A Classic Whiskey Sour Recipe

5 from 10 votes
Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 3 minutes
Servings: 1 Cocktail
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We love this classic whiskey sour recipe! The key to making the perfect whiskey sour is the right balance. This is an easy cocktail to make and only has 4 ingredients. Each ingredient stands out beautifully. The bright, citrus flavor of lemon juice and the warm vanilla flavors of bourbon with simple syrup create a very refreshing cocktail.

Whiskey sour with an orange slice and fresh cherry on top.

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This is a whiskey cocktail that I can’t turn down. The sweet and tart flavor and smooth texture make it one of my favorite drinks. This cocktail is perfect to serve year-round. If you don’t have lemon juice, you can swap it out for fresh lime.

If you love sour a sour cocktail, try the best vodka sour and hibiscus gin sour.

This classic cocktail dates back to 1870! The first mention of the whiskey sour was in 1862 in The Bartenders Guide by Jerry Thomas. However, sailors in the British Navy had been drinking something very similar long before that. 

So if you love sour drinks, then this cocktail is for you! Also, try my Aperol Sour, Sake Sour and Wilderness Sour!

For whiskey lovers you’ll love my whiskey highball cocktail or our whiskey ginger ale too!

Why Make a Classic Whiskey Sour

Shaken and Garnished: Serve it over a large ice cube with a garnish of an orange wheel and a cherry for a classic, slow-melting presentation.

Surprisingly Delicious: Even if whiskey isn’t your favorite, this cocktail highlights its best flavors for a refreshing and enjoyable sip.

Perfectly Balanced: The recipe proportions ensure a well-balanced drink with just the right mix of sweet and sour.

Great for All Seasons: Its refreshing taste makes it a versatile choice for any time of year.

Easy to Make: No sour mix needed—just fresh, simple ingredients for a quick, homemade cocktail.

If you like this cocktail you’ll also love our Whiskey Lemonade!

Ingredients on a marble table to make a whiskey sour recipe.

How to Make a Whiskey Sour

We will cover everything you need to know to make a refreshing whiskey sour with ingredient notes, answering frequently asked questions and sharing our expert tips for recipe success.

If you prefer to skip to the recipe, scroll to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the recipe card, measurements, and step-by-step ingredients.

Tools You’ll Need

Grab these cocktail tools before you start:

Whiskey Sour Ingredients

There are just 4 basic ingredients you’ll need to make this cocktail.

  • Bourbon Whiskey: Use a decent brand of whiskey to make this drink. It doesn’t need to be a sipping whiskey, but one that is smooth and goes well with mixers.
  • Lemon Juice: Always fresh-squeezed. The lemon juice is what gives the cocktail a tart and tangy flavor.
  • Simple Syrup: Very easy to make, you can also use maple syrup or honey syrup.
  • Egg White: I recommend adding the egg white as it creates a layer of foam and helps bring all of the ingredients together. It’s optional and the cocktail will still be delicious, but the egg white really adds to the experience and the best flavor.
  • Cocktail Cherry: Fresh cherry, maraschino cherry, or Luxardo cherry work for this recipe.
  • Orange Slice: Use an orange slice, dried orange, or peel to garnish the cocktail.
cocktail with large ice cube and egg whites

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add in the whiskey, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white.

Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is cold. About 30 seconds.

Strain into a double old-fashioned glass.

To make the garnish, add a slice of orange and cherry onto a cocktail pick and place it over the top of the cocktail.

Pro Tip – I served this over a large round ice cube, using this mold, and recommend larger ice cubes that slowly melt for this cocktail. 

Expert Tips For Making The Best Whiskey Sour

  • Shake your drink vigorously to cool the ingredients and allow air for a frothy cocktail. Shake for at least 30 seconds.
  • Use fresh lemon juice only. This will give the cocktail the freshest flavor.
  • We don’t recommend a dry shake for this drink. Add the ice into the cocktail shaker and shake the ingredients with ice. It’s easier to make and tastes better when shaken with ice. It creates a very smooth, chilled drink.

Best Whiskey for a Whiskey Sour

Using quality whiskey is key to a great whiskey sour. Here are some top picks to try, all easy to find at your local liquor store:

Irish Whiskey: For a twist, use Jameson Black Barrel with bitters for an “Irish Sour.”

Bulleit Bourbon: Sweet oak flavor with light spiciness and hints of maple, nutmeg, and oak.

Kentucky Straight Bourbon: Full-flavored bourbon made with red winter wheat instead of rye.

Templeton Rye Whiskey: Sweet and spicy with notes of caramelized banana, vanilla, cinnamon, and honey.

Four Roses: Smooth and mellow bourbon, great in cocktails or on the rocks.

Wild Turkey 101: Rich vanilla and cinnamon aroma with a spicy orange peel finish, perfect for sours.

Woodford Reserve: Balanced with over 200 flavor notes including spice, fruit, and floral, with a creamy finish.

Need more ideas? Check out these options for whiskeys to use in cocktails.

What to Serve A Classic Whiskey Sour In

Serve this sweet tart drink in traditional old-fashioned glasses. Here are a few of our favorites:

Whiskey sour cocktail

Whiskey Sour Recipe Variations

  • The egg white is in this recipe to give the cocktail a frothy layer on the top. This is optional if you prefer to leave it out of the recipe. 
  • Instead of simple syrup, you can also try pure maple syrup or honey syrup.
  • Use fresh cherries or cocktail cherries like Luxardo. 
  • Add a dash of angostura bitters to give a slightly bitter flavor.
  • Make an amaretto sour by adding 1-ounce amaretto liqueur into the cocktail.
  • If you don’t have lemons you can use lime juice to make this easy drink.
  • You can use scotch to make a scotch sour.
Cherry and orange slice garnish on a whiskey sour

Whiskey Sour Recipe with Egg White

Adding an egg white into a whiskey sour creates a smoother finish, helps balance the tartness of the cocktail, and also creates a beautiful frothy layer on the top.

The risk of salmonella is low but it’s better to be cautious. So here are some tips for adding egg whites into cocktails.

You can also make a whiskey sour without egg white too. We prefer it with, however it will still taste very good without!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a whiskey sour and old-fashioned?

Both of these classic drinks contain whiskey, but the other ingredients are not the same. An old-fashioned contains whiskey, bitters, and a sugar cube (or simple syrup) it doesn’t have fresh lemon juice or an egg white that a whiskey sour does.

It can also be stirred (or shaken if preferred) but overall an old-fashioned has a much stronger whiskey taste.

What does whiskey sour taste like?

It has notes of caramel and vanilla from the whiskey, then a small amount of lemon as the sour component and it’s very lightly sweetened. It truly is very balanced with all of the flavors and notes coming through with each sip. Even if you’re not a big whiskey fan, you would still love this cocktail as it’s not overpowering and just simply delicious.

Is whiskey sour a girly drink?

Heavens no! This drink is for everyone and actually one of my husband’s favorites.

What’s in a whiskey sour?

A classic whiskey sour has whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, and an egg white.

Is a whiskey sour actually sour?

A whiskey sour does have a slightly sour taste. The sour flavor comes from the freshly squeezed lemon juice. However, the cocktail is balanced in flavor and it shouldn’t be too sour or too sweet, but just the perfect amount of each. It’s not a very sweet drink either, but when you add the frothy egg white topping the drink becomes so creamy, almost like a dessert.

cocktail with egg white, bourbon and cherry

When to Serve a Whiskey Sour

This whiskey sour recipe is perfect for sipping year-round and for happy hour. We also love serving it on these occasions too:  

Birthday Party it’s also perfect for a last-minute birthday party!

Garden Party 

Kentucky Derby Party

Cookies and Cocktail Party

More Cocktails You’ll Love

If you love this drink, try more of these great cocktails!

Also check out more great cocktail recipes our favorite brunch recipes, the best-mixed drinkstequila cocktails, gin cocktails, vodka cocktails, and cheap drinks to make at home!

Now that you know everything about making the best whisky sour, let us know if you make this delicious, classic whiskey sour recipe by leaving a comment and review below! 

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whiskey sour recipe
5 from 10 votes

Classic Whiskey Sour

By: Eden
Our favorite classic whiskey sour recipe that is easy to make, perfectly balanced and contains only 4 simple ingredients.
Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 3 minutes
Servings: 1 Cocktail
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Ingredients 

  • 2 ounces bourbon whiskey
  • 1 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 3/4 ounce simple syrup
  • 1/2 ounce egg white

Garnishes

  • 1 cherry, fresh or cocktail cherry
  • 1 orange wheel

Instructions 

  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add in the whiskey, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white.
  • Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is cold. About 30 seconds. 
  • Strain into a double old fashioned glass and garnish with a cocktail or fresh cherry and an orange wheel.

Notes

Here are some quick alternatives for making a whiskey sour:
Use 100% maple syrup instead of simple syrup.
Skip the egg white if you don’t want to consume raw egg. 
Add a dash of orange juice or orange bitters.
And remember to always SHAKE the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice for 30 seconds! This will create a well balanced drink.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cocktail, Calories: 76kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 36mg, Potassium: 83mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 7IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

About Eden

I’m Eden Passante and I develop, create, style and photograph every recipe and party on Sugar and Charm. I’m the author of Entertaining with Charm and have a Bachelor’s Degree in Home Economics and I’m here to help you create simple and easy recipes for entertaining and how to add charm to any gathering!

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5 from 10 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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5 Comments

  1. Taylor says:

    5 stars
    I was looking for a fun drink to make this past weekend and this recipe was just perfect! Super easy and loved the flavor from the fresh lemon juice. My husband said I should definitely make it again!

  2. Gina Ceraso says:

    5 stars
    My husband’s new favorite recipe!! Thank you for this!

  3. Kim says:

    5 stars
    New favorite drink over at our house! Soo good—we tried it with maple syrup. I’m basically a bartender, right? 😉

  4. Jennifer says:

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness, my husband and I LOVE this! Made it the other day and we were obsessed!

  5. katerina @ diethood.com says:

    5 stars
    YES, please!! This Whiskey Sour sounds fabulous!