London Sour
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 12.5% ABV ∙
The London Sour is a shaken Scotch whisky sour built with orange and lemon juice, orgeat, and sugar syrup, served long over ice. Frothy and bright from the shake, with a nutty, faintly sweet undertone that softens the whisky's smoky edge into a long, refreshing finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Blended Scotch whisky 60 mlOrange juice 75 mlLemon juice 15 mlOrgeat (almond) syrup 5 mlSugar syrup 5 ml
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with an orange wheel and a mint sprig
Tips
- Shake hard and long enough to fully chill the large orange juice volume, then strain over fresh ice so the drink stays cold without over-diluting.
- Use freshly squeezed orange juice, not carton juice — its brighter acidity keeps the whisky from tasting flat under the citrus.
- Measure the orgeat and sugar syrup carefully; both are small pours and easy to overdo, which flattens the citrus snap.
- Pre-chill the Collins glass before straining so the drink doesn't lose its chill sitting in a warm glass while you garnish.
History
The London Sour was created by Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron, the founder of the Trader Vic's tiki restaurant chain, to mark the 1963 opening of the London branch of Trader Vic's, housed in the London Hilton on Park Lane. It followed a pattern Bergeron used for several of his international openings, crafting a signature sour tied to the new location, and the choice of Scotch whisky as the base spirit nodded to the drink's British namesake city. The recipe, built on Scotch, orange and lemon juice, and orgeat, was later published in Bergeron's own 1972 Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide, which remains the documented source for the original formula.
FAQ
What's in a London Sour?
A London Sour is made with blended Scotch whisky, fresh orange juice, lemon juice, orgeat (almond syrup), and sugar syrup, shaken with ice and strained into an ice-filled glass. It's garnished with an orange wheel and a mint sprig, making it a long, citrus-forward take on the classic whisky sour.
How do you make a sour cocktail?
A sour cocktail is built by shaking a base spirit with citrus juice and a sweetener, then straining it into a glass. This London Sour follows that structure, shaking Scotch whisky with orange and lemon juice, orgeat, and sugar syrup before straining over fresh ice in a Collins glass and garnishing with an orange wheel and mint.
What is the 3:2:1 ratio for whiskey sour?
The classic whiskey sour ratio is roughly 3 parts whiskey to 2 parts lemon juice to 1 part sugar syrup, shaken and strained. This London Sour departs from that formula, using a larger share of orange juice alongside lemon juice, orgeat, and sugar syrup, which makes it noticeably longer and less spirit-forward than a standard whiskey sour.
What are some common mistakes when making a whisky sour?
The most common mistakes are under-shaking, which leaves the drink warm and under-diluted, and over-pouring the sweetener, which buries the citrus. In this London Sour specifically, using bottled orange juice instead of fresh, or over-measuring the orgeat and sugar syrup, are the two easiest ways to throw off the balance.
