Scotch Sour
A sour and balanced whiskey cocktail ∙ Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 12.4% ABV ∙
The Scotch Sour is a whisky sour of blended Scotch, lemon juice, cane syrup and egg white, shaken and served over ice in an old-fashioned glass.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Dry shake (without ice) all ingredients: Blended Scotch whisky 50 mlLemon juice 30 mlCane syrup 20 mlEgg white 15 ml
- Add ice
- Shake with ice
- Fine strain into the chilled glass with ice
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Express the orange twist over the foam so its oils perfume the first sip.
History
The Scotch Sour is simply the whiskey sour formula made with Scotch whisky instead of American whiskey: whisky, lemon juice, and a sweetener, shaken and served straight up or over ice. Standard cocktail nomenclature names the sour for whichever whisky is used, so a version built on Scotch is called a Scotch Sour, just as one built on bourbon is called a Bourbon Sour.
The sour format itself is far older than the Scotch variant; Jerry Thomas's 1862 guide How to Mix Drinks gave some of the first printed sour recipes in the United States. Scotch was a comparatively late entrant into American sours, since 19th- and early-20th-century bar manuals were dominated by rye and bourbon.
FAQ
How do you make a Scotch Sour?
Dry shake the Scotch, lemon juice, cane syrup and egg white without ice, then add ice and shake again. Fine-strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass over ice and express an orange twist over the foam. The shake without ice is what whips the egg white into a silky foam.
What is the 3:2:1 ratio for Whiskey Sour?
Three parts spirit, two parts citrus, one part sweetener: a common starting point for whiskey sours. This recipe runs 50:30:20, slightly less citrus and more sweetener than a strict 3:2:1, plus egg white for texture.
Is egg white necessary in a Whiskey Sour?
No, but it gives the drink its silky texture and pale foam cap. This recipe includes it.
