Whiskey Sour

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 5 min
  • Active: 5 min
  • Yield: 1 whiskey sour (plus extra simple syrup)
A whiskey sour is much more balanced than the name suggests. It’s actually sweet and tart in equal parts (from simple syrup and lemon juice), and it’s arguably one of the most delicious cocktails ever created. The drink, which has been around for centuries, became popular across the United States in the 1800s and early 1900s, in part because it was such a simple formula. Bartenders have tweaked the recipe for decades with different sweeteners, egg whites and other flourishes, but cocktail lovers know that there’s nothing better than the classic. Give it a try. —Ariana Phillips Tessier for Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Make the simple syrup: Heat the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  2. Combine the bourbon, lemon juice and 3/4 ounce simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice; shake well, then strain into a glass. Garnish with the lemon wedge and cherry.

Cook’s Note

Some bartenders add an egg white to their whiskey sours, giving the drink a silky texture and foamy top. Add 1 pasteurized egg white to the bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup and vigorously “dry shake” (without ice), then add ice and “wet shake” to chill the drink; strain.