New York Sour

Difford's Guide
Discerning Drinkers (180 ratings)

Serve in an

Old-fashioned glass
Ingredients:
2 fl oz Bourbon whiskey
1 fl oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 fl oz Monin Pure Cane Syrup (65.0°brix, equivalent to 2:1 rich syrup)
1 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters
1/2 fl oz Egg white (pasteurised) or Aquafaba (chickpea water) or 3 dashes Fee Brothers Fee Foam cocktail foamer
1/2 fl oz Claret wine (Bordeaux red) (chilled)
Loading...
× 1

Read about cocktail measures and measuring.

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill an Old-fashioned glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.
  3. SHAKE first 5 ingredients with ice and strain back into shaker.
  4. DRY SHAKE (without ice) to emulsify.
  5. FINE STRAIN into ice-filled glass.
  6. DRIZZLE red wine around the surface of the cocktail.
  7. EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Allergens:


Recipe contains the following allergens:

AKA:

Brunswick Sour; Chicago Sour; Claret Snap; Continental Sour; Southern

Strength & taste guide:


Review:

A classic bourbon-based Whiskey Sour made more interesting – both visually and in flavour by the addition of a float of red wine.

Egg white is not classically used in a New York Sour but some prefer this drink with the mouthfeel and change of appearance egg white imparts.

British bartenders may prefer the following formula based on UK measures:
50 ml Bourbon whiskey
25 ml Lemon juice
12.5 ml Sugar syrup (2:1)
1 dash Angostura bitters
12.5 ml Egg white (optional)
12.5 ml Claret red wine

Variant:

Brunswick (a rye whiskey sour with a red wine float but with no egg white)
Continental Sour (a whiskey sour with a port wine float)
Greenwich Sour (a rye whiskey sour with egg white and a red wine float)
New York Stone Sour (a New York Sour with apricot liqueur and orange juice)
New Yorker (a New York Sour served straight-up with orange juice)

History:

Thought to have been first made in the 1880s by a bartender in Chicago, this drink was originally named the Continental Sour and then Southern Whiskey Sour, also masquerading as a Brunswick Sour and Claret Snap before becoming best known as the New York Sour, probably after a bartender in Manhattan started serving the drink and made it popular. It first appears in print under the New York Sour name in print in the 1934 Mr. Boston Bartender's Guide.
History of Sours family of cocktails and more recipies

Nutrition:

One serving of New York Sour contains 224 calories.

Alcohol content:

  • 1.4 standard drinks
  • 14.1% alc./vol. (28.2° proof)
  • 19.1 grams of pure alcohol
Difford's Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

Join the Discussion


... comment(s) for New York Sour

You must log in to your account to make a comment.

Report comment

You must be logged in to upvote or downvote a comment

Click here to login
Welcome to Difford's Guide

All editorial and photography on this website is copyright protected

© Odd Firm of Sin 2025