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Epicurious
Bon Appétit

Whiskey Sour

By Chris Morocco
Whiskey sour recipe with cherry in glass.
Photo by Ted Cavanaugh

The key to an excellent whiskey sour? 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 arranged neatly on a drink spear (optional but recommended!), and enjoy. Cheers!

Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published on April 19, 2016.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 1 Servings

Ingredients

2 ounces bourbon
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
½ orange wheel (for serving)
Maraschino cherry (for serving)

Preparation

  1. 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.

TagsCocktailAlcoholBeveragesBourbonWhiskeyEasyQuick5 Ingredients or FewerBon Appétit
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