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United States (19th-century sour tradition) · American

Whiskey Sour (Bourbon, Lemon & a Silky Foam)

Bourbon, fresh lemon and a little sugar, shaken hard — with or without egg white for a cloud-soft foam. The template for every sour, and one of the most satisfying balances of strong, sweet and tart in the whole canon.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published June 22, 2026

A golden whiskey sour in a rocks glass with a thick pale foam cap dotted with dark bitters, a lemon wheel and cherry on the rim.

The Whiskey Sour appears in print as early as the 1860s and is the most famous member of the 'sour' family — spirit, citrus and sugar, the three-part formula behind the Margarita, the Daiquiri and dozens more. The optional egg white, a Prohibition-era refinement, gives the modern Boston Sour its signature velvet foam.

Yield
Makes 1
Prep
5 min
Cook
0 min
Total
About 5 min
Difficulty
Easy

The Whiskey Sour is the template every other sour copies: bourbon, fresh lemon and a little sugar, shaken hard — with or without an egg white for a cloud-soft foam. Get the spirit-citrus-sugar balance right here and you can build a Margarita, a Daiquiri or a Pisco Sour from the same logic.

Fresh lemon, always

The whole drink lives on the citrus, so squeeze it fresh — bottled juice tastes dull and metallic and no amount of good bourbon will rescue it.

The dry shake makes the foam

For the silky version, shake the bourbon, lemon, syrup and egg white without ice first to whip in air, then add ice and shake again to chill and set it. Skip the egg for a leaner drink, or use aquafaba to keep it vegan — both foam beautifully.

Balance, then garnish

It should land bright and tart with the sweetness just rounding the edges. Strain over fresh ice or up in a coupe, dot the foam with bitters, and add a lemon wheel or cherry. Compare it with the Pisco Sour or the spirit-forward Manhattan. More in the Drinks guide.

Ingredients

Makes
1
  • 60 ml (2 oz) bourbon Bourbon is classic and forgiving; rye makes a drier, spicier sour.
  • 25 ml (3/4 oz) fresh lemon juice Fresh-squeezed only — bottled juice tastes flat and dull.
  • 20 ml (2/3 oz) simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water)
  • 1 egg white (optional) For the classic foam. Leave it out for a leaner drink, or use aquafaba (chickpea brine) to keep it vegan.
  • Angostura bitters and a lemon or cherry, to garnish
  • ice

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. If using egg white, add the bourbon, lemon, syrup and egg white to a shaker WITHOUT ice and shake hard for 10–15 seconds (a 'dry shake').

    Why: The dry shake whips air into the egg white to build that thick, glossy foam before the ice chills and firms it up.

  2. Add ice and shake again, hard, for another 10–15 seconds until very cold.

    Why: The second shake chills and dilutes the drink and sets the foam. Sours need a hard shake — the citrus and (optional) egg both want aeration.

  3. Strain into a chilled rocks glass (over fresh ice) or a coupe (up). Dot the foam with a few drops of bitters and garnish.

    Why: Straining off the shaker ice gives a clean drink and a clean foam cap; the bitters on top add aroma and a pretty pattern.

A quick, anonymous tap — no review needed.

Variations

  • Boston Sour

    The egg-white version above — silky and foamy. Strictly speaking, 'Boston Sour' is the named term for a sour with egg white.

  • New York Sour

    Float about 15 ml of dry red wine on top of a finished sour for a striking red-to-gold layer and a tannic edge.

  • Vegan (aquafaba)

    Swap the egg white for 25 ml of aquafaba (the brine from a can of chickpeas) — it foams almost identically with no flavour.

Serving & Storage

A great any-time cocktail — bright enough for an aperitif, rich enough after dinner. Pairs beautifully with fried and smoky food.

Pairs with: Fried chicken, Barbecue, Salted nuts, Sharp cheese.

Storage: Shake to order — the foam and fresh citrus don't keep. You can pre-mix bourbon, lemon and syrup for a few hours in the fridge, then shake with egg and ice when you pour.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 cocktail (~120 ml))

Calories
175
Protein
2 g
Carbs
10 g
Fat
0 g
Fiber
0 g
Sugar
8 g
Sodium
10 mg

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the egg white safe and necessary?

It's optional. The egg white adds a silky foam and rounds the texture but changes nothing about the flavour. Raw egg carries a small risk; pasteurized egg whites or aquafaba (chickpea brine) avoid it entirely and foam just as well. A sour without any of these is still excellent — just leaner.

What's the right sweet-to-sour balance?

The classic ratio is 2 parts spirit, 3/4 part citrus, 2/3 part syrup — but lemons vary, so taste. It should land tart and bright with the sweetness just rounding the edges, never syrupy. Adjust the syrup, not the lemon, to fine-tune.

Why do I shake a sour but stir a Manhattan?

Shake anything with juice, egg or cream — they need aeration and quick chilling, and a little cloudiness is fine. Stir clear, all-spirit drinks like the Manhattan to keep them silky. The whiskey sour has lemon and (often) egg, so it's firmly in the shake camp.

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