Whiskey Sour
Entry in progress—B.P.
Wikipedia: Whiskey sour
The whiskey sour is a mixed drink containing whiskey (often bourbon), lemon juice, sugar, and optionally, a dash of egg white. With the egg white, it is sometimes called a Boston Sour. With a few bar spoons of full-bodied red wine floated on top, it is often referred to as a New York Sour. It is shaken and served either straight up or over ice.
The traditional garnish is half an orange slice and a maraschino cherry.
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History
The oldest historical mention of a whiskey sour was published in the Wisconsin newspaper, Waukesha Plain Dealer, in 1870.
30 September 1862, Syracuse (NY) Daily Courier and Union, “Our Manlius Correspondence,” pg. 2, col. 3:
... went into the house, and shortly after came out wiping his mouth ion his sleeve, and smelling three cents’ worth stronger of whisky sour.
3 October 1862, Syracuse (NY) Daily Courier and Union, “Our Manlius Correspondence,” pg. 2, col. 4:
He became so annoyed at last, by victims in the last stages of “whisky sour,” ...
20 July 1864, The Weekly Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO), pg. 4, col. 2:
CORN HAS RIZ!—By cards printed to-day for some of the saloon keepers, it is inferential that barley and old rye has riz! Ale and lager is set up to 15 cents, “whisky sour” 20 cts, and “mixed drinks.” (many of ‘em pretty well “mixed” already) 20 cents.
29 January 1865, Sunday Mercury (Philadelphia, PA), pg. 1, cols. 1-2:
WHISKY SOUR, OR STRAIGHT?
Being a Father’s Advice to His Own Son
By JOHN CARBOY
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Whisky Sour—False and artificial, much given to whims and prone to worship new Gods. A man of uncertainty, who keeps his life in pickle and his friends in hot water. As likely to be a bachelor as a Christian, and having a doubtful look, something like his drink. He always has a button off his shirt, or one of his suspenders has given way, his coat is ripped, his best is bursted at the side, his whiskers are singed, or something is out of gear. When he gets his whisky sour, he wishes he had called for something else. Don’t associate, my son, too frequently with the champion of whisky sour. The inventor of that descation (? Illegible—ed.) only introduced it to show to what base use a good liquor can be put by the mere squeeze of a lime or lemon.
12 February 1865, Sunday Mercury (Philadelphia, PA), “Something About Women” by John Carboy, pg. 1, col. 1:
MY SON:—some days since I administered to you a short but serious bit of advice concerning whisky straight or whisky sour; or rather, as to what sort of people they are who drink these alcoholic compounds.
8 September 1865, Cincinnati (OH) Daily Enquirer, pg. 2, col. 7 ad:
Call at Campbell’s, 218 West Sixth street, between Smith and Mound, and try one of his superior Brazilian Lime Punches and Whisky Sour.
25 January 1866, Gallipolis (OH) Journal, pg. 3, col. 4 ad:
NEW BUCK-EYE
BILLIARD SALOON!!
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From a “Mint-julep” to a ‘Tom and Jerry.”
“Cobblers” and “Gin Slings,” Whiskey “Straight” or “sour,” ...
23 June 1866, The Weekly Panola Star (Panola, MS), “Dreaming on Wedding Cake,” pg. 1, col. 7:
... asked us what we would take—told him “whiskey sour”—...
3 May 1867, Reading (PA) Daily Times, “A Brick and Mortar Spring,” pg. 1, col. 6:
How doth the little Busy B,
Improve each shining hour
And gather cocktails all the day,
At night drink “whiskey sour.”
March 1869, Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine, “Up in the Po-Go-Nip,” pg. 274:
“Whiskey toddy! whiskey straight! whiskey hot! whiskey sour! whiskey and gum!” replied the crowd; ...
EUVS Vintage Cocktail Books
New and Improved Illustrated Bartender’s Manual
By Harry Johnson
New York, NY: Published by author
1888
Pg. 70:
142. WHISKEY SOUR.
(Use a large bar glass.)
YouTube
How to Make a Whiskey Sour | Cocktail Recipes
Howcast
Published on Mar 25, 2014
Like these Cocktail Recipes !!! Check out the official app http://apple.co/1I00csa
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Recipe: 2 oz Rittenhouse Rye; Â_ oz lemon juice; Â_ oz simple syrup; 1 egg white. Shake and strain over fresh ice in a double rocks glass. Garnish with orange slice and cherry.
Whiskey sour is a cocktail that does not have the greatest reputation. I think the reason for that is that sour makes people think of sour mix, which is this disgusting, processed fake ingredient. But you really shouldn’t be afraid, because sour is actually just a style of cocktail. Back in the 19th century a sour just meant a drink that had a spirit, citrus and some sugar or simple syrup. That’s really all a whiskey sour is, it’s whiskey, lemon juice and simple syrup.
One of my favorite things about this drink is it’s a great way to still have whiskey, if you really like whiskey in hot weather in the summer, because it’s a really refreshing drink. So we’re going to start with our spirit. Two ounces of rye whiskey, you can also use bourbon. I just love rye whiskey, let’s face it. But this is also a drink that bourbon works great in too.
Punch
How Well Do You Actually Know the Whiskey Sour?
With just three ingredients, the Whiskey Sour has enjoyed more than a century of unparalleled popularity. Here, the classic recipe and its modern interpretations.
JUNE 12, 2017 story: PUNCH STAFF
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The first printed record of the Whiskey Sour appears in 1862 in Jerry Thomas’ How to Mix Drinks, though the recipe likely dates back many years earlier. Relying on sugar to be dissolved in a small amount of water before adding the remaining ingredients, rather than syrup, the original Whiskey Sour construction resembles that of punch. But unlike punch, the Whiskey Sour has always been made on a small plan, a fact that makes it difficult to pinpoint the drink’s precise origins.
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While the original three-ingredient cocktail is still the best-known version, other early renditions of the drink have since gone on to become classics in their own right, from the red wine-topped New York Sour to the frothy Boston Sour, made with egg white—a PUNCH favorite.