Elevated Whiskey Sour Recipe

This post is going to show you how to make a delicious Whiskey Sour cocktail for Fall!

Fall is the season for drinking bourbon in my humble opinion. Something about the deep, dark, flavorful notes really keep me warm and cozy on brisk fall day.

The Whiskey Sour is a classic cocktail that consists of whiskey, fresh lemon juice, and a sweetener. In this post I am going to show you an original Sweet Nectar Recipe that is full of robust flavor !

Using bourbon infused with figs, a flavorful simple syrup, and fresh juices this cocktail recipe will be one you want to serve guests every time the leaves begin to change colors. Let’s get right into it! I call this:

“It’s the Thyme of the Season”

What You Will Need

Alcohol:

The bourbon I have chosen to use in this whiskey sour is Buffalo Trace Straight Kentucky Bourbon! I love the deep notes of cinnamon, oak, vanilla, and brown sugar in this bourbon. Buffalo trace has such a distinct flavor that I really enjoy in whiskey cocktails. I picked up my bottle at Total Wine and More! 

I actually chose to infuse my bourbon with fresh figs! This is totally optional but I believe it brings such a nice fall flavor to this whiskey sour. I also think it blends perfectly with all of the other flavors we will be adding!

If you chose to infuse your bourbon with fresh figs its actually very easy to do! I chopped up some delicious ripe figs and placed them in a bottle that can be sealed tightly. I added in the bourbon and let the mixture sit for about a week as it marinated and collected delicious flavor. You can let the mixture sit for a longer amount of time or shorter, it’s all down to your preference! I would suggest tasting the bourbon every few days to see how the flavor has progressed.

When you are content with the taste of the bourbon go ahead and strain out the figs. Keep your new creation in a tightly sealed bottle of your choice and store alongside the rest of your spirits!

We are also going to add another secret ingredient to this delicious fall whiskey sour which is Amaro Averna! This has to be one of the most delicious amaro’s I have ever had in my entire life! It also happens to be one of the most famous amaro’s out of Italy. The original recipe was created by monks in the 1800’s and gifted to a man named Salvatore Averna. His son and wife are responsible for taking the company upwards and having it start mass producing! Today it is still made in Sicily, and bottled up at Campari in Milan. Averna is thick and bittersweet with notes of caramel, vanilla, anise, and sage.

I picked up this bottle at Total Wine and More. This amaro will tie together all of the flavors of the bourbon and herbaceous simple syrup we will be using in this whiskey sour.

Citrus and Other Fresh Ingredients:

Just like a classic whiskey sour, this cocktail will require Fresh Lemon Juice! Using fresh ingredients is always a must when creating a stellar cocktail. Trust me on this one, it elevates everything to the next level! There’s nothing like that sharp zing from fresh fruit. In the photo above I am using my hand-pressed stainless steel citrus juicer! This thing is a life saver for my home bar and just for cooking in general. Not only is it easy to use, but it has an awesome pour spout and lots of space to fit multiple pieces of fruit! Seriously one of the coolest tools I own. If you wanna check one out just like mine you can do so RIGHT HERE!

Next up is arguably one of my favorite ingredients in this whiskey sour! We will be making a fresh Ginger and Thyme Simple Syrup! Simple syrup is beyond easy to make and takes on fresh flavors beautifully. The fresh ginger and thyme will play with the vanilla and sage notes in the averna, and the figs in the bourbon!

There are many different ratios you can use to make simple syrup, but for this recipe I have chosen to keep it OG with a 1:1 ratio. This means equal parts hot water, to equal parts white sugar.

I do like to muddle the ginger a bit once it is steeping in the syrup. I recommend having a Muddler on hand to really accentuate the flavor. You can get the exact muddler I use at the bar RIGHT HERE!

Ginger & Thyme Simple Syrup:

• In a pot bring desired amount of water to a slight boil
• Add in an equal part of white sugar to the water
• Stir the mixture together and lower the heat as the sugar dissolves
• Add in fresh ginger and fresh sprigs of thyme
• Continue to stir the mixture on low heat until a nice syrup like consistency forms
• Take mixture off of the heat
• Muddle the pieces of ginger to really release their flavor
• Let mixture sit and cool for about 30-45 minutes
• Once mixture is cooled strain out the ginger and thyme and store in a bottle of your choice for up to a month

I love to store my syrups and juices in small glass bottles with a pour spout like pictured above. These little bottles fit into the fridge with ease and add a really professional aspect to your home bar! Always remember to label and date your bottles so you can assure you’re always serving the most fresh and delicious product. I get most of my bottles from Amazon. You can check out an awesome set that comes with everything you will need RIGHT HERE!

Saline Solution:

Recently I have been adding a bit of salt to my cocktails. It is addicting once you see what it does for the drink. Just like in food, salt enhances all of the ingredients in a cocktail! Specifically in this whiskey sour the salt really brings the thyme and ginger to life! The cool part is you don’t need much. I used to add actual grains of salt before shaking, but then I learned about  20% Saline Solution! This is just a mixture of Kosher Salt and Water and you can make it at home!

• 40 ml Water : 10 g Kosher Salt

All you need to do is mix those ingredients together until dissolved and store in a glass bottle that has a dropper! Most cocktails only need about 1 or 2 drops of this solution to really make it pop! You can check out a glass with a dropper RIGHT HERE!

Another crucial ingredient is Egg Whites! Egg whites are an awesome way to give an extra creaminess and froth to a cocktail! You don’t need to use much. I actually use egg whites straight from a carton that have already been separated for me. You can pick up egg whites at any local grocery store!

When using egg whites in a cocktail you will use a technique called Dry Shaking before you shake again with ice. Dry shaking just means shaking a cocktail vigorously without any ice in the tin. This allows proteins in the egg whites to awaken and stretch out which results in a foamy texture. After it is strained, the foam resides on the top of your cocktail giving it a layered and professional appearance.

If you are Vegan don’t fret! There are several good options as replacements. The top two would be Aquafaba or Fee Brothers Fee Foam.

Aquafaba is the liquid that chickpeas sit in. You can buy a can of chickpeas from the store, strain out the water, and there it is! This foams up your cocktail easily and actually doesn’t have any taste that I have ever picked up on. It’s a great egg white substitute.

Fee Brothers Fee Foam comes in a bottle with a dropper. This allows you to put a couple droplets into a cocktail before shaking and voila! It also will give your cocktail the same creamy and frothy result. You can check out Fee Brothers Fee Foam RIGHT HERE!

Bar Supplies:

The main component you will need for this whiskey sour cocktail is a shaker. I usually use a Boston shaker when building my cocktails, but recently for guests and for filming I have been using a Glass Cobbler Shaker! I love the look of this shaker and the ease of the pour. This particular cocktail has a built in strainer! When you shake a cocktail you are diluting it and building it in volume at the same time! This is a crucial step for most drink builds. If you want to check out the glass shaker that I used you can do so right HERE!

The next bar tool that you will need is a Jigger. Jiggers are what you use to measure the ingredients you are adding into your cocktail! This is a necessary tool to have for your home bar. A great cocktail is balanced, beautiful, and consistent! You can achieve all of that by actively using a jigger when you are building your drinks.

My jigger shown above ranges from 1/4th oz to 2 oz.If you want to check out one identical to mine you can do so RIGHT HERE!

I must say that when I was just a beginner in the bartending world, I used a jigger that was much more simplified. It was great and truly let me build my skills with confidence. This jigger has only one side, very clear measurement lines, and a pour spout! If you’re just beginning and want to use this jigger to learn I will link the exact one I used to use RIGHT HERE!

Garnish:

This whiskey sour has two garnishes that really tie the whole cocktail together. We will be using Fresh Thyme and Aromatic bitters! Garnishes not only help the cocktail look aesthetically pleasing, but they sometimes hold a fresh aroma that can activate the tastebuds. You taste with your nose first, and there’s nothing more alluring that a delicious scent leading you into your first sip.

The bitters I have chosen to add to the top of this cocktail are Hella Cocktail Co’s Aromatic Bitters. The warm scent of fragrant spices it gives off really pulls you into this whiskey sour. Another reason I like to add bitters on top of a cocktail with egg white is to mask any egg scent there may be.

Once the bitters are applied to the top of the foam on the cocktail, you can take a toothpick or bar pick and swirl the dashes to spread them out and make a pretty design. To get more precise drops you can use a Glass Dash Bottle to really control how the bitters are released. This will allow you to make more intricate designs.

Lastly I like to top this whiskey sour with fresh pieces of Thyme! I strip these little pieces off of a fresh thyme sprig then sprinkle them in a half circle around the perimeter of the glass. I like to give the pieces a little slap before placing them onto the cocktail to awaken their scent. Adding this thyme is a fresh and light touch that will definitely impress any guests you would like to serve this cocktail too!

I do recommend that if you are starting to create multiple cocktails at home, you should invest in your own personal Bartending Kit. Most come with everything you will need as a beginner while others provide several items for more complex creations. I will put links to both a beginners set, and a more advanced set on Amazon below!

Beginners Kit : HERE

Advanced Kit : HERE

Let’s Build!