Whiskey Sour (Difford's recipe)

Review

Citrus sourness mellowed by a touch of sugar and invigorated by a blast of toasty bourbon whiskey.

Many assert a classic "Golden Ratio" for all sours, from the Daiquiri to the Whiskey Sour. This broad approach can produce cocktails roughly balanced to personal tastes, but each sour recipe should have its own nuance according to the base spirit used. For example, my go-to light white rum-based Daiquiri changes if I use a well-aged rum. In the case of a Whiskey Sour, I'm looking for the best balance using a wheat-forward straight bourbon whiskey with a 45% alc./vol.

The classic 8:3:4 sour proportions:
• 2 parts strong ingredient (60ml / 2oz whiskey)
• 3/4 part sour ingredient (22.5ml / ¾oz lemon juice)
• 1 part sweet ingredient (30ml / 1oz sugar syrup)
produce a cocktail that's sweet rather than sour, particularly if you are using a 2:1 rich sugar syrup, as in all Difford's Guide recipes.

For years, my own go-to Whiskey Sour recipe conformed to a 4:2:1 formula:
• 4 parts whiskey 60ml (2oz)
• 2 parts lemon juice 30ml (1oz)
• 1 part rich 2:1 sugar syrup 15ml (½oz)
This formula is for you if you like your Whiskey Sours on the sour side. [If making with a 1:1 simple syrup, then up the sugar to 22.5ml (¾oz).]

In August 2023, ahead of Whiskey Sour Day, I experimented with other ratios such as 8:3:2 formula:
• 8 parts whiskey 60ml (2oz)
• 3 parts lemon juice 22.5ml (¾oz)
• 2 part rich 2:1 sugar syrup 15ml (½oz)
This is tasty and a little more whiskey-forward, but the sour element and lemon flavour are noticeably diminished. [If making with a 1:1 simple syrup, then up the sugar to 22.5ml (¾oz).]

Eventually, I arrived at my new preferred 6:3:2 formula:
• 6 parts whiskey 60ml (2oz)
• 3 parts lemon juice 30ml (1oz)
• 2 part rich 2:1 sugar syrup 20ml (⅔oz)
[If making with a 1:1 simple syrup, you'd need to use 30ml, thus making this a simple and memorable 2:1:1 formula, the most common formula used in the USA where simple syrup is more popular than rich 2:1 syrup.]