The Best Whiskey Type For A Truly Interesting Whiskey Sour

What's sweet, tart, and may contain raw egg? The Whiskey Sour, a classic drink that's stood the test of time. You know a cocktail's got it when it's been around for over a hundred years. The Whiskey Sour first surfaced in print in the late 1800s and was crafted using whiskey, sugar, lemon juice, and an egg white to mellow the drink's tang and bulk it up, per Liquor.com – though the potential food safety misstep is optional today.

This was a wildly popular kind of cocktail at the time. According to Difford's Guide, the ancestor of sour cocktails is punch — the first cocktail, made with simple, balanced ingredients: citrus, sugar, a spirit, and water (perhaps some spices too). Due to the availability and practicality of rum and the necessity of lime juice to stave off vitamin C deficiency, the British Navy is said to have first made sours a thing, Difford's writes. So why should you be drinking Whiskey Sours? What's the best choice of whiskey, and how do you make the drink itself?

Aside from being timelessly classy, the whiskey sour is much more than just a stiff drink. The citrus in sours is not just sweet and zingy — it delivers the same vitamin C that prevented scurvy in rum-swilling sailors of yore. Lemons do contain a bit more vitamin C, other vitamins, and minerals than limes, per Healthline – but limes do the job just fine, too, so why not let them join the party? If the sugar in your sour is a concern, try making it with sugar-free sweetener for a keto-friendly rendition.

Likewise, WebMD states that whiskey is lower in calories than other alcohols and contains zero carbs while delivering polyphenol antioxidants that may lower harmful cholesterol levels and triglycerides and alleviate cold symptoms. Furthermore, research suggests that in moderation, alcohol may boost the immune system – though further studies are needed to understand this too-good-to-be-true news. Alongside the hangover-curing Bloody Mary and lifespan-extending red wine, sours are another fruit juice-based hard drink with a storied past and noteworthy contributions to the drinking canon. Besides, whiskey has come to be associated with the United States — and perhaps the Whiskey Sour is the most American of the sours.

So you know about the sour; now how about the whiskey? Liquor.com and Liquor Laboratory concur that the best choice is bourbon, owing to the whiskey varietal's subtle tasting notes and delicate sophistication. Bourbons are defined as American whiskeys with a mash bill containing at least 51% corn that is then aged in charred oak barrels, per Food Network. This process gives bourbons a gentle smokiness with hints of vanilla, wood, and tobacco that pair nicely with sweet citrus. Rye whiskey is also used, as is Tennessee whiskey — as called for in this Food Network recipe. 

To make a whiskey sour, combine 2 ½ ounces of bourbon, half an ounce of freshly-squeezed lemon juice, half an ounce of fresh lime juice, and 1 ounce of simple syrup (or maple syrup to tease out the bourbon even more) in a cocktail shaker. Strain the finished drink into a highball or punch-glass over ice, says Difford's Guide. If you want to go the extra mile, get yourself some sour glasses for the occasion. Garnish with a preserved cherry and have yourself a zippy sip of history.