Perfect Boston Sour

A Boston sour on a white coaster with lemon wedges to the side and pink carnations surrounding it.

Whiskey lovers will fall in love with this perfect Boston sour after just one delicious sip! With its wonderfully frothy topping, the classic Boston sour elevates a basic whiskey sour to add a velvety, silky texture for a touch of elegance. When you need a well-balanced, sophisticated whiskey cocktail for the evening, you’ll turn to this recipe over and over again.

Course Beverages

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings drink

Calories 240kcal

Author Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Ingredients

2 ounces whiskey preferably bourbon
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup
1 egg white
Few dashes of angostura bitters
Ice
Lemon twist for garnish, optional

Instructions

Add whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white and bitters to a cocktail shaker with no ice.
Put on the top and shake for 30 seconds. This is our dry shake.
Remove the top and add a handful of ice. Put the top back on and shake again for at least one minute to develop the frothy topping. This is our wet shake.
Strain into a chilled glass.
If desired, garnish with a lemon twist. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

For an eight-drink batch: Stir together 2 cups whiskey, 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup simple syrup and about 8-10 dashes bitters in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, stir again, pour 4 ounces whiskey mixture with one egg white per drink into a cocktail shaker. Proceed with the dry and wet shake as directed above. Shake up to two drinks at a time.

If you have dietary restrictions or don't want to use raw eggs, swap a fresh egg white for 2 tablespoons aquafaba. This is the liquid in a can of chickpeas. Alternatively, Fee Brothers offers a frothing product that replaces an egg white.
Stainless steel cocktail shakers rely on ice to create a seal, so you have to be a careful while shaking to keep the drink from leaking. A mason jar with a solid lid eliminates that problem, and you can then use a cocktail shaker for the wet shake. I find cocktail shakers with a rubber lining don't have the same problem and stainless shakers.
To chill the serving glass, place it in the freezer 15-30 minutes before serving. If you forget, you can fill it with water and ice cubes while you mix the drink. Before straining, stir the water and ice for about 30 seconds, pour out the contents, and you have a chilled glass.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition