While most whisk(e)y* is, in my opinion, best consumed neat – that doesn’t mean that whisk(e)y cocktails are, in any way, a bad thing. Quite the opposite is true, in fact! There are literally tonnes of fantastic whisk(e)y cocktail recipes out there and I would certainly recommend that you try a few, should you be the type of person who generally enjoys a cocktail or two every once in a while.

That’s why I’ve decided to post a cocktail recipe every now and again – starting with the absolute classics and later venturing in to less well known territory. This being the first recipe I’m posting (not including the Old Fashioned recipe which I included as a part of my Benchmark Bourbon review), I’ve spent quite a while deliberating which cocktail to go for.  In the end, I decided that it had to: be well known, delicious, only include common ingredients and, finally, be easy to make.

Thus, I decided to go for Whiskey Sour! This is indeed a quick and easy cocktail to make, perfect for a warm summer (or spring, since that’s much sooner) day. Right! Less rambling, more mixing. You’ll need:

• 2 measures of Bourbon or Rye – I would recommend Jim Beam, Benchmark or Rittenhouse Straight Rye
• 1 measure of (fresh!) Lemon juice
• 5-6 Ice cubes
• 2 tsp sugar or 1 tsp of Gomme
• A dash of Angostura bitters (optional)

Method:

If using sugar, mix it with a few drops of water. Combine all of the ingredients in a Boston Shaker, shake for about 20 seconds. To serve, strain into a chilled Sour Glass, with a few ice cubes, and decorate with a wedge of lemon. If you don’t have a shaker, use a thermos! And if you don’t have any Sour Glasses, I’ve seen more than one bar serve Whiskey Sour in a normal tall glass.

* What’s with the (e), you ask? Well, I normally try to use the correct spelling for each whisk(e)y ,but in the case of cocktails either can (generally) be used – hence (e).

Here are some related posts that you might want to read:

• Whisky Cocktail: Lynchburg Lemonade
• Whisky Cocktail: Loretto Limonade
• Whisky Cocktail: Eggnog
• Whisky Cocktail: Champagne Julep
• Whicky Cocktail: Manhattan