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Not only is the New York Sour cocktail stunning, but the combination of flavors and the silky texture makes this one hell of a winner! This New York Sour recipe consists of a classic whiskey sour base finished with a red wine float.
While earning my Culinary Food Science degree, I was required to take a wine and spirits course. Since then, I’ve been developing cocktail recipes for print and digital publications including Taste of Home, Better Homes and Gardens, Diabetic Living Magazine and more.
And out of the hundreds of cocktails I’ve developed, this is still the one I love the most. If you’re looking for a unique take on the whiskey sour, you’re in the right place!
Reader Review
Absolutely loved this sour whiskey recipe, it’s great to play with the flavors of your cocktail and try something different. Thank you for sharing this, definitely one of the best sour whiskey recipes I have found on the internet.
– Tommy
Why I Love this New York Sour Recipe
I first came to know the New York Sour when I was a waitress—knowing very little about whiskey then, I recommended it purely for it’s visual appeal. I now have many more reasons for why you should try this glorious cocktail!
The New York Sour is the ideal cocktail. It’s tart, slightly sweet, and perfectly warming.
What is a New York Sour?
On its most basic level, the New York Sour is basically a whiskey sour with a float of red wine to finish. A splash of dry red wine balances the slightly sweet whiskey sour base and adds depth of flavor.
What Goes in a New York Sour Cocktail?
- Whiskey: use any you like. Nothing overly expensive since it’s being used in a mixed drink, but it should be something you like to sip on.
- Fresh lemon juice: fresh is best, always.
- Pure maple syrup or simple syrup: maple will add some roasty toasty flavor, simple will just add a clean sweetness.
- Egg white: I like the ease of egg whites from a carton. They also have the added benefit of being pasteurized.
- Red wine: use a dry red wine.
How to Make New York Whiskey Sour
The whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white get dry shaken (without ice). Ice is added and the cocktail is shaken to chill then poured over ice into a rocks glass.
A splash of dry red wine is then gently poured over top to create three stunning layers and one killer cocktail.
Best Whiskey for NY Sour
Rule number one, use a whiskey you like! But if you need a bit of guidance, I recommend using rye whiskey—it adds a mild undertone of spice. If you prefer bourbon, that’s also great.
What Kind of Red Wine to Use
Like I said with the whiskey—use a wine you like and would drink on its own.
However, since the cocktail features a bit of simple syrup or maple syrup, I recommend using a dry red wine.
Some sources recommend a fruity red wine, but between the lemon and the simple syrup, I find a dry red wine does a better job of balancing the cocktail’s flavors.
Shiraz, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Zinfandel will work great here.
Is Adding an Egg White Safe?
Many bars will use fresh egg white, but for ease of use and for food safety reasons, I recommend using pasteurized egg whites. You can find them sold in cartons right next to the fresh eggs.
More Popular Whiskey Cocktails
- Blood Orange Boston Sour
- Fig Infused Bourbon
- Classic Bourbon Smash
- Apple Bourbon Smash
- Make a Clarified Milk Punch with your favorite whiskey.
More From Zestful Kitchen
New York Sour Cocktail
Description
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Add whiskey, lemon juice, egg white and syrup in a cocktail shaker and dry shake (without ice) for 20 seconds. Add a few cubes of fresh ice and shake 30 seconds until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
- Slowly pour wine over the back of a bar spoon so that the wine floats on top of the drink.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe and article were originally published on October 15, 2020.
Absolutely loved this sour whiskey recipe, it’s great to play with the flavors of your cocktail and try something different. Thank you for sharing this, definitely one of the best sour whiskey recipes I have found on the internet.
Hi Tommy! I am so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of my favorites as well! 🙂
Ok I did a Jack Daniel’s with naturql maple syrup, real lemon juice and I used Stella Red wine which has alittle fiz to it. Very good. Stuff I had around. Did not look anything like your picture
Hi Leslie, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it! Not sure why it didn’t look the same—the red wine float on top can be finicky! The fizz of the red wine could have impacted it from creating a layer.
Yes Yes Yes- give me all the craft cocktails. This is such an impressive “sour” cocktail. We used the rye whiskey and of course the egg white. It was frothy and delicious. I am going to make these as an appetizer cocktail at our next dinner party.