New York Sour

Cocktail

This spiced seasonal whisky cocktail is our variation of the New York Sour. Leave one out for santa by the fireplace to get you straight on that nice list!

New York Sour vs Whisky Sour: what’s the difference?

The New York Sour is a variation on the original Whisky Sour, a storied whisky cocktail with over 150 years of history. The difference is all in the red wine float, adding a depth of rich, tangy flavour that balances out the whisky’s sweetness. Our festive twist goes one step further with the addition of spiced pear syrup for extra seasonal greatness.

New York Sour Ingredients

50ml Ballantine’s Finest Whisky

25ml Lemon Juice
25ml Dry Red Wine
2 Dashes Aromatic Bitters
Egg Whites
Ice
1 Ripe Pear Chopped
250g White Sugar
250ml Water
2 Cinnamon Sticks
6 Cloves
Zest of 1/4 Lemon

HOW to make a New York Sour

Frist, we make the spiced pear syrup. Add the copped pear, sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves & lemon to a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Cool, strain and refrigerate. (The syrup will keep for 4 weeks once it’s refrigerated).
Then, add all ingredients except the red wine to a shaker and dry shake without ice.
Add ice to your shaker and shake again.
Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.
Gently pour the red wine over a spoon just above to drink to ﬂoat it on top of the cocktail.
Turn up the Christmas tunes & enjoy!

Ballantine’s Finest

Choosing the best red wine for a New York Sour

If you ask a good bartender, they’ll tell you to use a dry, fruity red wine when making a New York Sour. Something like a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. But if you have a bottle spare, or prefer a different variety, we won’t tell. It’s your drink so make it your way.

New York Sour: a cocktail history lesson

The first record of the New York Sour is in Mr. Boston Bartender’s Guide in 1934. But it’s said to have initially hit the cocktail scene in the 1880s, just twenty years after the OG Whisky Sour.

Despite it’s name, rumour has it that the New York Sour was first made by a bartender in Chicago before making it’s way around the US – from the Continental Sour to the Brunswick Sour, every creator wanted to rename it. It’s only later that the much loved recipe migrated to New York where it became popular enough to gain a name that sticked.