Whiskey, lemon and egg white, shaken hard enough to build a foam that sits on top of the glass. The egg white is not decoration: without it this is a whiskey with lemon in it, which is a different and lesser drink.
It is also called a whiskey sour rather than a sour whiskey, which is what happens when the name gets translated word by word from Spanish.
Why the egg white
Egg white contributes almost nothing to the taste. What it does is texture: proteins trap air when you shake, and that foam changes how the drink hits, softening the edge of the lemon and carrying the aroma up to your nose before you taste anything.
Shake it hard. Thirty seconds of real effort, not a polite rattle. Under-shaken egg white gives a thin film that collapses in a minute instead of a proper head that lasts the drink.
If raw egg worries you, cartons of pasteurised egg white work identically and are sold in most supermarkets.
One at a time
The original recipe insists on making these singly rather than doubling up, and it is right. Two drinks' worth of liquid in one shaker leaves too much room and too much weight, and the foam never sets properly. Make one, pour it, make the next.
Which whiskey
Bourbon is the usual answer, because its sweetness sits well against the lemon. A heavily peated scotch fights the citrus and wins, which is not what you want here. Nothing expensive is required: the lemon and the sugar in the liqueur flatten subtlety anyway.
The angostura
A few drops go over the foam at the end, not into the shaker. On a white foam they sit as visible dots, and some people drag a toothpick through them to make a pattern. It is aroma more than flavour: you smell it before each sip.
More drinks
- Cuba Libre — rum, Coke and lime, and why the lime is not optional.
- Black Russian — coffee liqueur, and what it is actually called.
- Piña Colada — served inside the pineapple.
- Carajillo — espresso with a shot in it.
Whiskey Sour FAQ
For texture rather than taste. The proteins trap air as you shake and form a foam that softens the edge of the lemon and carries the aroma. Without it the drink is thinner and sharper. Pasteurised egg white from a carton works the same way if raw egg is a concern.
Two drinks' worth of liquid in one shaker leaves too much room and too much weight, and the egg white never foams properly. Make them one at a time and pour each before starting the next.
Bourbon is the standard choice because its sweetness works with the lemon. Avoid heavily peated scotch, which overwhelms the citrus. There is no need to spend much: lemon and sugar flatten subtlety.
Over the foam at the end, not into the shaker. A few drops sit visible on the white surface and give you aroma with each sip. Some people drag a toothpick through them to make a pattern.
Whiskey sour. The reversed form comes from translating the Spanish word order literally, and it is not what the drink is called in English.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 dash angostura bitters (a few drops over the foam at the end)
- 2 ounces whiskey (bourbon is the usual choice; a peaty scotch fights the lemon)
- 2 egg whites (this is what makes the foam; without it there is no sour)
- ½ lemon, juiced (less if you want it rounder)
- 12 ice cubes
- 2 maraschino cherries (to finish)
Notas
Instructions
- Fill a shaker halfway with ice.
- Add the egg whites and the lemon juice and shake hard until the mixture turns pale and frothy.
- Add the angostura and the whiskey and shake again.
- Pour it all into the glass and finish with a maraschino cherry.
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