Stunning to look at, the Greenwich Sour is rich and frothy, with a band of red wine floating on top. It is a variation of a Prohibition classic, the New York Sour. The key difference between the two is that we have add an egg white in our take, a practice common throughout the history of making sours. Many people today are wary about consuming raw eggs for fear of salmonella. The risk of contamination is actually quite low and ca be reduced even more by using eggs from free-range chickens; add high-proof spirit to that, and the chances of getting sick are reduced to almost nothing. The egg white adds texture to the cocktail by trapping air and requires a very long hard shake to create the necessary consistency. Many bartenders will shake the egg white on its own first to begin this process. To give the Greenwich Sour its necessary backbone, it is important to use high-proof whiskey to cut through the sour body. The wine’s tannins add depth to the cocktail and complete its finish.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 drink
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Pour the whiskey, juice, syrup, and egg white into a mixing glass. Add large cold ice cubes and shake vigorously for at least 1 minute; when your hands start to freeze and you can’t shake any more, you’ll know it’s enough. Strain into a rocks glass over large cold ice cubes. Float the red wine on top (see page 23). Garnish with the orange and cherry.
tasting notes
Step 2
Dominant Flavors: whiskey and tart cherries
Step 3
Body: creamy, rich texture
Step 4
Dryness: medium to off-dry
Step 5
Complexity: medium
Step 6
Accentuating or Contrasting Flavors: red wine tannins mingling between citrus and whiskey
Step 7
Finish: short dry citrus, followed by oak and wine tannins
Step 8
Glass: rocks
