Whiskey Sour

Perhaps—along with those sundresses and seersucker suits, big hats and cut-off shorts—you’ve been knee-deep in gin fizzes, fruity punches, and elderflower liqueur all summer long. Do you find yourself craving bourbon and its fellow brown spirits, which you’ve abandoned in favor of lighter-colored elixirs?

US, TOO.

Thank goodness, then, that today is National Whiskey Sour day. Not like you need a reason. The whiskey sour is a dang fine creation any old day, and we’re grateful for the excuse to tip one back today.

Its charms? Whiskey, of course, plus fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white if you prefer a silkier texture, and at least one fat maraschino cherry. (House-made if you’re lucky.)

One part boozy, another part tart, a third part sweet, it’s the daiquiri of whiskey drinks. Experiment until you find the precisely right proportions of each element, like this one with orange marmalade, or any of these 15 variations from the fine folks at Saveur. In the meantime, here’s the classic.

Happy day, indeed.

Whiskey Sour
by Dale DeGroff, Liquor.com
Makes 1 cocktail

0.75 oz. fresh lemon juice
0.75 oz. Simple Syrup (one part water, one part sugar)
1.5 oz. bourbon
Cherry and/or lemon wedge (optional, to garnish)

Put all ingredients except for garnish in a shaker and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a cherry and/or lemon wedge, if desired.