. If using egg white, add 20 ml (⅔ oz) now. Make sure the shaker is large enough to leave room for the ice to move freely; a crowded shaker chills less effectively and is harder to seal.
Shake for foam if using egg white. Close the shaker and shake the mixture without ice for about 10 seconds. This dry shake helps disperse the egg white and build foam. Open the shaker carefully, add about 1 cup (140 g) of ice, reseal, and shake hard for another 10–12 seconds, until the outside feels cold. Pasteurised eggs are safest for pregnant guests, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems; omit the egg white if you cannot use a suitable pasteurized product.
Shake without egg white if preferred. Add the ice directly to the bourbon, lemon, and syrup, seal the shaker, and shake vigorously for about 12–15 seconds. The drink should be thoroughly chilled and diluted, not merely stirred cold. Shaking also gives the lemon and syrup a uniform texture instead of leaving sweetness pooled at the bottom.
Strain over fresh ice. Fill a rocks glass with the remaining 1 cup (140 g) of ice. Strain the cocktail from the shaker into the glass. If you want a smoother drink, use a fine-mesh strainer as well as the shaker strainer to catch small ice chips and lemon pulp; this extra step is optional and does not change the recipe.
Garnish and serve promptly. Add the orange half-wheel and cherry, if using. For an egg-white version, pour gently so the foam settles on top, then set the garnish against the rim. Serve right away, while the drink is cold and the foam is still distinct.

Tips

Adjust sweetness in small increments. The 20 ml (⅔ oz) syrup measure is a balanced starting point for the stated amount of lemon, but lemons differ in acidity and people have different preferences. Taste a tiny sip before pouring, then add syrup in 5 ml (1 teaspoon) increments if it is too tart. If it tastes cloying, add a little more lemon rather than trying to mask the sweetness with extra ice.

Use fresh lemon, not bottled juice, when possible. Freshly squeezed juice gives the cocktail a clean citrus aroma and lively acidity. Bottled lemon juice can taste flatter or more cooked; if it is your only option, start with a little less and adjust after shaking. Do not add lemon slices to the shaker as a substitute for measured juice, because the peel can release bitter oils and the amount of juice is unpredictable.

Choose a substitute with the flavor in mind. Bourbon is the classic choice for a rounder, mellow sour; rye makes the finish more peppery and dry. If you do not have simple syrup, dissolve 1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar in a teaspoon of warm water, cool it, and measure 20 ml (⅔ oz) total syrup for the recipe. Sugar crystals added straight to a cold shaker may not dissolve evenly, leaving a gritty or unevenly sweet drink.

Keep the shake controlled and the glass cold. Use plenty of ice and shake firmly rather than gently rolling the shaker. A quick shake may leave the drink warm and overly concentrated, while an excessively long shake can add more meltwater than you want. If a chilled glass is convenient, place it in the freezer for 5–10 minutes while you prepare the ingredients; it is a useful extra, not a required step.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the whiskey sour in a short rocks glass with fresh ice, ideally one large cube if you have it. A large cube melts more slowly than several small cubes, helping the drink stay balanced as you sip. The orange and cherry garnish adds the familiar sweet-citrus aroma, but the cocktail is just as suitable with no garnish or with a thin lemon wheel. Avoid squeezing a thick citrus peel directly over the glass unless you want a stronger aromatic oil note.

This drink pairs well with salty or savory snacks such as roasted nuts, sharp cheddar, olives, or crisp potato chips. Those flavors complement the whiskey and citrus without competing with the cocktail’s acidity. For a meal, serve it before dishes with grilled or roasted flavors, or alongside a spread of small bites. Because the drink is already tart and sweet, a very sugary dessert can make it seem sharper; a simple shortbread or dark chocolate bite is a more restrained pairing.

Variations

Rye whiskey sour: Replace the bourbon with 1½ oz (45 ml) rye whiskey and keep the other measures the same. The result has a spicier, leaner character. If the rye is particularly assertive, a small increase in syrup can round the edges, but change the amount gradually so the lemon remains clear.

Egg-free whiskey sour: Leave out the egg white and shake the remaining ingredients with ice. The cocktail will be lighter and more transparent, without the creamy foam; the classic whiskey, lemon, and syrup balance remains intact. Aquafaba, the liquid from cooked chickpeas, can create foam for an egg-free version, though it may contribute a faint legume note. If using it, begin with about ½ oz (15 ml) and adjust to taste.

Maple whiskey sour: Replace the simple syrup with ⅔ oz (20 ml) pure maple syrup. Maple brings a deeper, woodsy sweetness that works especially well with bourbon, although its flavor is more noticeable than plain syrup. Shake thoroughly so it blends with the lemon instead of clinging to the bottom of the glass.

New York sour: Make the whiskey sour without egg white, strain it over fresh ice, then slowly float about ½ oz (15 ml) dry red wine over the top. Pour the wine over the back of a spoon for a distinct layer. This is a variation rather than the IBA-style base recipe, and the wine adds fruitiness and a slightly tannic finish.

Storage and Reheating

A whiskey sour is best made to order because ice dilution, fresh citrus aroma, and (if used) the egg-white foam change quickly after mixing. Do not store the finished drink in its serving glass, where melting ice will continue to thin it. If an egg-free batch must be held, cover it and refrigerate it promptly, within 2 hours, then use it within 24 hours for the best flavor. Shake it again briefly with fresh ice before serving; do not simply pour it over the old melted ice.

If the drink contains raw or pasteurized egg white, make only what you plan to serve and keep it cold. Discard a drink that has sat at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour in temperatures above 90°F (32°C). Refrigerate leftover simple syrup separately in a clean, covered container and use it within about 2 weeks; discard it sooner if it develops an unusual smell, appearance, or texture. Reheating is not applicable: this is a cold cocktail, and warming it would spoil its intended balance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official IBA whiskey sour recipe?
The proportions here follow the IBA-style formula of 45 ml whiskey, 25 ml lemon juice, 20 ml sugar syrup, and optional 20 ml egg white, with a rocks-glass serving and classic garnish. Published recipes and home versions can differ in garnish, shaking method, and whether egg white is included, so this version makes those options clear.

Can I use Scotch or Irish whiskey instead of bourbon?
Yes. Scotch can make the drink smoky or malty depending on the bottle, while Irish whiskey is often softer and lighter. Those choices change the character more noticeably than switching between bourbon and rye, but the lemon and syrup measures can remain the same for your first try. Taste after shaking and make any small adjustment to sweetness then.

Why does my whiskey sour taste too sour?
First check that you measured the lemon juice and syrup accurately. Lemon juice can be especially sharp, and a small difference in juice yield matters in a single-serving drink. Add simple syrup 1 teaspoon (5 ml) at a time, shaking again briefly with ice after each adjustment. Also check that you used the full whiskey measure; too little whiskey can make the citrus dominate.

How do I get a thick foam without egg white?
Shake hard with plenty of ice, but note that a traditional, lasting egg-white foam is difficult to reproduce without an emulsifying ingredient. A small amount of aquafaba can create a foamy cap, though its flavor may be faintly bean-like. The drink is also complete without foam, so leaving it out is the simplest option when you want to avoid egg or substitute ingredients.

Can I make whiskey sours for a group?
Yes. Multiply the whiskey, lemon juice, and syrup by the number of servings, then combine them in a covered pitcher and refrigerate promptly. For example, four drinks need 6 oz (180 ml) bourbon, 3⅓ oz (100 ml) lemon juice, and 2⅔ oz (80 ml) syrup. Shake individual portions with ice just before serving rather than adding ice to the pitcher, which would dilute the whole batch. Add egg white to each shaker portion, not to a pitcher stored for later.

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).