New York Sour

How to prepare the New York Sour: one of the best cocktails of the time! Make a classic whiskey sour and swim a layer of red wine over it.

Here is one of the most amazing and unique cocktails: the New York Sour! This twist on the whiskey sour takes the classic one step further. First comes the whiskey-sour layer: tangy-sweet and perfectly balanced. Float a layer of red wine on top and it adds intrigue, complexity and fruity acidity: not to mention a stunning vibrant two-tone coat. Even better: it’s very easy! How to do it.

What’s in a New York Sour?

The New York Sour is a well-known variant of the Whiskey Sour, with a layer of red wine floating on top. It is believed to have been invented by a bartender in Chicago in the 1880s, hence the name Continental Sour. It was later picked up and popularized by a New York bartender, hence its modern name. The Whiskey Sour is a classic cocktail that is on the International Bartender Association’s list of official IBA cocktails. Add a layer of wine and you have this classic red wine cocktail:

• Bourbon whiskey: highest possible quality (you can use any type of whiskey, but we prefer the smooth taste of bourbon)
• lemon juice
• Simple syrup (we use maple syrup; more below)
• red wine

How to Make a New York Sour (And Make a Perfect Layer)

Although it looks flashy, the New York Sour is actually very easy to make! You just need to know a little trick to make this beautiful layer of red wine.

1. Shake: Combine bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup in a shaker and shake cold. Strain into a glass.
2. Make the red wine layer: Here comes the fun part! Hold the back of a spoon directly over the top of the glass. Then slowly pour the red wine over the edge of the spoon into the glass. Since it hits the spoon first, the wine settles in a layer above it.

Maple Syrup vs Plain Syrup

Traditionally, the sweetener for a whiskey sour is simple syrup. But you can also use maple syrup in this New York Sour! This is why we love the maple variant:

• Maple syrup provides a nuanced sweetness. Simple syrup adds a pungent, pungent sweetness to a drink. In contrast, the maple sweetness is more nuanced and adds complexity to the drink. It doesn’t taste like maple: it just adds sweetness.
• It is a natural sweetener (no refined sugar). Maple syrup still contains sugar, of course! But if you like using natural sweeteners, this is the way to go.

Whisky: Rye vs. Bourbon

You can make a New York Sour with rye or bourbon whiskey! We generally prefer the milder flavor of bourbon over the tangy flavor of rye. We mostly serve bourbon in our classic Whiskey Sour. Of course you can also make a Whiskey Sour with Irish Whiskey (the Irish Sour) or Scotch (the Buchanan Sour).

In general, we prefer bourbon in most of our whiskey cocktails, like the Old Fashioned or the Manhattan. Of course you can use your favorite type of whiskey in this drink: each type gives the drink a different character.

Other Whiskey Sour variants: Boston Sour & Gold Rush

Another twist on the classic whiskey sour is this Boston sour! It has a protein foam garnish that’s often an addition to sour cocktails. It feels like a real 1920’s style drink! If you’ve never tried an egg white cocktail, we’ve cracked the code to create that perfect foam.

Or try the modern classic, the Gold Rush! It’s like a whiskey sour but uses honey syrup instead of plain syrup as a sweetener.

More classic sparkling cocktails!

Here are some other classic cocktails that are all part of Family of sparkling cocktails! Acid cocktails are any mixed drink that contains alcohol, lemon or lime juice, and sweeteners.

When to serve a New York Sour

The New York Sour is a red wine cocktail that is as tasty as it is versatile. It’s perfect for sipping as:

• Happy hour drink
• Drink at dinner
• Summer drink on the terrace
• Late night drinks
• Evening drink between boys or between girls
• Aperitif at aperitif time