Most of the whiskey cocktails I've played with are pretty intense alcohol on alcohol concoctions like sazeracs and Manhattans, but on a warm day, it's nice to have something a bit lighter. It could be a mint julep, but another good alternative is the whiskey sour.
The whiskey sour was a precursor to all of those popular sour drinks: the margarita, the daquiri and the sidecar. It's an easy drink to make and a fun one to sip. The ingredients are such:
2 oz. whiskey (I usually use a good mid-level bourbon)
1 oz. lemon juice
3/4-1 oz. simple syrup (to taste)
1 egg white
As with all drinks containing egg white, do a dry shake (without ice) first, then shake again with ice. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. The traditional garnish is a cherry but I dispense with it and usually also add two or three drops of Angostura bitters right on top, which looks cool as well.
Some people drop the egg white out of squeamishness, but I would encourage you to leave it in. I love the frothy, foamy nature of the drink; without the egg, it's just whiskey and lemonade. Yes, there are risks to using raw eggs. I use only eggs I get from the farmers market, but hey, what's life without a little bit of risk, as long as your immune system isn't otherwise compromised.
Now what would happen if we made on with Laphroaig? Hmm, maybe I'll try it and report back.
The Usuikyou Sour.
ReplyDeleteWell, it couldn't be worse than Usuikyou neat.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's true.
ReplyDeleteI keep looking at this thinking it'd be so good right now but we're out of eggs and lemon juice. Maybe it's gin time.
Wouldn't the high proof alcohol kill any Salmonella bacteria?
ReplyDeleteChuck, unfortunately, it seems like that old saw is a myth. See this video
ReplyDeletewhere they tested on egg nog and found out it takes up to three weeks for alcohol to kill salmonella.
Now if you use Stagg, I'm assuming it would be shorter, but I still don't see myself pre-mixing sours and sticking them in the fridge.