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    Home » Cocktail » Bourbon Sour Cocktail

    Bourbon Sour Cocktail

    Last updated on February 21, 2022. Originally posted on March 15, 2021 By Elaine 22 Comments

    426 shares
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    This bourbon sour cocktail recipe is delicious and refreshing. The natural sweetness of the bourbon along with a dash of simple syrup, balances out the tartness of the lemon. Perfection in a glass.

    A bubble glass in front filled with the lemon cocktail with the other glass in the back

    My mom enjoyed both bourbon and whiskey, so I always think of her when I mix or drink a cocktail made with either one.

    This is one of my favorite bourbon drinks, especially in the summer. It is so refreshing and lip-smacking good that it will make any gathering special.

    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click the link and buy something. You can read my disclosure here.

    Helpful tips

    • I’m a big fan of sour cocktails (I don’t like overly sweet ones), so I mix with less simple syrup than the average person. I feel that our palates have been altered by the amount of sugars added to just about everything. But, you can restore your palate by lessening the sugars you add at home and cultivating your taste for sour flavors.
    • I urge you to try the recipe first as it’s written, because while you can add more sweetener, you can’t take it away.
    • My recommended sweet-to-sour ratio is 1:2 (so, twice as much sour mix or citrus juice as simple syrup).
    • You can buy simple syrup in the grocery store or the liquor store but it is so easy to make that you can save money by making your own.
    • Here’s how: in a medium saucepan, add equal parts sugar and water (my measurements are usually 1 cup to 1 cup). Heat the pan on medium and stand there stirring as it heats up. Once the sugar has dissolved, lower to the simmer setting and cook for 5 minutes.
    • Cool completely before using it in a cocktail.
    • Since you are going to cut lemon twists and juice lemon, you need to wash it/them well before doing so. It’s especially important to wash before making twists because you are going to place the twists in the cocktails and you don’t want to be drinking pesticides.
    • What I do to wash citrus: I squirt unscented, natural, foaming soap in my hand and rub the fruit with my hands. I then take a vegetable brush and brush the skin. Lastly, I rinse the fruit under cold water until all the soap has been removed.
    • I like making big lemon twists. I use a paring knife to cut them. Make two twists per cocktail.

    How to make a bourbon sour cocktail

    Pre-step

    Get a cocktail shaker and fill it halfway with ice. Also get a measuring glass and double old fashioned glasses.

    After measuring out the ingredients, add to the shaker.

    Step one

    Gather the ingredients – bourbon, orange liqueur, lemon and simple syrup. (A)

    Step two

    Measure out 4 ounces of bourbon. (B)

    Left - bourbon, orange liqueur, lemon and simple syrup. Right - bourbon measured out with the bottle and shaker

    Step three

    Measure 2 ounces of orange liqueur. (C)

    Step four

    Measure 2 ounces lemon juice – depending on the size of your lemon, you might need 2 lemons to get the correct amount.

    I use this to get the juice out of the fruit. (D)

    Left - orange liqueur measured with the bottle and shaker. Right - lemon juice measured with the fruit and shaker

    Step five

    Measure 1 ounce of simple syrup. (E)

    Step six

    Take a paring knife and cut a big shallow slice of lemon rind. Try not to cut into the white pith. It’s okay to have some white, just not a lot.

    Also get two maraschino cherries and rinse them off to remove the sugary juice. (F)

    Left - simple syrup measured with the bottle and shaker. Right - white plate with lemon twists and cherries

    Step seven

    Add fresh ice to the glassware. Here are the ice cube trays that makes big cubes.

    Step eight

    Cap the shaker and shake for 10 – 15 seconds. Divide the liquid and cubes between the two glasses.

    Add the lemon twists to each glass. I put 2 in each, so 4 in all. Also add the rinsed cherries.

    Higher view of the two cocktail glasses with the drink in it with lemon twists and cherries

    Look at how golden they are!

    Here’s the vertical view of the bourbon cocktail.

    Vertical view of the bubble glass with the cocktail, lemon twists and cherries

    Look at the condensation on the glass.

    Overhead view of a glass with a lemon cocktail with a big ice cube and cherry on top

    I hope you enjoyed this bourbon sour cocktail recipe.

    Other bourbon cocktails

    • Bourbon cranberry
    • Manhattan
    • Apple cider smash

    And as always, may all your dishes/drinks be delish!

    If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love the know what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

    Two classes with golden cocktails with lemon twists and maraschino cherries - square

    Bourbon Sour Cocktail

    This bourbon sour cocktail recipe is delicious and refreshing. The natural sweetness of the bourbon along with a dash of simple syrup, balances out the tartness of the lemon.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cocktails
    Cuisine: Cocktails
    Keyword: bourbon sour, bourbon sour cocktail
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 2 cocktails
    Calories: 271kcal
    Author: Elaine Benoit

    Ingredients

    • 4 ounces bourbon
    • 2 ounce Cointreau
    • 2 ounce lemon juice
    • 1 ounce simple syrup (try it with 1 ounce and if it is too sour for you, add more in .50 increments)
    • 4 lemon rind twists (use a pairing knife to cut them – see notes)
    • 2 maraschino cherries (wash the syrup off the cherries as it will add sweetness)

    Instructions

    • Fill cocktail shaker ½ way with ice.
    • Add bourbon, Cointreau, lemon juice and simple syrup
      4 ounces bourbon, 2 ounce Cointreau, 2 ounce lemon juice, 1 ounce simple syrup
    • Cap shaker and shake for 10 to 15 seconds
    • Add fresh ice to the glasses, strain and divide the liquid between the two glasses. Add the ice from the shaker.
    • Place 2 lemon twists and 1 cherry to each glass
      4 lemon rind twists, 2 maraschino cherries
    • Sip
    • Smile
    • Enjoy

    Equipment

    cocktail shaker
    measuring glass
    double old fashioned glass
    See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!

    Notes

    Helpful tips
    • I’m a big fan of sour cocktails (I don’t like overly sweet ones), so I mix with less simple syrup than the average person. I feel that our palates have been altered by the amount of sugars added to just about everything. But, you can restore your palate by lessening the sugars you add at home and cultivating your taste for sour flavors.
    • I urge you to try the recipe first as it’s written, because while you can add more sweetener, you can’t take it away.
    • My recommended sweet-to-sour ratio is 1:2 (so, twice as much sour mix or citrus juice as simple syrup).
    • You can buy simple syrup in the grocery store or the liquor store but it is so easy to make that you can save money by making your own.
    • Here’s how: in a medium saucepan, add equal parts sugar and water (my measurements are usually 1 cup to 1 cup). Heat the pan on medium and stand there stirring as it heats up. Once the sugar has dissolved, lower to the simmer setting and cook for 5 minutes.
    • Cool completely before using it in a cocktail.
    • Since you are going to cut lemon twists and juice lemon, you need to wash it/them well before doing so. It’s especially important to wash before making twists because you are going to place the twists in the cocktails and you don’t want to be drinking pesticides.
    • What I do to wash citrus: I squirt unscented, natural, foaming soap in my hand and rub the fruit with my hands. I then take a vegetable brush and brush the skin. Lastly, I rinse the fruit under cold water until all the soap has been removed.
    • I like making big lemon twists. I use a paring knife to cut them. Make two twists per cocktail.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cocktail | Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
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    426 shares

    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission, at no additional cost to you,  if you click the link and buy. You can read my disclosure here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christopher

      August 27, 2017 at 3:40 pm

      This looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        March 15, 2021 at 2:55 pm

        Thank you Christopher!

        Reply
    2. Gloria

      March 15, 2021 at 11:06 am

      This sounds like the perfect cocktail for an afternoon of reading. Hubby does like burboun….and I know he would like to give this a try.

      Reply
      • Elaine

        March 15, 2021 at 2:54 pm

        Thanks Gloria! I hope hubby enjoys it.

        Reply
    3. Veronika Sykorova

      March 16, 2021 at 2:43 pm

      I always enjoy any cocktail that has Cointreau in it, I just love the orange flavor. This one was really good! Can’t wait to make it for others in the summer!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        March 17, 2021 at 5:30 pm

        Me too Veronika! Thanks. I hope you enjoy it.

        Reply
    4. Chef Dennis

      March 17, 2021 at 5:06 am

      This Bourbon Sour Cocktail looks absolutely refreshing! My friends will love a glass of this.

      Reply
      • Elaine

        March 17, 2021 at 5:30 pm

        Thanks so much Dennis! I hope you all enjoy it.

        Reply
    5. Tracy

      March 18, 2021 at 11:17 pm

      What a refreshing drink! My husband loves a great bourbon cocktail, I can’t wait to make this for him!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        March 19, 2021 at 2:36 pm

        I hope he enjoys it Tracy. Thanks for commenting!

        Reply
    6. Shelley

      March 20, 2021 at 10:33 am

      What a simple recipe (perfect for entertaining since it’s easy!) … and yet a complex interplay of flavors, from the rich, deep notes of bourbon to the sweet simple syrup to the tart, bright citrus! You have such wonderful cocktail recipe ideas!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        March 20, 2021 at 4:56 pm

        Shelly, you need to write for me. 🙂 You just summed up this cocktail in beautiful language. Thank you.

        Reply
    7. Erin

      March 20, 2021 at 2:45 pm

      I’ve never had any kind of sour cocktail. I am all about obnoxiously sweet. 😆 But I’d love to give this a try for something different!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        March 20, 2021 at 4:57 pm

        I hope you enjoy it Erin when you do. Because it really is balanced even though some might think not. But it’s a sourish cocktail.

        Reply
    8. Alex

      March 20, 2021 at 3:44 pm

      Oh, interesting! I didn’t know one can use soap to clean lemons. I definitely need to do that. And what a tasty drink!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        March 20, 2021 at 4:58 pm

        Only unscented hand soap for sure. It works perfectly and is a lot cheaper than the vegetable/fruit washes. 🙂 I’ve never had a problem! Cheers, Alex, and thank you for your comment.

        Reply
    9. Chandice Probst

      March 21, 2021 at 3:16 pm

      It’s beautiful and simple and I love how easy it was for me to make with a non-alcoholic bourbon. Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        March 22, 2021 at 1:24 pm

        Thank you Chandice! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Tristin @ Home Cooked Harvest

      March 21, 2021 at 9:55 pm

      I am such a fan of sour drinks so I had to try this out, I even had everything on hand! I like making my own simple syrup, it’s just so simple lol. Came out great, thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Elaine

        March 22, 2021 at 11:11 am

        Thanks Tristin! I’m a sour drink fan too! And I think making homemade simple syrup is so easy, I wish more would try it. 🙂 Thanks for your comment.

        Reply
    11. Moop Brown

      March 22, 2021 at 3:54 am

      This cocktail seems super refreshing and like the perfect balance of sweet and tartness. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        March 22, 2021 at 11:12 am

        Thanks Moop. 🙂 It is very refreshing!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Elaine! I'm so glad you stopped by. Here you will find lots of tasty cocktails, comforting food and inspiration for your next meal. I LOVE chocolate, almost all foods, blogging, photography and spending time with my hubby!

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    Summer Food

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    426 shares