My in-laws are in town for the long weekend, and I wanted to make my mother-in-law a margarita. The two of us bond over margaritas, and particularly love to make these strawberry margaritas in the summertime. As I proceeded to pull out the different ingredients needed, I realized a devastating fate. We didn’t have limes, which are kind of essential in a margarita. So naturally, I whipped up an orange whiskey sour recipe instead.
Okay, okay. It wasn’t “natural” to make that next move. But I had a leftover orange from my Imperfect produce box, and a plethora of bourbon (we drink a lot of it in our home), so I decided to mix it up a bit. Thus, the orange whiskey sour was born.
What makes this co*cktail a whiskey sour?
When I first threw together this co*cktail, I just called it an “orange cranberry bourbon co*cktail,” which doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. After a quick search online, I learned that my new co*cktail creation could actually be called a whiskey sour thanks to the orange juice.
Typically sour co*cktails have a 1:2:4 ratio. It’s one part sweetness, two parts sour, and four parts alcohol. Sours usually include a lemon or lime juice to give it that sour taste, but since I saw a few people also called orange juice-based co*cktails a “sour” as well, I decided to roll with it. For more on sours, I liked this blog post by the Northwest Edible Life.
However, since I was looking for something a bit sweeter for our co*cktail, I decided to play around with the ratios. I did the same ratio for the alcohol and the juice, but kept the simple syrup at a smaller amount. There’s already a natural sweetness in the pure cranberry juice used in this co*cktail, so I didn’t feel the need to overpower it with so much simple syrup.
What kind of fruit juice should be used?
I think this is the most important question for this recipe, because I do think the juice is going to make a difference. I think fresh juice from an orange is going to be the best in terms of flavor. Plus, it’s lighter than most store-bought orange juices, which will make the co*cktail taste refreshing.
I also decided to use the cranberry juice as a way to sweeten this whiskey sour recipe. Yet as you can see, this co*cktail is not a deep red color—like most cranberry co*cktails you see out there. Why? Because I used a pure cranberry juice instead—not a concentrate or a co*cktail mix. This means no artificial dyes or additives in your drink, and it gives the co*cktail this deep orange color that honestly looks like sunshine on a cold, winter day.
I liked using Santa Cruz Cranberry Nectar, which is 100% juice. If you use another kind of cranberry juice, your co*cktail may be a darker orange or even red. But if you like this bright orange color, I recommend grabbing this kind. To buy, here’s a link for Instacart. But if you don’t shop on there, here’s a link on Amazon.
How about simple syrup?
Now I know there are co*cktail connoisseurs out there (*cough* my husband *cough*) who actually make their own simple syrup. However, for those of us who don’t have the time or patience to do so, it’s kind of nice to have a simple syrup that you can simply buy and rely on to taste good.
In this whiskey sour recipe, I used a zero-sugar sweetener that was naturally sweetened with monk fruit. I’ve used Swoon a few times now in different co*cktails, and I’m a big fan of it.
However, I do find some zero-sugar sweeteners to actually taste sweeter than their sugary counterparts. Which is why I use less sweetener in this whiskey sour recipe. So if you want your co*cktail to be sweeter, I recommend adding a little bit more in the drink. But between the two different kinds of juices in this whiskey sour recipe already, I have a feeling the sweetness will be just right.
Print Recipe
Orange Whiskey Sour
This co*cktail is full of flavors perfect for the cold, wintery months.
Add a few ice cubes to a co*cktail shaker or a mason jar.
Pour in the ingredients for the co*cktail. If you want to make more than one, simply double or triple the amounts, depending on how many co*cktails you want to make.
Shake for about 15 seconds.
Strain the co*cktail into a class with an ice cube. Add an orange slice and serve.
Notes
I find that using the most natural stuff tastes the best in this co*cktail. I like to squeeze 1/4 of an orange (or for two drinks, 1/2 and orange) and use a pure cranberry juice that doesn’t have any red dyes.
Whiskey: Bourbon is the whiskey traditionally used in a classic whiskey sour, with its warm vanilla and brown sugar flavor notes. We strongly recommend using a mid-range, high-proof bourbon (between 43-50% ABV) so that its flavor does not get drowned out by the other ingredients.
Fill a co*cktail shaker with ice. Add the whiskey, Amaro, blood orange juice, lemon juice, agave nectar, and bitters. Shake until nicely chilled. Strain and pour into a co*cktail glass filled with fresh ice.
You can't over shake your “dry” ingredients. When in doubt it's better to keep on shaking to ensure a frothy top to your co*cktail! If you'd like to try your hand at co*cktail art put your bitters into a container with a dropper top.
And this ratio works for other sour co*cktails, as well, including the margarita and daiquiri. The 3-2-1 that make up a whiskey sour are whiskey, of course (typically bourbon or rye), fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup (sugar and water).
Sour co*cktails include citrus juice and are nearly always shaken vigorously to best emulsify, chill, and aerate the ingredients. A golden ratio sour co*cktail must include 2 parts something alcoholic, 1 part something sour, and .75-1 part something sweet.
Both a whiskey sour and an old-fashioned co*cktail are made with whiskey—and that's the only similarity really. A whiskey sour balances the whiskey with lemon juice and sugar or simple syrup, while an old-fashioned is stronger, more spirit forward, and made with bitters and a sugar cube.
Dating all the way back to the 1800s, a Whisky Sour is about as classic a co*cktail as you can get. If you're a Whisky Sour sipper, it's likely that you are very complex; you tend to have many different - sometimes opposing - personality traits and are extremely adaptable in social situations.
You can make a perfectly lovely Whiskey Sour by sticking to the original recipe of just whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar. These three ingredients balance each other beautifully. But if you want to take your Whiskey Sour to the next level, add an egg white.
While this may seem like a clever idea in theory, the alcohol content will quickly add up on your body and you'll be hammered in no time. If it's not what you want from a regular night out, avoid combining these strong spirits.
Distinctively orange, with woody characteristics on finish. Delicate, smooth and full mouthfeel with distinctive orange zest notes and spicy, nutty, sweet vanilla undertones.
This may be because the balance between acidity, sweetness and strength is not quite right. To avoid this common mistake, there is a simple but promising strategy: The 3-2-1 rule. It is used in many co*cktails, especially the sours.
The trick to getting the perfect frothy-ness (not a professional term), is to do a dry shake (no ice) before a final shake (with ice). This super classic co*cktail is one that I've had my eye on for a while, but I'll be honest I was a bit intimidated by the egg white situation (like is it even safe to drink raw egg?).
Do not add ice yet. Dry shake the co*cktail. Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. (This is referred to as a "dry shake." It's good for incorporating the egg white before adding ice to the shaker.)
The ratio refers to 2 ounces of spirit, 1 ounce of sweet, and 1 ounce of sour. Here we've provided examples of each element, but keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive: Spirits: Aperol, campari, gin, mezcal, rum, tequila, vodka, whiskey, wine, etc.
Two parts base spirit to one part sweet to one part sour. Let's take it one step at a time. Start with your base spirit. It can be any of your main categories of liquor—whiskey, gin, vodka, etc.
There's definitely a formula, My basic ratio for any co*cktail is usually 2 part of alcohol, to one of tart, to one part of sweet. The formula for achieving this balance is 2:1:1. That's basically 2 parts alcohol, 1-part sour, and 1-part sweet.
Almost all the classic drinks you know and love, from the Daiquiri to the Gimlet or the Margarita come down to the same basic ratio: 2:1:1. That's two parts spirit, one part sweet, and one part sour, commonly known as the Golden Ratio.
Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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