I had my first whiskey sour sometime in college. I can’t recall what kind of whiskey we used, but I assume it was probably Jim Beam. As for the mixer, I’m more than certain we used a bottled sour mix, most likely one made by Mr & Mrs T’s. I remember the whiskey sour being very sweet and a look at the label reveals why:
Mr & Mrs T ® Sweet & Sour Mix
Ingredient Statement: WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVES), GUM ACACIA, POLYSORBATE 60, NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM METABISULFITE (PRESERVATIVE), ESTER GUM, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6.”
High Fructose Corn Syrup? Polysorbate 60? Sodium Metabisulfite? These do not belong in cocktails. I’m not saying a whiskey sour is health food, but the less artificial chemicals I put in my body, the better. The whiskey sour I now make has three simple ingredients, whiskey, lemon juice and sugar. The recipes I looked over varied in the kind of whiskey, the amount of lemon juice, whether or not to use simple syrup of granular sugar, and the amount of sweetener.
After a bit of trial and error I settled on Wild Turkey Rye and simple syrup. The first was chosen for the bit of spice it adds to the drink and the fact it tasted better mixed than the other whiskeys I tried. I used simple syrup because it dissolved easier than sugar. This is a stealth drink where two ounces of whiskey can disappear exceptionally quick, so drink with caution.
Ingredients:
– 2 oz rye whiskey
– 1 oz lemon juice
– 3/4 tsp. simple syrup
Place ingredients in a shaker, shake without ice to combine, top with ice, shake until chilled, strain and serve.
Sweet Tea & Bourbon 