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Cocktails
The Elevated Craft Team
Happy National Whiskey Sour Day!
With a nod to tradition and a flair for the contemporary, there's a Whiskey Sour to suit every taste. Our hearts were stolen by a unique Whiskey Sour riff that melds Velvet Falernum, Cointreau, and Eucalyptus Bitters. Immerse yourself in a captivating fusion, where bourbon's toasty embrace intertwines with Falernum's tantalizing hints of ginger, lime, and clove, topped off with a touch of eucalyptus zest.
How are you getting creative with your Whiskey Sour Today? Also, our riff is still searching for a proper name. Do you have any creative name ideas? Swing by our Private Crew Page and share your thoughts in the comment section!
Cheers to continued experimentation and another elevated weekend!
(Originally published 8/25/23)
2 oz. Bourbon (100 proof preferred)
1 oz. Velvet Falernum
½ oz. Cointreau
½-1 oz. Lemon juice
1 Egg white
2 Dashes of Hella Eucalyptus Bitters
Orange (for garnish)
Maraschino cherry (for garnish)
Add egg white to your Hybrid Cocktail Shaker.
Add 1-2 large ice cubes.
Add Bourbon, Velvet Falernum, Cointrau and Lemon Juice.
Shake for 30 seconds. This is considered a “wet shake” since we let the ice chill, dilute, and whip the egg white in one step. Consider a two-step dry shake if you want more froth from the egg white.
Strain over a large ice cube in your Hybrid Cocktail Glass.
Add bitters on top of the foam.
Garnish with an orange wheel and maraschino cherry.
The inaugural Whiskey Sour recipe emerged in 1826 and quickly captured the hearts of many, considering the era's limited avenues for instant fame. Its charm lay in the lemon juice's ability to mellow the robust, woody edge of the whiskey without entirely obscuring its character, thus transforming a spirit that some found off-putting into a fascinating libation.
Original recipes leaned heavily on water and were conservative with the lemon. However, it didn't take long for bartenders to push the lemon to the forefront, doing away with water. Over time, the recipe saw numerous adaptations, like Jerry Thomas' 1887 rendition featuring a Curacao float.
By 1885, a distinctive variant appeared, crowned with a red wine float. Although it has been dubbed the Southern Sour and the Continental Sour, it's predominantly recognized as the New York Sour. Intriguingly, this beverage, first published in Boston and allegedly conceived in Chicago, was named after New York. A Chicagoan bartender once crafted a "pleasant-looking, red-headed" Whiskey Sour, and he explained to a journalist that the claret (red wine) enhanced the drink's appearance and flavor profile. Despite its recent revival, the New York Sour doesn't quite have the same visual allure, primarily due to adding egg-white foam and serving the cocktail over ice.
The inclusion of egg white foam for texture and aesthetic appeal wasn't introduced until the 1920s. This addition is now deemed a crucial element of the Whiskey Sour in many cocktail circles today.