My in-laws are in town for the long weekend, and I wanted to make my mother-in-law a margarita. The two of us bond over margaritas, and particularly love to make these strawberry margaritas in the summertime. As I proceeded to pull out the different ingredients needed, I realized a devastating fate. We didn’t have limes, which are kind of essential in a margarita. So naturally, I whipped up an orange whiskey sour recipe instead.
Okay, okay. It wasn’t “natural” to make that next move. But I had a leftover orange from my Imperfect produce box, and a plethora of bourbon (we drink a lot of it in our home), so I decided to mix it up a bit. Thus, the orange whiskey sour was born.
What makes this co*cktail a whiskey sour?
When I first threw together this co*cktail, I just called it an “orange cranberry bourbon co*cktail,” which doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. After a quick search online, I learned that my new co*cktail creation could actually be called a whiskey sour thanks to the orange juice.
Typically sour co*cktails have a 1:2:4 ratio. It’s one part sweetness, two parts sour, and four parts alcohol. Sours usually include a lemon or lime juice to give it that sour taste, but since I saw a few people also called orange juice-based co*cktails a “sour” as well, I decided to roll with it. For more on sours, I liked this blog post by the Northwest Edible Life.
However, since I was looking for something a bit sweeter for our co*cktail, I decided to play around with the ratios. I did the same ratio for the alcohol and the juice, but kept the simple syrup at a smaller amount. There’s already a natural sweetness in the pure cranberry juice used in this co*cktail, so I didn’t feel the need to overpower it with so much simple syrup.
What kind of fruit juice should be used?
I think this is the most important question for this recipe, because I do think the juice is going to make a difference. I think fresh juice from an orange is going to be the best in terms of flavor. Plus, it’s lighter than most store-bought orange juices, which will make the co*cktail taste refreshing.
I also decided to use the cranberry juice as a way to sweeten this whiskey sour recipe. Yet as you can see, this co*cktail is not a deep red color—like most cranberry co*cktails you see out there. Why? Because I used a pure cranberry juice instead—not a concentrate or a co*cktail mix. This means no artificial dyes or additives in your drink, and it gives the co*cktail this deep orange color that honestly looks like sunshine on a cold, winter day.
I liked using Santa Cruz Cranberry Nectar, which is 100% juice. If you use another kind of cranberry juice, your co*cktail may be a darker orange or even red. But if you like this bright orange color, I recommend grabbing this kind. To buy, here’s a link for Instacart. But if you don’t shop on there, here’s a link on Amazon.
How about simple syrup?
Now I know there are co*cktail connoisseurs out there (*cough* my husband *cough*) who actually make their own simple syrup. However, for those of us who don’t have the time or patience to do so, it’s kind of nice to have a simple syrup that you can simply buy and rely on to taste good.
In this whiskey sour recipe, I used a zero-sugar sweetener that was naturally sweetened with monk fruit. I’ve used Swoon a few times now in different co*cktails, and I’m a big fan of it.
However, I do find some zero-sugar sweeteners to actually taste sweeter than their sugary counterparts. Which is why I use less sweetener in this whiskey sour recipe. So if you want your co*cktail to be sweeter, I recommend adding a little bit more in the drink. But between the two different kinds of juices in this whiskey sour recipe already, I have a feeling the sweetness will be just right.
Print Recipe
Orange Whiskey Sour
This co*cktail is full of flavors perfect for the cold, wintery months.
Add a few ice cubes to a co*cktail shaker or a mason jar.
Pour in the ingredients for the co*cktail. If you want to make more than one, simply double or triple the amounts, depending on how many co*cktails you want to make.
Shake for about 15 seconds.
Strain the co*cktail into a class with an ice cube. Add an orange slice and serve.
Notes
I find that using the most natural stuff tastes the best in this co*cktail. I like to squeeze 1/4 of an orange (or for two drinks, 1/2 and orange) and use a pure cranberry juice that doesn’t have any red dyes.
Fill a co*cktail shaker with ice. Add the whiskey, Amaro, blood orange juice, lemon juice, agave nectar, and bitters. Shake until nicely chilled. Strain and pour into a co*cktail glass filled with fresh ice.
You can't over shake your “dry” ingredients. When in doubt it's better to keep on shaking to ensure a frothy top to your co*cktail! If you'd like to try your hand at co*cktail art put your bitters into a container with a dropper top.
Many folks will also argue that a sour should be served up in a coupe glass, but presentation is the last step in customizing your personal best whiskey sour. Serve it up or on the rocks, with or without egg white, and whatever garnish speaks to you.
And this ratio works for other sour co*cktails, as well, including the margarita and daiquiri. The 3-2-1 that make up a whiskey sour are whiskey, of course (typically bourbon or rye), fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup (sugar and water).
Sour co*cktails include citrus juice and are nearly always shaken vigorously to best emulsify, chill, and aerate the ingredients. A golden ratio sour co*cktail must include 2 parts something alcoholic, 1 part something sour, and .75-1 part something sweet.
Many people choose to combine it with similar strong spirits, like vodka or tequila. While this may seem like a clever idea in theory, the alcohol content will quickly add up on your body and you'll be hammered in no time.
“Some whiskies have more caramel, some have more vanilla, but in general, orange juice complements and highlights all of those flavors,” Vytlacil says. A small amount of OJ is enough to temper high-proof bourbon, spicy rye, or even peated scotch, he adds.
Egg white contains proteins that emulsify when it's shaken up. This traps little pockets of air, which gives a drink like the Whisky Sour a very silky meringue-like texture that adds some lovely body to a co*cktail without changing the taste thereof.
This may be because the balance between acidity, sweetness and strength is not quite right. To avoid this common mistake, there is a simple but promising strategy: The 3-2-1 rule. It is used in many co*cktails, especially the sours.
The trick to getting the perfect frothy-ness (not a professional term), is to do a dry shake (no ice) before a final shake (with ice). This super classic co*cktail is one that I've had my eye on for a while, but I'll be honest I was a bit intimidated by the egg white situation (like is it even safe to drink raw egg?).
Both a whiskey sour and an old-fashioned co*cktail are made with whiskey—and that's the only similarity really. A whiskey sour balances the whiskey with lemon juice and sugar or simple syrup, while an old-fashioned is stronger, more spirit forward, and made with bitters and a sugar cube.
2 dashes of Angostura bitters are necessary for making a Whiskey Sour because they add a nice finishing touch to the drink, giving it its complexity and depth of flavour. Angostura bitters have 35 to 45% of alcohol content with 12 calories per serving.
The ratio refers to 2 ounces of spirit, 1 ounce of sweet, and 1 ounce of sour. Here we've provided examples of each element, but keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive: Spirits: Aperol, campari, gin, mezcal, rum, tequila, vodka, whiskey, wine, etc.
Two parts base spirit to one part sweet to one part sour. Let's take it one step at a time. Start with your base spirit. It can be any of your main categories of liquor—whiskey, gin, vodka, etc.
“There's definitely a formula,” she says. “My basic ratio for any drink is usually 1.5 to 2 ounces of alcohol, to one ounce of tart, to one ounce of sweet.” That's 2:1:1, liquor to tart to sweet.
Almost all the classic drinks you know and love, from the Daiquiri to the Gimlet or the Margarita come down to the same basic ratio: 2:1:1. That's two parts spirit, one part sweet, and one part sour, commonly known as the Golden Ratio.
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Introduction: My name is Maia Crooks Jr, I am a homely, joyous, shiny, successful, hilarious, thoughtful, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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