Whiskey Sour is a classic sour built from whiskey, lemon, and sugar. The lemon should be used as juice in the drink, not counted as multiple garnishes.
Shake blended whiskey, lemon juice, and powdered sugar with ice until cold. Strain into an old fashioned glass over fresh ice and garnish with one cherry.
Serve in an old fashioned glass over ice with one cherry. The Whiskey Sour should look compact and polished, with a golden whiskey color and a simple garnish that supports the sour structure without turning it into a fruit-forward drink.
Pair it with fried chicken, pork ribs, cheddar, roasted nuts, lemon desserts, or grilled sausage. Whiskey warmth, lemon juice, and sugar make the drink useful with salty, smoky, and lightly sweet food.
The Whiskey Sour is one of the foundational 19th-century sour cocktails, built on the durable formula of spirit, citrus, and sugar. It remains important because it shows how whiskey can become bright and refreshing without losing oak, grain, and warmth.
Best for classic sour service, whiskey menus, early evening drinking, and all-season cocktail rounds. It fits guests who want a whiskey drink with acidity and balance rather than a purely spirit-forward profile.
Blended whiskey brings grain, oak, and gentle heat, freshly squeezed lemon juice gives clean acidity, powdered sugar softens the sour edge, and the cherry adds a small fruit accent. The finish should feel tart, rounded, and whiskey-led.
Classic, tart, balanced, whiskey-led, and dependable.
Add egg white for a Boston Sour with a smoother foam and softer texture. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the brightest Whiskey Sour; bottled lemon makes the drink flatter and harsher. Use slightly less sugar for a drier profile, or more lemon juice when a sharper sour is preferred.
22%
⚠️ Alcoholic beverage: not suitable for minors, pregnant individuals, or designated drivers. Please enjoy responsibly.
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Cocktails where Powdered Sugar and Lemon Juice appear together in the recipe structure.
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Cocktails where Cherry and Lemon Juice appear together in the recipe structure.
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