Bourbon Sour Cocktail

This bourbon sour cocktail recipe is a delightful blend of sweet, tart, and refreshing flavors. Garnish this classic drink with a cherry and a lemon twist for the perfect sipper!

My mom enjoyed both bourbon and whiskey, so I always think of her when I mix or drink a cocktail made with either one. She has always been a sucker for any type of whiskey sours.

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

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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 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water (so equal parts.) Turn the heat on under the pan to medium heat and bring to a slight boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves, lower to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and 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.
• Some people put egg white in their whiskey or bourbon sour, but I don’t like to. The only thing it does is make it creamier and foamy, but I like it just the way it is.

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, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. (A)

Step two

Measure out 4 ounces of bourbon. (B)

Step three

Measure 2 ounces of orange liqueur. (C)

Step four

Measure 2 ounces fresh 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)

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)

Step seven

Add fresh ice to the glassware. Here are the ice cube trays that I use 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.

Look at how golden they are!

Here’s the vertical view of the bourbon cocktail.

Look at the condensation on the glass.

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 to know your thoughts 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!