Western Sour
A sour and citrus whiskey cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 18.8% ABV ∙
The Western Sour is a rye whiskey sour with pink grapefruit and lime juice, falernum and sugar syrup, shaken and served over crushed ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Rye whiskey 50 mlPink grapefruit juice 20 mlLime juice 15 mlFalernum liqueur 10 mlSugar syrup 5 ml
- Strain into the glass filled with crushed ice
- Garnish with a lime wheel and a maraschino cherry
Tips
- Falernum is sweet and full of clove and lime; pour more than the 10 ml and it drowns the grapefruit.
History
The Western Sour is a tiki-era variation on the classic whiskey sour, created at Steve Crane's Kon-Tiki chain of restaurants in the mid-20th century. Crane, a Beverly Hills restaurateur, had partnered with Sheraton Hotels to open Kon-Tiki outposts across North America as rivals to Trader Vic's and Don the Beachcomber, the two dominant tiki restaurant brands of the era.
The drink keeps the standard sour formula of spirit, citrus, and sweetener but takes it in a tropical direction. It splits the citrus between grapefruit and lime juice and adds falernum, a spiced Caribbean syrup or liqueur, as part of the sweetening on a rye whiskey base.
FAQ
What is in a Western Sour?
50 ml rye whiskey, 20 ml fresh pink grapefruit juice, 15 ml fresh lime juice, 10 ml falernum liqueur and 5 ml sugar syrup.
What are some common mistakes when making a whiskey sour style drink like this?
Free-pouring the falernum and sugar syrup, which flattens the citrus, and a weak shake that leaves the juice under-chilled before it meets the crushed ice.
