How to Make a Bourbon Sour

How to Make the Perfect Bourbon Sour

This recipe is the classic Bourbon Sour recipe, without the egg.

A Bourbon Sour is actually a Whiskey Sour that just uses bourbon instead of any other kind of Whiskey. Bourbon is a type of whiskey that is aged in charred oak casks, which is the process that gives bourbon its red color and distinctive, sweet taste.

The Whiskey Sour first appeared in The Bartender’s Guide, published in 1862. The Bourbon Sour recipe followed soon after, probably invented in the south, where bourbon was most popular, especially in Kentucky and New Orleans. Still, the true history of the Bourbon Sour specifically is not known.

Bourbon Sour Ingredients

To make a Bourbon Sour, you will need these ingredients:

• Bourbon
• Lemon Juice
• Simple Sugar

It’s nice to have these items on hand, but not required to make your Bourbon Sour:

• Rock glass
• Juicer
• Cherry for garnish
• Pasteurized egg (optional for the foam top)
• Cocktail shaker

Make the Bourbon Sour

1. Make simple syrup (boil 2 parts sugar and 1 part water until the sugar has dissolved, and then allow it to cool).
2. Juice 2 lemons.
3. Mix 1 and 1/2 ounces of bourbon and 3/4 ounces of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of simple syrup into a cocktail shaker
4. Shake for 30 seconds and strain into a glass with no ice.
5. Add ice to the glass.
6. Garnish with two cherries.

Optional: Add one egg white (fresh, pasteurized egg) to step 3 to add foam to the Bourbon Sour.

Enjoy the Bourbon Sour and check out this video on how to make the perfect Bourbon Sour below!