Whiskey Sour recipe

The Whiskey Sour is whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar. A ratio of 2 oz whiskey to 0.75 oz lemon to 0.75 oz syrup keeps it bright and balanced.
  • Spirit: Bourbon
  • Glass: Rocks glass
  • Garnish: Cherry and lemon wheel
  • Makes: 1 drink
Whiskey Sour cocktail in a rocks glass

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Bourbon
  • 0.75 oz Fresh lemon juice
  • 0.75 oz Simple syrup
  • 1 Cherry, for garnish
  • 1 Lemon wheel, for garnish

Method

  1. Add the bourbon, lemon juice, and syrup to a shaker.
  2. Fill the shaker with ice. Shake hard for 12 seconds.
  3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
  4. Garnish with the cherry and the lemon wheel.

Tips

  • Squeeze the lemon just before you shake. Fresh juice makes the difference.
  • Cut the syrup to 0.5 oz if your bourbon is sweet.

Whiskey Sour questions

Can you make a Whiskey Sour with rye?

Yes. Use the same amount of rye. The drink is drier and spicier. Bourbon is the usual choice and makes it rounder and sweeter.

Do you shake or stir a Whiskey Sour?

Shake it. The drink has fresh juice. Shaking mixes the juice with the whiskey, makes it cold, and adds air.

Do you need egg white in a Whiskey Sour?

No. This recipe has no egg white. Some bars add one egg white for a soft foam on top. If you add it, shake once with no ice, then shake again with ice. Use fresh or pasteurized eggs, because raw egg has a small risk of salmonella.

What proof works best for a Whiskey Sour?

Use a whiskey at 90 to 100 proof. Juice and melted ice thin out the drink, so a weaker whiskey tastes flat.

Best bourbon for the Whiskey Sour

A bourbon at 90 to 100 proof gives the drink body. Very light whiskeys taste thin behind the lemon.
These bottles are on the live Instadram shelf. Open a page to see the notes.

More whiskey cocktail recipes

Scan a bottle. Add it to your shelf.

Keep the bottle for your Whiskey Sour on your shelf. Point your camera at a bottle and Instadram adds it. You do not type the name. Free includes 25 Active bottles. Pro is unlimited.
Download on the
App Store
Get it on
Google Play

Get Instadram on the App Store or on Google Play.

See a live collection

Please drink responsibly. Instadram is for adults who are 21 or older.