Whisky Sour 101: The Anatomy of a Classic Cocktail
Whisky, citrus and sugar are a trinity of ingredients that are commonly used to create some of the oldest cocktails in the history of mixology. The whiskey sour was traditionally prepared with whisky, lemon juice, sugar and egg white, which tames the tart flavour and creates a smoother texture. Generally sours — a broad category of cocktails — comprise any drink with a base liquor balanced with sugar (as a simple syrup, but also including liqueurs, honey, etc.) and citric acid (most commonly lemon or lime juice). In spite of the name, these cocktails are not necessarily sour and can change depending on the ratios of sweetness added to them.
While the cocktail originated with egg whites as a key component, that is not the case anymore. Whisky Sour can also be prepared without adding egg whites, making the latter only optional. Read on to find out about this classic cocktail and its other variations, including those without egg-whites.
What’s in a Classic Whisky Sour?
As a sour cocktail, a classic whisky sour will typically include your favourite type of whisky, lemon juice, sugar, and even egg white (although not compulsory today). For a classic whisky sour, a bourbon is a widely used whisky, thickened with egg white and topped with a splash of aromatic bitters for notes of spice. The sweetness offered by bourbons complements the tartness of the lemon juice. It typically offers notes of vanilla, caramel, and sometimes spice, creating a balanced whisky sour. That being said, other whiskies like rye can also be used, but bourbons are suited for balanced sours, making them a classic base for the drink.
If you’re using egg white, you’ll want to first perform a dry shake which refers to shaking and mixing all the ingredients without ice before shaking again with fresh ice in a cocktail shaker. This incorporates all ingredients together while aerating the egg, ultimately creating a fuller-bodied drink with a silkier and smoother mouthfeel.
To create the perfect balanced whisky sour, you’ll need a shaker into which you’ll want to add 30 ml of your preferred whisky, along with 15 ml of lemon juice and 7.5 ml sugar syrup. Ensure to dry shake the egg white with the rest of the ingredients before adding them to the mix in the shaker should you choose to use eggs. Strain into a rocks or cobbler glass over ice and garnish with bitters to serve.
Whisky Sours Without Egg Whites?
Egg whites provide the silky mouthfeel and frothy texture (which you usually see on top) to a whisky sour. It may also help reduce the tartness imparted by the lemon juice, making your drink slightly less overpowering on the palate [https://in.thebar.com/articles/the-role-of-egg-white-in-a-whisky-sour-cocktail-add-it-or-skip-it].
However, a tangier whisky sour can do without the use of egg whites too. The absence of egg whites create a less dairy-like and cleaner whisky sour if that is your preference when it comes to the drink. When you’re creating a punchier whisky sour on the rocks, you can also skip the extra step that involves dry shaking the eggs to aerate them with the other ingredients.
Ingredients for a Spin on Whisky Sour without Eggs
You can experiment with flavours in your eggless whisky sour by adding blackberries which will add complex flavours of forest fruits to the mix, or even maple syrup for a change from the regular sugary syrups. For another slight flavour adjustment, substituting lemon juice for grapefruit juice can make your whisky sour fruitier and earthier, while also transforming the cocktail’s appearance into a slightly pink drink instead of the usual amber. Some also prefer using a simple honey syrup. Just adding honey to the drink won’t bode well because honey doesn’t seamlessly mix in cold drinks. When served on the rocks, you can also opt for other garnishes like cinnamon for a touch of spice in your otherwise saccharine whisky sour.
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