Caramel Whiskey Sour
Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 16.1% ABV ∙
The Caramel Whiskey Sour is a shaken bourbon sour built with lemon juice, caramel syrup, egg white, and bitters, served on the rocks. Silky and rounded, with caramel sweetness softening the bourbon's bite before fresh lemon snaps the finish back into balance.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Bourbon 60 mlLemon juice 30 mlCaramel syrup 20 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 3 dashesSaline solution 2 dashesEgg white 15 ml
- Strain back into the shaker
- Dry shake (without ice) to emulsify
- Fine strain into the ice-filled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Shake the bourbon, lemon juice, caramel syrup, egg white, bitters and saline with ice first, then strain the liquid back into the empty shaker.
- Dry shake that chilled mix hard for another 15 seconds without ice; under-shaking this pass leaves the texture thin instead of silky.
- Strain into an old-fashioned glass over a single large cube so the caramel syrup's extra sweetness stays balanced as it melts slowly.
- Express and rest a lemon twist on the rim rather than dropping it in, keeping the citrus oil aroma bright against the caramel syrup's sweetness.
History
The Caramel Whiskey Sour is a modern riff on the classic Whiskey Sour, a drink whose own origin is layered with competing early references rather than a single inventor. The oldest documented mention of a "whiskey sour" by name appeared in the Wisconsin newspaper Waukesha Plain Dealer in 1870, while a written formula for the broader Sour family (spirit, citrus, sweetener) had already been published eight years earlier, in Jerry Thomas's 1862 The Bartender's Guide, under brandy and gin versions rather than whiskey specifically. A separate and often-repeated account, sourced to a 1962 academic reprint of a Peruvian newspaper story, credits a former ship steward named Elliott Stubb with mixing whiskey and local Limón de Pica juice into a "whisky sour" in Iquique, then part of Peru, in 1872. Because the drink was already being ordered casually and without explanation in the 1870 newspaper item, most drinks historians take this as evidence the Sour was well established in American bars before that date, even though no single creator or bar can be confirmed. The Caramel Whiskey Sour keeps this same whiskey, citrus, and sweetener structure but swaps in caramel syrup as the sweetening element, giving the traditional sour profile a darker, toffee-like sweetness.
FAQ
What is in a Caramel Whiskey Sour?
Bourbon, fresh lemon juice, caramel syrup, and pasteurized egg white, with a few dashes of Angostura bitters and saline solution, double shaken and served over ice. The bitters and saline are optional but round out the caramel's sweetness against the lemon.
How do you make a Whiskey Sour cocktail?
A whiskey sour is built from whiskey, lemon juice, and a sweetener, shaken with ice and strained; this version uses bourbon, fresh lemon juice, and caramel syrup in place of plain simple syrup, plus egg white for body. It is double shaken — once dry to whip the egg white, then again with ice — and served over ice with a lemon twist.
What is the 3:2:1 ratio for a Whiskey Sour?
The classic whiskey sour ratio is 3 parts whiskey to 2 parts lemon juice to 1 part sweetener. This build follows that same whiskey-forward proportion, using caramel syrup as the sweetener and adding a small amount of egg white for texture.
What is the best whiskey for a whiskey sour?
Bourbon is the standard choice, and it is what this recipe uses, since its sweetness and vanilla notes pair naturally with citrus and, here, caramel. A spicier rye works too but pushes the drink drier and less rounded than the bourbon version.
Is a Caramel Whiskey Sour shaken or stirred?
Shaken, and specifically double shaken. It goes with ice first to chill and dilute, then back into the empty shaker for an ice-free second shake that builds the foam, before being strained over fresh ice.
What glass is a Caramel Whiskey Sour served in?
An old-fashioned glass, over ice, garnished with a lemon twist.
