Smoky Whisky Sour
A smoky and sour cocktail ∙ Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 14.4% ABV ∙
The Smoky Whisky Sour is a sour of peated single malt and blended Scotch whisky, shaken with lemon juice, maple syrup and egg white.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Dry shake (without ice) all ingredients: Peated single malt whisky 30 mlBlended Scotch whisky 30 mlLemon juice 30 mlMaple syrup 20 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 1 dash (opt.)Egg white 15 ml
- Add ice
- Shake all ingredients with ice
- Fine strain into the chilled glass with ice
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Dry shake for a good 15 seconds before the ice goes in; the egg white foams up properly before any ice starts melting into it.
History
The Smoky Whisky Sour is a modern riff on the classic Whiskey Sour that swaps in peated Scotch whisky, often alongside a blended Scotch, giving the drink a smoky edge in place of the usual bourbon or rye base. It is not tied to one named bartender or bar.
The Whiskey Sour itself has no single credited creator. Jerry Thomas recorded the sour format of spirit, citrus, and sugar in his 1862 guide How to Mix Drinks. In 1870 a Wisconsin newspaper, the Waukesha Plain Dealer, showed a patron ordering a whisky sour as a drink readers already knew.
FAQ
How do you make a Smoky Whisky Sour?
Dry shake the peated single malt, blended Scotch, lemon juice, maple syrup, optional bitters, and egg white without ice first to build foam, then add ice and shake again. Fine strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass with fresh ice and express a lemon twist over the top as garnish. This double-shake method is what gives the drink its thick, silky head.
What gives a whisky cocktail its smoky flavor?
The whisky itself. This recipe uses a peated single malt alongside a blended Scotch, so the smoke comes from the spirit, not from a smoking technique, a mixer or an infusion.
What are common mistakes when making a Whisky Sour?
The most common mistake is skipping the dry shake, which leaves the egg white unfoamed and the drink thin and boozy instead of silky. Other frequent errors are under-straining, which lets pulp into the glass, and over-pouring the sweetener, which flattens the lemon's acidity.
