The Whisky Sour Has Been Around Since 1862, But Its Name Is Still Perfect

Monday, 01 June 2026 at 14:01

One of the world’s best-known whisky cocktails is the Whisky Sour. When the weather’s fine, a good cooling drink is in order, so in this Names Explained, we’re spotlighting the origins of the Whisky Sour.

Let’s get straight to the point: “sour” in English means acidic or tart. So literally, the cocktail would be “whisky sour.” The sharp, tangy note in this drink comes from citrus juice. That’s also why “sour” isn’t exclusive to whisky, you’ll also find gin sours and brandy sours.

When did the Whisky Sour first appear?

The name Whisky Sour first shows up in The Bartender’s Guide from 1862, written by Jerry Thomas. He included a range of recipes, one of which was under the category “The Whiskey Sour.”

These days, you’ll spot the Whisky Sour on many bar menus, and sometimes even on the drinks list at all-inclusive resorts, say, in Curaçao.

How do you make a Whisky Sour?

A Whisky Sour is actually very easy to make. All you need are the following ingredients:

60 ml of whisky (any style you like)

30 ml fresh lemon juice

15 ml simple syrup

1 dash Angostura bitters

1 egg

Ice cubes (optional)

(Optional garnish, such as an orange twist)

Endless riffs on a Whisky Sour

The fun of cocktails is that you can experiment, there are countless variations. I once visited a whisky bar in Skopje (the capital of North Macedonia) and was served a Whisky Sour made not with lemon juice, but mango.

That does stretch the “Sour” part of the name a bit, but you see these twists more and more. In Amsterdam, for instance, one stop on the Amsterdam Tour serves their take with pineapple juice.

In short, anything goes. On this page you can read more of what we’ve written about whisky cocktails.