The key to an excellent whiskey sour is getting the balance just right. This whiskey sour recipe has all the right proportions of bright, bracing lemon juice; warming, floral bourbon; and sweet simple syrup to deliver a refreshing cocktail that’s neither too cloying nor too biting.
Using freshly squeezed juice is essential—the stuff that comes out of fruit-shaped squeeze bottles doesn’t even compare. If you don’t have any lemon on hand, you can swap it out for lime (or a mixture of the two). Serve on the rocks with an orange wheel and a maraschino cherry.
Makes 1 Serving
2 ounces bourbon
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
½ orange wheel (for serving)
Maraschino cherry (for serving)
Preparation
Step 1
Combine bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker.
Step 2
Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.
Step 3
Strain cocktail through a Hawthorne strainer or a slotted spoon into an old-fashioned or rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with orange wheel and cherry.
