Simple Whiskey Sour

Whiskey sour ingredients are as simple as they come: a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a spoonful of sugar, and plenty of whiskey.

By
Paul Clarke
Paul Clarke
Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
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Updated March 13, 2025
Two whiskey sour cocktails, garnished with an orange wheel and a cherry on a cocktail pick, served on a tray

Serious Eats / Two Bites

Why It Works

  • Shaking with ice chills the cocktail without over-dilution.
  • Fresh squeezed lemon juice beats sour mix in terms of flavor and aroma.
  • Toasted sugar tastes less sweet than plain, with subtle notes of caramel to complement the whiskey.

It ain't fancy, but that's a big part of its appeal. Because at the end of a long day—scratch that, a long week—you just want a nice, easy drink. The whiskey sour, with the gentle bite of lemon tempered by a whisper of sugar, is a simple, go-to classic for a reason.

October 2007

Recipe Details

Simple Whiskey Sour

Prep 5 mins
Active About 15 secs
Total 5 mins
Serves 1 serving
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces whiskey

  • 1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon sugar or toasted sugar

  • 1 egg white (optional, to make a Boston sour cocktail)

Directions

  1. Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake for 10 seconds (if using the egg white, give it a little extra muscle and a little extra time). Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, or into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a cherry, a slice of orange, or everything or nothing at all.

    Four photos showing how to make a whiskey sour. The first photo shows whiskey being poured into a cocktail shaker. The second photos shows a hand shaking a cocktail shaker. The third photo shows the cocktail being poured into a cocktail glass. The fourth and final photo shows a whiskey sour being garnished with an orange wheel and a cherry on a cocktail pick.

    Serious Eats / Two Bites

Special Equipment

Cocktail shaker

Notes

Whiskey sour mix, a commercial combination of citrus juice and sugar, is pasteurized for stability and a far cry from the vibrant flavor of freshly squeezed juice.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
151 Calories
0g Fat
6g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 151
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 12mg 59%
Calcium 2mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 33mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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