Here’s how to make a whiskey sour with egg white! The frothy foam topping is the cherry on top of this classic cocktail recipe.
When it comes to classic cocktails, there’s nothing quite like the whiskey sour. It’s sweet tart, with just enough pucker from the lemon balanced with simple syrup and a spicy bourbon finish.
In my opinion, the best way to drink a whiskey sour is with an egg white foam topping. This classic way to top drinks is perfectly safe and has been a tradition for hundreds of years! Here’s how to make my favorite whiskey sour with egg white foam topping.
5 Star Reader Review
“Absolutely delightful and SO good! Certain drinks you see the presentation and think it’ll be hard to make, and the egg foam always made me assume this. This easily took 4 min., and was worth every second. Thank you!” -BAW
Why Egg White Belongs In A Whiskey Sour
Egg whites in cocktails is an age old cocktail tradition. Bartenders have been adding egg whites to cocktails since the 1860’s. There are many classic egg white cocktails, from the Gin Fizz to the Pisco Sour. Adding egg white does two things:
- It builds foam. Proteins in the egg white unfold and trap air, making a delicious frothy texture to the top of the drink.
- It makes a creamy, rich flavor that’s rounder. The egg white helps to tone down the sharp citrus without adding sweetness.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The whiskey sour is an iconic drink with a long history: earliest mention of the drink was in the 1870’s. It’s on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails, meaning it has an official definition. While the IBA definition of a whiskey sour doesn’t include an egg white, but it’s a well known addition to sour cocktails.
When a whiskey sour recipe uses egg white, it’s also called a Boston Sour. Here’s what you need:
- Whiskey: I like using bourbon, but any type of whiskey works; see below.
- Lemon juice: Use fresh squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor: always. Bottled lemon juice tastes flat and dulls the foam.
- Simple syrup: You can use either simple syrup (which is easy to make at home) or I sometimes use maple syrup for a rounder flavor.
- Egg white: You’ll need an egg white or you can also substitute aquafaba for a vegan variation (see below).
- Garnish: An orange peel and a cocktail cherry. A few drops of bitters on the foam are optional but classic.
Best Whiskey To Use
What type of whiskey to use for a whiskey sour? You can use any type. Here’s a little breakdown on what we like best:
- Bourbon: My top pick: the vanilla and oak notes in bourbon whiskey are ideal. I like Bulleit Bourbon and Elijah Craig Small Batch.
- Jameson Irish whiskey: Jameson is very mild and makes for an even more balanced drink (try the Jameson whiskey sour)
- Rye whiskey: Rye whiskey has a spicy burn on the finish
Is It Safe To Use Raw Egg White?
If you’re worried about the safety of raw egg whites in cocktails, don’t worry! Raw egg in a cocktail is a long-standing bar practice and the risk from a fresh, refrigerated egg is low. However, the risk is not the same for everyone.
Turns out, melons, salad, and peanuts have more of a threat for salmonella than eggs! However, make sure to safely store and use eggs to minimize risk (via Food & Wine). You can also use aquafaba instead (see below).
How To Dry Shake For The Best Foam
How does an egg white turn into foam? It’s a technique called a dry shake. Here’s what to know:
- Use the Dry Shake technique. Most cocktails are shaken with ice in a cocktail shaker. But in a whiskey sour with egg white, you’ll do what’s called a Dry Shake. That means you’ll shake the ingredients first without ice. Then you’ll add the ice and shake again. This results in a lovely white layer of foam on top.
- There’s also a Reverse Dry Shake. Another technique gets even more foam: it’s called the Reverse Dry Shake. You shake the ingredients with ice first, then strain out the ice and shake again. This method gets it even more foamy. But we like the texture of the foam in a dry shake, and it’s most common for classic cocktails.
Egg-Free Swap: Using Aquafaba
Is there a vegan egg white substitute in cocktails? Aquafaba is the liquid that’s inside a can of chickpeas. Because it’s so starchy, it works as a binder similar to an egg.
Two tablespoons of aquafaba are equal to 1 egg white, so use that in this recipe as an egg white substitute. It makes for the same type of foam!
Variations To Try
- Swap the citrus: A whiskey sour with lime is sharper, closer to a daiquiri.
- Red wine float: Pouring a layer of dry red wine makes a New York Sour.
- Go nutty: An amaretto whiskey sour adds a nutty sweetness.
- Irish whiskey: A Jameson whiskey sour has a mellow flavor.
- Batch it: Use whiskey sour mix for a crowd.
When To Serve This Drink
The whiskey sour with egg white is a classy cocktail that works for anytime: especially to impress guests! It’s great for sipping as a:
- Happy hour drink
- Dinner party drink
- Summer patio drink
- Guys or girls night drink
- Cocktail hour drink
Whiskey Sour with Egg White
Pin RecipeHere’s how to make a whiskey sour with egg white! The frothy foam topping is the cherry on top of this classic cocktail recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) whiskey (we prefer bourbon)
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice
- ¾ ounce (1 ½ tablespoons) pure maple syrup (or simple syrup)
- 1 egg white*
- Garnish: Orange peel and a cocktail cherry
- Ice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add the whiskey, lemon juice, syrup, and egg white to a cocktail shaker without ice. Shake for 15 seconds.
- Add ice to the cocktail shaker. Shake again for 30 seconds.
- Strain the drink into a glass; the foam will collect at the top. Serve over ice (optional), an orange peel and a cocktail cherry.
Notes
*Substitute 2 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) for a vegan variation.
More Egg White Cocktails
So many other sour cocktails use the technique of an egg white foam topping! If you’re a sour fan like we are, here are a few more egg white cocktails to try:
- Mix up the liquor and make an Amaretto Sour, Pisco Sour, Tequila Sour, Gin Sour, or Vodka Sour
- Try the Classic Gin Fizz with a thick layer of foam
- Opt for a classy White Lady
- Go pink with a Clover Club
- Try a funky Sloe Gin Fizz
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