This easy whiskey sour recipe is perfectly balanced and so easy to make! Garnish with an orange peel and a cocktail cherry.

This is the cocktail that started it all. Here at A Couple Cooks, we’re cocktail obsessed. We have a myriad of cocktail recipes. But the first that got us hooked on great cocktails was this whiskey sour recipe! The whiskey sour is a perfectly sweet tart, balanced whiskey drink that actually dates back to the 1870’s. This recipe uses bourbon and maple syrup: and man, is it tasty! It’s become a family favorite recipe — you’ll see it often at our family parties. Here’s the recipe and how it came to be.

Whiskey sour ingredients

The whiskey sour (aka bourbon sour) is a classic cocktail that’s on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails. This means it has an official definition. Our version stays true to the original definition, with a few tweaks. The ingredients for making a whiskey sour recipe are simple! Here’s what you’ll need for this classic sour cocktail:

Bourbon whiskey: as high quality as possible (you can use any whiskey, but we prefer the flavor of bourbon)
Lemon juice
Maple syrup or simple syrup
Garnish of orange peel and cocktail cherry

Alex and I like to use maple syrup to sweeten our cocktails. It’s a natural sweetener and brings a nuanced flavor to a drink that simple syrup does not. In back to back taste tests, maple syrup always wins! Plus, we always have it on hand in our refrigerator. If you prefer the pure, straightforward taste of simple syrup, you can use that too.

More variations: Make the whiskey sour with honey syrup and becomes a Gold Rush! Or make a whiskey sour with lime or an amaretto whiskey sour.

How to make a whiskey sour

Simply shake up the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and you’re good to go! The measurements in the recipe below: in both ounces and tablespoons to make it easy for family cooking. Just shake all the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker until cold. You can also cheat and just stir them together until the syrup has dissolved. Serve over lots of ice and enjoy! Try our clear ice if you want a stunning look.

Whiskey sours are traditionally served with a slice or orange and a cocktail cherry. You can also add an egg white to get a frothy foam topping: that makes it a Boston Sour! Go to Whiskey Sour with Egg White for more. When you make this drink with bourbon, you can also call it a Bourbon Sour.

Why make this whiskey sour recipe

I wasn’t a whiskey sour fan until the drink was introduced to our family by Alex’s step-father, Joe. Joe is 1,000% passionate about this sweet tart drink. When he’s entertaining, he’ll always ask: “Want a whiskey sour?” So of course over the years, this drink has become the standard for festive family get-togethers.

In honor of Joe’s 50th birthday, we created this an all natural whiskey sour recipe as an alternative to the store-bought mix he usually buys. This recipe uses maple syrup and fresh lemon juice, and truly makes for the very best whiskey sour recipe! Joe started serving it often, and it was a hit with cousins, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncle alike. Now when our family gets together, you’ll see a big jug of maple syrup and a ton of lemons on the counter. Want to try out our family recipe?

Whiskey sour mix

Let’s say you’re looking for a whiskey sour mix, but you don’t want to get one of those store bought containers with lots of sugar. You can also use this recipe as a mix to make lots of drinks at once! Simply mix up a big batch of the maple and lemon juice.

Here’s how to make a whiskey sour mix for 8 drinks: Mix 1 cup lemon juice plus ¾ cup pure maple syrup. Or, make this Homemade Sweet and Sour Mix. To make a single drink, measure out 3 ½ tablespoons of the mix with 4 tablespoons whiskey. It’s that simple! For more, go to Whiskey Sour Mix.

Looking for more easy cocktail recipes?

Outside of this whiskey sour recipe, here are a few of our favorite cocktail recipes:

Classic Margarita The very best classic margarita: lime, tequila and Cointreau. Perfection! And here are 10+ more ways to make a margarita.
Best Gin and Tonic Here are the keys to the very best gin and tonic, the most refreshing 2-ingredient cocktail! A few secrets take this crisp, botanical drink over the top.
Tom Collins Cocktail This popular sweet sour cocktail is light and bubbly! Don’t forget the cherry.
Prosecco Mimosa Here’s the best mimosa recipe! This one’s made with Italian Prosecco, orange juice, and a dash of Cointreau for the perfect bubbly tart flavor.
Classic Old Fashioned The oldest cocktail there is! The classic method uses a sugar cube, bitters, and bourbon whiskey for a truly timeless drink. Or browse all our best bourbon cocktails.

This whiskey sour recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, naturally sweet, and refined sugar free.