Ina Garten Serves Whiskey Sours In Martini Glasses, And So Should You

Part of the fun in drinking cocktails is trying something new. With an endless combination of spirits and mixers, the sky's truly the limit. But sometimes, just tweaking the glass can elevate a cocktail to new heights. For author and culinary personality Ina Garten, serving her favorite drink, the classic whiskey sour, in a martini glass makes the old-fashioned drink fun again. "Everything tastes better in a martini glass, so that's what I'm going to serve this in" she said in a clip from "Barefoot Contessa" posted to TikTok. The next time you're in the mood for this simple mix of whiskey, citrus juice, and a sweetener, you need to try it.

Traditional whiskey sours are commonly served in lowball glasses, often on the rocks, but Garten's method is perfect because you can skip the ice in the drink. Since your hand grasps the stem, you will not be adding heat to the drink. Eschewing ice will also keep the drink from diluting as you sip it, allowing the pure flavors of a top-shelf spirit and fresh citrus juice to shine through and remain consistent to the last drop. To keep the drink cold, shake well with ice and stash the V-shaped glasses in the freezer for up to 30 minutes, as Garten does.

It's somewhat surprising that Ina Garten celebrates the benefits of the martini glass because she's a relative newbie to its namesake concoction. Garten's first-ever classic gin martini experience came in 2023 while cooking with Stanley Tucci. However, her strategy for using a martini glass for a whiskey sour is wise. Some bartenders use martini glasses to serve certain cocktails because the shape tends to keep the components of more creative drinks in place. The sloped design prevents them from splitting.

These days it's more common for sours, especially when they include frothed egg white, to be served "up" in martini glasses. The wider-at-the-top shape keeps the layer of foam at the top for pretty bitters swirls. It also allows the person drinking the cocktail to smell the ingredients better, enhancing the flavor. Since ice isn't added to the cocktail, you can shake it a bit longer to slightly dilute the ingredients. One of Garten's favorite martini glass whiskey sours, which features bourbon, is served up at Bar 228 at Le Maurice in Paris.

Other cocktails to try in this fashion are naturally other sours. Some are readily identifiable, like the pisco sour cocktail, others are only identifiable by their ingredients. A sour is made with spirits, an acidic ingredient, like lemon juice or sour mix, and a sweetener. So, technically classic margaritas, traditional daiquiris, and gin gimlets are all sours. Or, for a seasonal twist, try a rhubarb whiskey sour.