Michters Us 1 Sour Mash
Sour mash whiskeys are the spirituous equivalent of sourdough bread. When it comes to fermenting the mash of the grains, some of the previously fermented mash is added to start the process off in this new batch. This small-batch whiskey is neither a rye nor a bourbon, and has flavours of vanilla ice cream drizzled with honey, cherries and plums, plus cinnamon and black pepper spice. Alc 43%
The Cocktail Bar Standard Aka Using An Egg White
Elijah Craig
- 0.75 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 0.75 oz. simple syrup
- 1 egg white
Add all ingredients to a shaker tin. Dry shake ingredients without ice for five seconds to whip the egg. Add ice, seal tins and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds. Strain into coupe or martini glassitll come out white at first, and the color will emerge over the course of a minute under a paper-smooth head of foam. Express a lemon peel over the top of the foam for aroma and discard and decorate the foam with a few drops or dashes of Angostura Bitters.
The smoothest and most elegant way to make a Whiskey Sour is to make it with egg white. Now, if you were disinclined to try it before, I doubt I just sweetened the pot with the promise of a raw egg, but hear me out: Just like when you eat them, egg whites dont taste like anything really, but serve here to give the whole cocktail a velvety texture, a pretty white head, and most importantly, to bind to the tannins in the spirit, smoothing out the rougher edges of the whiskey.
A necessary note: egg whites are largely safe, but if youre nervous or immunocompromised, feel free to use in-shell pasteurized eggs. If youre vegan, you can use aquafaba, which functions more or less identically. If all you have is a carton of pre-cracked, pre-separated egg whites, perhaps consider making it as below.
How Is Whiskey Made
While there are several styles of whiskey, most stick to the same basic production process. There are quite a few little changes that can impact the finished product, however, which explains why the global whiskey industry is so diverse.
Malting
Whiskey begins with plain old grainâwhich, as mentioned earlier, may be barley, corn, rye or wheat, depending on the whiskey style.
With malt whiskey, production starts with the malting of the grain. Malting involves soaking the grain in water in order to cause germination, which means the grain starts to sprout. Once germination begins, the grain is then dried with heat before itâs ground up. Not all whiskeys are malt whiskeys, however, so in those cases, the grain is ground up right off the bat.
Mashing
Once itâs ground, the grain is mixed with hot water and stirred in order to extract its sugars, which will eventually be converted to alcohol. This creates a thick material known as wort.
Fermentation
Next, yeast is added to the wort, which is what actually converts the sugars produced during the mashing process into alcohol. This leads to the creation of yet another new substance, known as wash or distillerâs beer.
Distillation
Aging
After distillation, whiskey is ready for maturation. Certain types of whiskey must be aged longer than others, and some governing bodies require whiskies to be aged in specific types of casks, which can directly impact flavor .
Bottling
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Glenfiddich Fire & Cane
Though Scotch isnt as common in a whiskey sour, Glenfiddich Fire & Cane is a good one to try if you like your whiskey sour on the smokey side. The spirit itself is an experimental one, mixing both peated and unpeated barley, aging both in bourbon casks.
After being aged separately, they are combined and aged further in South American rum casks which is what gives it the signature smoky-sweet taste reminiscent of toasted wood and campfire. Caramel and marshmallows round out the nostalgic palate with an aroma of toffee, spice, and zesty fruit.
Despite having to close temporarily during prohibition, Glenfiddich remains a best-selling brand and one of the most awarded in the world. Theyre also known as the first distillery ever to open its doors to the public in 1969, offering whiskey fans a brand new experience.
Their experimental series is all about innovation and testing the water with groundbreaking new ideas. Their goal is to explore the outer limits of whiskey and create something new and great.
This expression was a resounding success with its mix of sweet and smoky flavors put into one drink.
Bourbon Whiskey Sours Made With Peach Nectar
Another method that is just as delicious, is to make these whiskey sours using peach nectar. Fresh juice is always a good thing when it comes to cocktails in my opinion.
This version is not the same as the printable recipe below, so here are the instructions. Add 1/2 cup of fresh peach juice, 1 egg white, juice of 2 lemons, 4 ounces of whiskey and pinch of cinnamon to your shaker, add ice and shake, shake, shake until frothy and cold . Serve ice cold in a cocktail glass garnished with a lemon twist. Makes 2 cocktails.
And since this method doesnt require the straining that the jam version does, its currently winning in my book!
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Why Make This Whiskey Sour Recipe
I wasnt a whiskey sour fan until the drink was introduced to our family by Alexs step-father, Joe. Joe is 1,000% passionate about this sweet tart drink. When hes entertaining, hell always ask: Want a whiskey sour? So of course over the years, this drink has become the standard for festive family get-togethers.
In honor of Joes 50th birthday, we created this an all natural whiskey sour recipe as an alternative to the store-bought mix he usually buys. This recipe uses maple syrup and fresh lemon juice, and truly makes for the very best whiskey sour recipe! Joe started serving it often, and it was a hit with cousins, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncle alike. Now when our family gets together, youll see a big jug of maple syrup and a ton of lemons on the counter. Want to try out our family recipe?
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Try The Best Whisky Sour Recipe On World Whisky Day
Some describe it as an after-dinner pleasure, others a sturdy wake-up call. Whatever your opinion, you cant deny the Whisky Sour cocktail is one of the worlds most iconic and classic barroom innovations. But have you ever tried to make one yourself? Well, this Saturday, May 16 might just be your perfect excuse to test out your skills. World Whisky Day is upon us again and it marks the ideal occasion to bust out the barware and step into the cocktail kitchen. To help you from making a mess and wasting the good stuff, the team at Man of Many have put together the best Whisky Sour recipe youll find anywhere.
Almost all of us have heard the name Whisky Sour before, some may have ever given it a crack in the past, but the drink is making a serious comeback of late, and of course, its all Leonardo DiCaprios fault. In the early scenes of Quentin Tarantino Oscar-winning film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, we see DiCaprios suave and stylish Rick Dalton settle into a bar seat with his good friend/stunt double Cliff Booth and a feverishly good looking Whisky Sour. Its true, we see Dalton indulge in perhaps a few too many cocktails of varying poisons and palates, but the Sour is his go-to and it should be yours too. While we arent advocating you to start filling steins worth of cocktails as Dalton does, we do want to give you the tools to make the best Whisky Sour any at-home mixologist can.
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To Add In Egg Whites Simply Add 1/4 Oz To The Rest Of Your Ingredients In The Shaker Before Mixing
And you might want to skip pouring over ice if you are adding eggs, many drinkers feel ice cubes, and egg froth doesnt mix. Ice can also cause the egg proteins to break apart too quickly. Instead, try shaking with ice and pouring straight.
You will want the egg whites to be shaken with all the other ingredients*. Otherwise, you miss the point. Shaking blends the eggs and froths them up!
*There is some argument about this method. There are those who say you should dry shake the eggs first to froth them up, wet shake the other ingredients separately, and then combine. I say no. Blending them together is half the fun! But it is up to you.
Personally, this is my favorite version of a Whiskey Sour. I first experienced it in a little speakeasy in Rochester, NY. Its hidden behind a padded door. Its dimly lit. The bartenders wear bowties. And they prepare drinks the old-fashioned way.
I ordered a whiskey sour and was presented with this frothy white mixture that I stared at in horror for a moment or two. Until I tried it and realized Id been doing Whiskey Sours wrong my whole life.
So definitely give it a shot. Its worth it.
More Easy Cocktail Recipes:
Prep Time: Total Time:
Made with bourbon whiskey, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup, this Whiskey Sour is a classic cocktail that’s easy to make. Just 3 ingredients and a few minutes is all you need to make this sweet tart drink!
- 2 ounces good quality bourbon whiskey
- 2 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce simple syrup
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The Best Whiskey For Whiskey Sours
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The whiskey sour is part of a family of drinks simply called sours. This category appears in the 1862 How to Drink Mix Drinks by Jerry Thomas. They are one of the oldest types of cocktails and they include three elements: a base spirit, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener. The basic recipe has been toyed with endlessly to create many great drinks we know and love today: margaritas, Tom Collins, cosmos, and daiquiris are all part of the sour family.
The whiskey sour probably began in the 1700s when boats carried copious amounts of lemons and limes so sailors could avoid scurvy. They also carried plenty of rum. Mixing the citrus with rum and water killed a few birds with one stone it kept them hydrated, scurvy-free and came with the benefits of alcohol.
Sailors found this recipe to be quite pleasing so they kept it in mind and opened it up to more readily available spirits once the ships docked, such as whiskey and brandy. It just so happened that railroads came into play around the same time as bourbon hit its peak. This meant everyone was drinking bourbon and citrus products could be transported easily. Hence the realization that the best whiskey for whiskey sours is usually bourbon.
Prohibition was a sad time for the whiskey sour because quality alcohol was so hard to come by. This meant that the more subtle cocktails became desolate as it was hard to mask the flavor of cheap alcohol with just sugar and citrus.
Aging Barreling And Bottling
Barreling and aging are some of the most important aspects of whiskey production. The barrel, or casks, used for aging determines the flavor the whiskey will take on. The only flavor allowed in true whiskey, besides the flavors given by the mash, is that which the whiskey absorbs from the barrel it is aged in. The amount of time the whiskey spends in the barrel, the process known as aging, will determine how intensely the flavor of the barrel will be absorbed into the whiskey. The longer a whiskey is aged, the more complex the flavor becomes. Take a look below to find out what some popular aging, bottling, and barreling terms mean.
Bottled in bond- This is a term designated for American spirits where the spirit must be the product of one distillation season by one distiller at one distillery. It must have been aged in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision for at least four years and bottled at 100 proof. This makes it similar to the concepts of single malt or small batch.
Single Barrel- This means that the whiskey placed in the bottle is all from the same aging barrel, rather than a blend of multiple barrels from the same or different batches. Many distilleries blend different barrels to ensure consistency across bottling.
Pot Still- a pot still is the apparatus used to distill pot still whiskey. All Irish, Scotch, and single pot still whiskey must be distilled with a pot still.
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What Is Sour Alcohol
Sours are one of the oldest families of original drinks, and Jerry Thomas described them in his 1862 book How to Mix Drinks. Sours are cocktails made with a base liquor, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener . Some sour drinks contain egg whites as well. Sour ingredients taste very strong when mixed together, so they should be added slowly to the other ingredients to avoid making the cocktail too tart.
Lemons and limes are acidic fruits that contain a lot of vitamin C. When those acids are combined with sugar, they create a sour flavor that can be used to make cocktails more interesting.
Originally, sours were meant to be drunk quickly because they contained a large amount of alcohol. Today, they are popular mixed drinks that add a touch of acidity to otherwise sweet or bland cocktails. Because sour ingredients are so flavorful, just a little bit goes a long way. That’s why most recipes call for only a few drops of citrus oil or juice per drink the rest can be reserved for another use.
There are two types of sours: straight and blended. Straight sours are simple cocktails without any other ingredients except for ice, water, salt, and alcohol. They get their name from the fact that you simply mix the ingredients together and drink them as fast as possible! Blended sours have at least three ingredients and usually contain milk, cream, or eggs as well.
How To Make It
You can serve this cocktail straight or on the rocks. If you plan to serve it straight, chill the glasses first.
Use a vegetables peeler to peel the outer layer of the orange, without the white rind, and twist it tight to squeeze the natural oils from the orange. Rub the orange twist over the rim of the glass.
Combine fresh squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, splash of fresh orange juice, and bourbon in a cocktail shaker. Add a few ice cubes and shake vigorously.
Add a few ice cubes to the glass if desired, pour the cocktail into the glass through a strainer, and enjoy.
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How To Drink Whiskey
There is no wrong way to drink whiskey. The higher-end whiskeys are often enjoyed straight. Some people like their whiskey on the rocks while others add a splash of water. This can open up the aromas and flavors, particularly of high-proof whiskeys. A shot of whiskey is popular and it’s often mixed into shooter recipes.
Whiskey is also found in countless cocktail recipes. That includes simple mixed drinks in which a shot of whiskey is topped with a light soda or cola in an ice-filled tall glass. It’s also deftly dressed up with an orange, sugar, and bitters as in the old-fashioned. Manhattans are the whiskey equivalent to martinis and there are many variations on this dinner-worthy style. Whiskey also makes an appearance in sours, creamy and fruity cocktails, and is a favorite for hot drinks, including those with coffee and tea.
The 11 Best Whiskies For Whiskey Sours This 2021 According To Bartenders
Every cocktail is more nuanced than just combining liquor with a sugary mix. This rings especially true for the whiskey sour, an elegant and sweet American cocktail classic. It contains a frothy egg white , a freshly squeezed citrus juice, and a dash of simple syrup.
However, selecting the right whiskey with the right dimension and balance transforms your whiskey sour from lackluster to delectable. Heres our roundup of the best whiskies for whiskey sours this 2021, all carefully hand-picked by expert bartenders.
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Crown Royal Peach Drink Taste
Crown royals crown royal taste is often compared to a sweeter version of Crown Royal and in some crown cocktail recipes peach vodka can add additional sweetness. The crowns whiskey flavor profile might differ based on the recipe you choose, but one things for sure it tastes delicious! You can enjoy the summer with your best cocktail drink.
Final Thoughts About Whiskey
The different types of whiskey are not hard to memorize. The key is finding out which types of whiskey the bar carries and then do a little more research on the internet. Simple.
For brand-new bartenders dont sweat it. Just learn the basics that I have discussed above and youll do just fine. There is no need to know the complete history of whiskey. Youll learn a lot from your customers as you gain more experience.
Theres a lot of skills that new bartenders need to acquire. Simply knowing a few things about whiskey isnt going to help that much if youre trying to land your first job. Read about how to get your first bartending job here.
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What Is The Best Whisky For A Whisky Sour
For the traditional American-style Whisky Sour recipe, the cocktail calls for a sweet bourbon with light citrus notes and a touch of smoke. The natural sugars in bourbon allow the sharp flavour of the citrus to cut through clearly without being too overpowering. By using this spirit, youll avoid ending up with a Whisky Sour that is more sour than enjoyable.
Here is a list of the 7 best bourbons for a Whisky Sour cocktail.